Crab apples from pips

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Crab apples from pips

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Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu Apr 24, 14 12:40 pm Post subject: Crab apples from pips
I found a nice looking small round yellow crab apple growing locally a few weeks back and have just got round to collecting the pips to sow. I know apple cultivars don't come true from seed but what about crab apples? I assume they will at least be a crab apple, but how much will they take after their parent, anyone know?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45508
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Apr 24, 14 1:45 pm Post subject:
im not sure but at this time of year softwood cuttings with a bit of hormone rooting powder will probably take. i think most crabs are on their own roots so cuttings should come true where as from seed depends on what miss bee went to

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 14 6:23 am Post subject:
I would agree about taking cuttings. The crab will only come true if it has no other pollinator, otherwise you will end up with a wilding. Some are good, but some are useless. If you want to grow the pips you might end up with a really nice crab, but it will take years to find out.

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 14 8:04 am Post subject:
A bit of variation would be good and IIRC even if apples self pollinate they will produce variation. What I would like though is similar crab apples rather than say a large cooker. So, if it self pollinated would they produce crab apple trees? I would expect so as surely that's how many crab apples trees have come about?

tai haku

Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 472

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 14 9:52 am Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

A bit of variation would be good and IIRC even if apples self pollinate they will produce variation. What I would like though is similar crab apples rather than say a large cooker. So, if it self pollinated would they produce crab apple trees? I would expect so as surely that's how many crab apples trees have come about?

That is the most likely end product of those seeds; there is the chance that that crab has some large cooker genetics somewhere or is largely being cross pollinated by a large cooker hidden somewhere round the corner so you never know but most likely you'll get a similar crab. If you have space it'd be worth growing as many seedlings as you can on to get something close to what you want.

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 14 5:34 pm Post subject:
Yep, plenty of space, and it would be nice to plant something from local material.

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