As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
I once upon a time obtained a cherry red rhubarb, but as in most things in my soil of just a few miles away, my cherry red rhubarb became large green rhubarb.
Soil nutrients play an important role in how things look in colors of fruit and plants, and how they taste. That is why in the Apple Armada I have been growing something caught my attention in the mutants I have discovered in this mix of 18 seedlings.
There are three that put out a round crinkled leaf, which I can not yet ascertain as they look sickly to me, but a they gain almost 3 inches in height, they are now putting out the triangular saw tooth apple leaf. Same types and same soils, and these are behaving different, so I deem this as genetics.
The genetics part is what I am fascinated by as the sugar maples are constantly turning out rust colored leaves on top as is their custom, but I have now noted that one of the apples has decided to start turning a natural dark rust red leaf. This plant is not diseased, but is either from soil nutrients affecting it or from a genetic mutation, becoming red in leaf.
The same is for two others who in my wave length experiments of light refraction (I put my hand over them in the sun and see the colors change in the shade) have honest deep red veins in their leaves, like a rhubarb chard. I am aware of some red pigment fruit apples, and a red colored crab, so my wonder is now just what these apples from the Americas and Oz were exposed to.
The one round curly leafed thing is growing like a totem pole as it sets out now apple looking leaves. By comparison a like type that sprouted just ahead of it, is doing it's best to be some bunty little type of apple plant. It is growing, but appears stunted.
I do know in using old potting soil in a Pink Lady and a Braeburn or Honeycrisp variety, that they were stunted for lack of nutrients, but having fertilized them, they appear to getting their second wind. This other bunty thing is in fertilized soil, dark green leaves, but it is just dawdling in compact growth.
It does not seem to be an air pocket for the roots or it would die in the heat as another apple tried several times till I smooshed the soil in, and I do not mind this bunty apple, as perhaps it is some natural dwarf or something of value. It is just fascinating to see a group majority of like types and then these types which have mutated to something which is not "normal".
Some remind me of lilacs, some have green pink blush bark, some are deep red, and some have red ribs in their leaves in the pigment. It simply will require years to see what manifests in these apples to fruit set in what it is in this growing package.
I seem inclined to already picking out pet names for them. The issue is though if they become great apples, I will have to do better than bunty, but then that is rather a catchy name too as much as frostbite.
The future holds if I can not obtain some heritage apples, then the plan is to look for Wealthy, Fireside types and the apples I have been blessed with to observe how this genus does past Jesus return as this is going to take some time.
Still have to work out the problem in tranferring from sprouting to growing. It seems a 65 to 75 degree zone is what is required. Experiments will though reveal all of this in time as God intends. I need it solved though before I obtain any heirlooms as I do not want them going tits up.
In any event, today I was having cucumber sex as no bees were about to pollinate. I will find out if I did it proper. Tomorrow is squash sex, and that I know of, as have been doing that for years when the bees were not about.
I have seen here, one bumble bee, one little bee, two sap flies, one beetle in the flower I killed as it looked like an Obama voter, one dragon fly, with two house flies....number of little gnat flies in the natural fertilizer and that is it. The metro sprays so much that all is dead....great for the ticks and things, but that leaves me to vegetable sex.
When we are placed on our place, the plan is to honey bee it with hives. Have been working on the fruitarium plans, and I will have the bees in there in a 30 to 40 degree range is the plan.
Any event, the Apple Armada is progressing. Am curious what God will make of them to discover.
agtG
