How to Grow a Hedge Apple Tree From an Apple
- 1). Collect fallen, viable hedge apples from areas where male and female trees are present. Females can produce fruit without the male plant, but the seeds will be sterile.
- 2). Spread out the hedge apples on a clean cloth in a cool, dry area and let them age for several weeks. Put on rubber gloves and break the fruits apart to collect the pulpy seeds inside. Don't let the milky sap contact your skin or it may cause irritation. Rinse the seeds clean in cool water.
- 3). Place the cleaned seeds in a plastic bag with a handful of moist sand, and keep it in a refrigerator for 30 days. If you want to skip this step, soak the seeds in cold water for 48 hours, changing the water every 24 hours.
- 4). Prepare a seed tray filled with moist mineral soil. Sow the seeds 3/8-inch deep, cover with soil and press it down so that the seeds have firm contact with the soil. Place the tray in a sunny, warm room, and keep moist until they germinate and sprout, in about 30 days.
- 5). Thin seedlings to 6 inches apart when they produce their second set of leaves. Plant hedge apple seedlings outdoors in moist, rich soil and full sun when they reach a height of 4 to 6 inches.
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