Thanks to Flickr user Thomas Hawk for the picture!

Today we celebrate one of America’s greatest legends. Jonathan Chapman, better know as Johnny Appleseed, was born Sept. 26, 1774 in Massachusetts. During the infant days of the American frontier Johnny Appleseed traveled across the country planting apple trees. His journey took him through parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. He travelled the country nearly 50 years.

In honor of America’s famous nurseryman, we encourage you to plant your own apple tree!

Here are a few tips for planting your own apple tree:

• Place your apple seed into a wet paper towel, fold it into a small square and place it in your refrigerator. Make sure to keep the towel moist.
• Once your seed has sprouted place it into a small pot. The seed is will slowly begin to grow.  Don’t forget to water it regularly!
• After a while and some sturdy growth, transfer you soon-to-be apple tree outside. Choose a spot that gets a lot of sunlight and dig a shallow hole. Firmly cover the hole with some dirt and make sure to constantly water your seed.
• After some time, your tree will grow and it will need to be pruned. The best time to prune your new apple tree would be in late winter, early spring.