Regular readers will have seen yesterday’s post showing a bonsai apple tree with what looked like a normal sized apple on it. As a bit of a joke, I addressed the post to one of my blog followers, Bek of Bek’s Backyard blog, because Bek is an apple freak (hope you don’t mind that title, Bek). She has huge numbers of apple trees (I’ve lost count) in a suburban backyard, growing in a style called ‘step-over’. (I won’t explain it, go to her blog and have a look).
I did some bonsai many years ago and thought I’d love to have a tiny tree with one big apple on it, so I quickly scarfed down an apple and sowed the seeds. Apples germinate readily from seed.
I got the image from Facebook. One commenter said it was a phony picture; that the apples would be miniatures, never that big. So I Googled and came up with this page. And there was the same Facebook image, along with some others. Certainly the fruit on the others is smaller, but I can’t see how the big fruit is a phony (of course, there’s always Photoshop I suppose).
Anyway, I’m going to have a go. I’ll report back (if I haven’t succumbed to old age before then).
Foodnstuff 
March 17, 2016 at 5:17 am |
Steve grafted a tiny sliver of a Ballerina apple onto a rootstock and it has stayed tiny. It’s effectively a “bonsai” to all intents and purposes and should have full sized apples on it. Dwarf fruit trees are bred to remain smaller whilst keeping full sized fruit. I am guessing it wouldn’t take much to bonsai a fruit tree.
LikeLike
March 17, 2016 at 10:37 am |
I’ve never grafted anything….might try one day when I have more time (that will be when pigs start flying 😉 ). In the meantime, I’ll try the bonsai. Should be a lot of fun if nothing else.
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 17, 2016 at 4:03 pm |
You could always go for the Chinese bonsai look where they are a bit bigger (a couple of foot tall) and that way you would get more fruit.
LikeLike
March 17, 2016 at 9:35 am |
Good luck and keep us posted. I’ve never had issues with germinating Apple seeds, but of course they are a but of a lucky dip as to what fruit you will get. My dad planted a tree from a Jonathan apple pip and it has fruited to produce an apple similar to golden delicious.
I expect it would be a full sized fruit as long as the tree had enough energy to direct into fruit growth.
I’m always happy to be called an apple freak, because it is true! 🙂
LikeLike
March 17, 2016 at 10:41 am |
The seeds I’ve sown were from a seedling tree itself. The original seed of that was from a Red Delicious and its fruit has turned out all green like a Granny Smith, but with a sweeter flavour.
LikeLike
March 17, 2016 at 11:16 am |
Nice work. Its always good to see how the garden throws up nice surprises.
LikeLike
March 17, 2016 at 6:10 pm |
I’m too lazy for bonsai. I like nature to do all the work for me, lol. But no harm in trying something new. I hope your experiment works. I expect a good century out of you, before you kick the bucket. 😉
LikeLike
March 17, 2016 at 6:45 pm |
A century!! Oh help, another 27 years! I hope not.
LikeLike
March 17, 2016 at 8:22 pm |
I used to have bonsai and I regret letting them go as they would be ancient now. Love the levity of tone in this post! I think crab apples are popular for keeping scale with apple bonsai but I wouldn’t be at all surprised for a full sized apple to form. I’ve had very distressed apples trees perform surprisingly well. Grafting is quite addictive once you’ve had a success or 2. 🙂
LikeLike