Strawberry Apples from seeds in Indonesia: a gardening experiment
It started quite ordinarily—just a regular trip to the local fruit store. Among mangosteens and bananas, I noticed something unusual: tiny imported apples the size of a walnut. An intriguing name—Apple Strawberry.
The kids, of course, fell in love with these apples at first sight. These miniature fruits looked like props from a dollhouse. Red-cheeked, glossy-skinned, fitting in a child’s palm.
We bought one package. At home, we had a family tasting—crispy and sweet, with a light strawberry aftertaste. Our kids crunched them like candies, unable to stop.
And I think: what if we plant those seeds?
Logic said: “This is imported, possibly a hybrid, the seeds might be sterile, or who knows what will grow.” But curiosity whispered: “What if it works?”
Apple seeds need stratification for germination. But where do you find winter at the equator? That’s right, in the refrigerator!
I extracted several of the largest seeds from the core and soaked them in a growth stimulator to awaken the dormant embryos. Then I wrapped the swollen seeds in tissue, sprayed by water, and packed them in a zip bags. I put them in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator. And after that, I successfully forgot about my experiment.
A couple of months later, while looking in the fridge for rye flour, I stumbled upon that forgotten package. I unwrapped the tissue—and gasped: three seeds had sprouted!
Two of them already had roots about 7 cm long. The third one had just emerged, showing a millimeter-long root tip to the world. A tiny seed that survived transportation halfway around the world, ready to become a tree.
I quickly filled small planting bags (10×20 cm for the time being) with soil, carefully planted each seed, watered them, and placed them in half-shade.
Just four days passed—the two larger sprouts unfurled their first leaves, and the little one emerged above the soil surface!
Someone might say: “Why all these complications? Buy a seedling from the nursery, and you’ll have apples in three years.”
But that’s the whole point. Growing from seed isn’t about efficiency. It’s about connection with the plant, patience, and magic. The transformation of a tiny seed into a tree several meters tall remains a miracle forever.
Now our apple trees are one month old. They live in their polybags, growing their first true leaves under the sun.