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apples from a pip

david967david967 Posts: 12
in Fruit & veg

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Do apples grow true to the variety when grown from a pip? I have such a tree, the apples look like Bramley's but are sweet and grow in singles and clusters of up to 8.

  

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  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340

    No.

    Every pip, even from the same apple will produce different offspring


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307

    And can take up to 25 years to produce fruit and the tree could reach 30 feet or more in height too.

  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713

    We planted 6 apple pips about 5 years ago.  Three survived, and two of these tree saplings are now growing in our garden.  I was amazed that so many pips germinated.  So the trees are 5 years old, about 2 foot tall and so far no apples have been produced but we did have a very small amount of flower blossom on one this year.

    Your apple tree looks very healthy David and I am not surprised that you want to replicate it.

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340

    I used to have a variety called Greensleeves which looks very similar. Crisp as a Granny Smith but with a really good flavour.
    But there are thousands of varieties, so could be lots that look very similar


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • david967david967 Posts: 12

    image

    Thank you all for your replies, Guernsey Donkey, the tree in the photos is my pip grown tree, it is 12ft high, and approx 10 years old, I prune it hard every year to let in light and air, I'm no expert but it seems to be working.

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618

    What do they taste like? You can propagate it by grafting on to a rootstock, or another apple tree.  That is how most new varieties are distributed.

  • david967david967 Posts: 12

    image

    Update on my pip grown apple tree, the apples are growing well, they are sweet and look like Cox's.

  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    I have tagged along on this post - we planted 6 apple pips approx. 5 years ago.  There are just two small trees growing now and one of the small trees has produced fruit for the first time, they are just a solid looking small pendulous rather than round fruit.  They don't really look like apples and I wouldn't think they are edible. The tree is approx 18" - 24" tall with quite a few branches. Is there any chance that this small tree will ever produce "normal" looking apples?
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    Those apples look very much like the shape of crab apples to me. Still useful for making crab apple jelly and crab apple wine though.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I agree with @Berghill ... they look very like crab apples ... something like Malus John Downie ... it's often used in commercial orchards as a pollinator so the fruit may well have been crossed with one of those or a similar variety.  That's probably why it's not growing huge. 

    As Berghill says, great for wine, jelly etc and any left on or under the tree will be a very useful winter food source for birds.  

    I'd let them ripen on the tree and then see what you get ... show us another photo then.

    I think you've got a good result from your pip  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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