A shallow planting is best. Also good results can be obtained by simply scattering seeds on the ground and then covering them with two or three inches of rotted mulch or leaves. Shoots will not appear until the following summer. Sometimes the seeds may lie dormant a year and not germinate until the second spring. If the selected area is sunny, the seedling will need shade for a couple of years.
Full sunlight is deadly to seedlings.
The barrel may be removed when the seedling grows to the top of the barrel. You should have two or more varieties to insure fruit set. If it should become necessary to transplant, the best time is in the spring when the tree is only one or two years old. Grafting can be utilized to propagate cultivars exhibiting desirable fruiting characteristics or as a means to avoid the difficulties of transplanting. Once a seedling trunk has grown to about the thickness of a pencil it is suitable for grafting scion wood from a tree one wishes to reproduce.