As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
It appears in the limited test of 50 apple seeds that I have gleaned an understanding that apples are not like melon or vegetable seeds, although tomatoes will for their reasons give up the ghost in the same fickle manner in sprouting if they decide not to grow through it.
In my past experience if a seed sprouted there was not a great deal one could do to kill it. Apples though when given the conditions they have in their niche will perform quite well. Violate that, and it has been my experience they will find ways to give up the ghost.
For example when I have assisted tomatoes from the hull encasing the leaves, as leaving it on in it being dry it will literally cut the head of the tomatoe off killing it, an apple has absolutely no fondness for this, no more than pulling a preemie human from the womb will kill that offspring.
There appears to be a specific time in apple seeds, not just for the cooling of the seed to trigger it, but in sprouting too.
I have had them sit with little roots on them, and simply go dormant or die if planted in what would seem to be the best miniature greenhouse conditions.
I have also in a batch I am currently working on of what I think was over a dozen sprouts transferred to a pot, have 10 up and doing well, after being deluged and sitting out in a few 24 hour rain periods. Not all were optimum in sprouts, by that I mean, when conditions are correct, apples seem most pleased when left to the point in the fridge sprouting container of breaking the hull open.
When not birthed then in pulling off the hull, it signals that the inner leaves are swelling and in the process of putting forth the third leaf, which is the mark of a vigorous sprout which should grow.
Apples do not like a great deal of heat when young. They appear to respond to conditions of 65 to 75 degree rain mist in high humidity and soaked draining soil.
I violate the rules often enough, sometimes due to time constraints as in squash being planted with more than 3 leaves, and there is never a problem as long as not disturbing the roots and keeping things watered. These apples though are very niche oriented and it is a wonder that a Delicious or an Ambrosia ever got started on it's own in having absolute ideal conditions in nature.
I realize I am still learning the tweaks in this, and that I do not have a ten million dollar university climate control lab, but I would have presumed that apples would have been just a bit more weed like as it is not like they have been husbanded that intensely until the Americans started in the 1700's.
I do have a Lame Cherry Theory in this, that like all wild grains and vegetables, that apples will respond more readily to cultivation and breeding than thought. I mean it is not 1 in 10000 apples which are good, but in the American varieties I believe that apples breed truer, like hunting dogs in traits after a good dog is found, and if one maintains the best lines, then most of the apple seeds will produce very good apples from a very good tree.
This has never been espoused before, and in my limited God planted associations with this, it has proven absolutely correct in the offspring trees were superior to the maternal tree.
I will not know this until my first group here begins producing which is years away, providing I have the land. While they are Honeycrisp, Braeburn and perhaps Ambrosia and a Lady Smith, the apples will be crossed on this genus as orchards have these like apples in them in tart sweet, except the Ambrosia is a British Columbia apple of a Stark sport of Red Delicious, Jonagold or Yellow Delicious parentage, as it was found in a Jonagold row.
Ambrosia certainly is superior to those parents by 100 fold. It is a beautiful apple of Delicious form, with a beautiful yellow blush on a pretty red apple. Flavor is sweet, but not overpowering, slightly fruity, enough juice and crispness to delight. In commerical varieties it is cheaper than Honeycrisp and I deem it a far superior apple as I dislike tart or acidic apples as my primary apple.
Obviously I am saving Ambrosia seedlings, even if it is a zone 5 tree in the hope something will appear which will be an improvement on what I am looking for by God's Grace.
I know some will be upset with my fruity on the brain, but I would rather be doing all of these types of things than what degradation usually appears here. Better being fruity on the mind, than gay on the brain.
I will in the next few days find by result what this batch of seeds will turn out in these 10 or if more will sprout or simply refuse to grow from the roots. I will find out if they will die in natural conditions or grow like weeds, as until I set foot on my native brier patch, this is it for tree experiments as I can not haul a hundred trees across the country. It will be enough in the plants here now.
It is now back to the hard things in banking scandals impoverishing you. Poof I am gone.
agtG
