European Wild Apple

The European crab apple is a native wild tree and gets through the winters of the lowlands of Germany, Austria and Switzerland outdoors without any trouble. Winter protection is not necessary; it drops its leaves and goes into winter dormancy by itself. It is best to give it a light shaping cut in late winter (February/March) on a frost-free day; otherwise, simply leave it alone.

You can raise the European crab apple well from seed, because it is a native wild species and not a grafted cultivated apple. Take the seeds from ripe fruits in autumn and stratify them for about three months at around 1 °C in moist sand or in the fridge. From February/March you can sow the pre-chilled seeds about one centimetre deep in seed compost and let them germinate in cool to moderately warm conditions. Note: wild apples are cross-pollinators. If cultivated apples grew nearby, the seedlings may be hybrids. For reliably wild types, take seed from isolated wild populations.

Cuttings are possible but demanding, because apples generally root slowly. At the start of the growing season, from spring to early summer, cut shoot sections from this year's wood (about 8 to 15 cm), cutting directly below a node, remove the lower leaves (keep only 2 to 3 leaves) and insert them about one third of their length into a free-draining mix of sand and seed compost. Keep them moist and bright under a half-open clear cover, but out of strong midday sun. Expect several weeks until the first rooting and only a moderate success rate.

Layering is often more reliable than cuttings, because the shoot continues to be supplied by the mother plant while it roots. In spring, bend a young shoot close to the ground downwards, lightly score the bark where it touches the soil, fix it there and cover it with soil; the shoot tip sticks out. Keep the spot moist throughout the season. Once the layer has formed its own roots, by autumn of the following year, you can separate it from the mother plant and move it.

Grafting is the method of choice if you want to preserve a particular provenance true to type. Cut scions in December/January during dormancy and store them cool and slightly moist until grafting. Whip-and-tongue graft from February to April when rootstock and scion have the same diameter; alternatively, bud-graft in July/August when the bark of the rootstock lifts easily. Malus sylvestris itself or a common apple seedling rootstock is suitable as a rootstock.