Question
Hello, my name is Jennifer Garcia and I live in Beeville, Texas.  It is in southern Texas between San Antonio and Corpus Christi.  My daughter wanted to plant the seeds from her apple, so I placed them in a glass of warm water and they've been sitting in the water for 3 days.  I've changed the water out everyday with fresh warm water.  Only two of the seeds started sprouting and one of the sprouts has completely shed the seed covering.  This is my first time ever attempting this.  My question is when should I put them in soil and what would be the proper care for them?  I would truly appreciate your help.

Answer
Jennifer, once the seed sprouts, you should immediately transplant it into a small pot containing a fertile potting soil. If you wait any longer, you risk the chance of transplant shock.

In the future, rather than starting the seed in water, I would highly recommend sowing them in a small cell pack or peat pot, and use a sterilized seed starting medium. These are sold at all garden centers and are comprised of perlite and vermiculite. Seeds started in this mix have the highest germination and survival rate.

To care for the seedling, you should place the pot in a southwest window where it will get ample sunlight. You can also place them under flourescent lighting. Just be sure to always adjust the lights no more than three inches from the top of the plant. Keep the soil moist at all times, but do not over water. Once the seedling produces its second set of leaves, you can then use a water-soluable fertilizer at 1/2 the rate recommended on the package.

As the plant matures, you will eventually have to transplant it to a larger pot, otherwise it will get root bound. The general rule of thumb is that you increase the size of the pot by 2" for every six inches of growth.

If you care for the plant properly, it should be the right size to transplant outdoors next spring. Be advised, that apple trees do not produce until they are at least 10' in height. This may take several years.

I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike