How to grow Crab Apple
Crab apple pips need a spell of cold before they’ll germinate, with no warm phase required first. Extraction from the fruit is easy enough by hand; the only real test with this species is having the patience to wait out the stratification.
At a glance
- Scientific name
- Malus sylvestris
- Family
- Rose (Rosaceae)
- Can seed be stored
- Yes, dries and stores
- Type of dormancy
- Shallow dormancy
- Pretreatment
- Cold, ~14 weeks (roughly 3–4 months)
Quick links
Seasonal calendar
Year 1
Year 2
- a Collect: Falls in October; pickable before
- b Store: A week or two
- c Treat: ~14wk refrigeration begins
- d Treat: Refrigeration continues
- e Sow: Early February
- f Grow: Grown on until November, traditionally the start of the lifting and planting season, though this window has been shifting and shortening with a changing climate.
| Stage | Year | Month range | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collect | Year 1 | September to October | Falls in October; pickable before |
| Store | Year 1 | October to October | A week or two |
| Treat | Year 1 | November to December | ~14wk refrigeration begins |
| Treat | Year 2 | January to January | Refrigeration continues |
| Sow | Year 2 | February to February | Early February |
| Grow | Year 2 | March to November | Grown on until November, traditionally the start of the lifting and planting season, though this window has been shifting and shortening with a changing climate. |
Picking
Crab apples fall from the tree in October. They they can be picked directly from the tree before this (but not too early). Local wildlife will quickly clear fallen fruit, so be quick.
Extraction and storage
The apples can be stored in buckets or bread baskets for a week or two provided they are kept in a cool, dry place.
Use a flat-bottomed pole (for example, an old sawn-off spade handle) to mash the fruit and sieve the small ‘pips’ from the pulp. For a more complete description of how to do this, click here.
Pretreatment
Crab apple is quite simple to grow from seed. The extracted seed should be mixed with equal parts of peat-free compost or leafmould. For each handful of seeds add two or three handfuls of mixture. Moisten the mixture so that, when you squeeze a handful, only one or two drops of water escape between your knuckles. Place this mixture into a plastic bag and tie loosely. Put the bag into the vegetable compartment of the fridge (not in the freezer!).
Leave in the fridge for about fourteen weeks. After ten weeks, check regularly for signs of growth.
Sowing
In early February the seeds are ready to sow. In a 1-litre pot sow two seeds and cover with 5mm of compost or grit. Firm gently and water. On a seedbed broadcast the seed, aiming for about 400 in each square metre. Firm with a roller or board to press the seed well into the soil. Cover with 5-10mm of grit.
Growing
Don’t forget to remove the weaker seedling to leave the strongest when you are growing in a container. Feed regularly.
The only problem you may find when growing crab apple is mildew. Good hygiene can reduce the risk – don’t touch your plants when they are wet and don’t water the foliage too late in the day. Both these measures can help prevent infection. If mildew does appear, treat quickly with a fungicide, preferably organic.
Keep moist at all times.
Planting your new tree(s)
When your Crab Apple is tall enough, it can be planted into its new home. Prepare the site well by clearing away any weeds or grass and make a hole big enough to accommodate the root ball. Plant carefully in the hole, to the same depth as it was in the pot or ground, and firm back the soil. More tree planting details here.
