Jesse did not casually take any old seeds to plant his tree. He knew something about the parentage of the trees he was dealing with. But I still consider him a lucky guy.
For every story like this, there are probably thousands of others where people just wasted their time and efforts. If you like really long shots, go for it.
available than
gardening with the
If it wasn't for clairvoyants like yourself, this world would never amount to anything. Do you happen to have next weeks lottery numbers?
Bill
Bill, I am not trying to be a 'smart alec' or a 'mister know it all', but this father does have other easy choices. He can plant a stone fruit seed, which has a much better chance of coming out with decent tasting fruit. He can plant a raspberry shoot from one of his neighbor's bush. Giving the kid the false hope that he will get a tasty apple after nurturing his tree for many years will most likely disappoint him.
By the way, I am not clairvoyant about how these apples will turn out. Just ask any orchardist in the business if it is profitable to plant apples seeds. These people do look for new apples (sometimes called 'sports'), but they do it scientifically, mixing known varieties, and they do get a very low success ratio. Occasionally an amateur will 'stumble' on a chance mutation, but this rarely happens. There is little doubt that it is possible to grow an apple from a seed, but unlike vegetables, the result is much less than what is expected.
Sherw> > > The message you are not giving this little boy is that there is better fruit
available than
into gardening with the
You seem to be a person that likes longshots. Just pick the most unlikely winner you can think of, and maybe you will strike it rich. Don't forget to share some of your winnings with me, for my free advice.
father does have
Yes, he does.
after nurturing his
Now see, you can say there is a high probability that the fruit will be worthless. What you can't say is that there is a 100% certainty of it.
There's also a good chance that the seeding wouldn't survive the first winter.
people do look
will 'stumble' on a
See, you just said it happens. Yes rarely, but it does happen.
Maybe, maybe not. Do you think that maybe, by the time the tree is old enough to bear fruit, that the child will have grown enough to understand that it was a slim possibility that the fruit would be worthwhile in the end? And that the lesson to be learned is that without trying, you'll never know for sure?
Besides the name for a fruit tree that puts out crappy or no fruit is 'ornamental'.
Bill
father does have
apple after nurturing his
He just needs to set the kid's expectations for a nice big tree that will bear yucky apples eventually. The entire top of the tree can be replaced later by grafting/budding the scaffold branches later if they want to.
If he "wins the lottery" he might get a good apple and he can name it.
If the fruit is small and sour, it might make good jelly, pickles, and/or pies.
The tree is unlikely to survive the first year anyway, why not give it a chance?
If he has room for it, he can also plant a good semi-dwarf grafted tree and it will bear in about 3 years.
Bob
Maybe sooner, the three apple trees I have < semi-dwarf Ein Shiemer, Anna, Pink Lady > all produced apples a year after I planted them. They were about six feet tall when I purchased them.
Bill
father does have
from one of his
apple after nurturing his
Just ask any
people do look
mixing known
amateur will 'stumble' on a
is much less
Why don't you tell the kid to stand in front of a speeding car, so he can fully learn what it means to be runned over. He may survive the experience, but without trying, you'll never know for sure.
WRONG!
There are specific cultivars of trees like a flowering pear that fall under the classification of an ornamental tree, or one that never produces ANY fruit. As far as I know, there is no official name for a tree that puts out bad fruit or a fruit tree that fails to produce any fruit.
Sherwin D.
father does have
from one of his
apple after nurturing his
Why bother? If he wants to graft something, he can buy a rootstock and get several years headstart on getting his first apples.
Now the kid has to learn all about canning and baking.
If he takes care of it, the tree has a good chance of surviving the first year. That's why people take the trouble to plant stone fruits from seed. From a plant standpoint, this seed is very capable of reproducing another tree.
Why not do it right the first time.
Have you ever done anything for the sheer joy and adventure of it? Or is your life that regimented?
That pip is a gamble - it might produce good fruit, nice spring fragrance, or better yet an adult that loves gardening.
My grandfather was just slightly better off than the average subsistence farmer, but he encouraged me to plant a few pips along the way.
Cheryl
For the experience.
You said that like it was a bad thing.
And the right thing is to throw away the seedling that the kid already has grown and tell him that he shouldn't have wasted his time?
The father is not proposing that they plant an apple seed and grow their own apples. You are purposely overlooking the fact that they already have a little apple tree. He has to set the kid's expectations appropriately low without killing the enthusiasm.
-Bob
this father does have
from one of his
apple after nurturing his
Just ask any
These people do look
mixing known
amateur will 'stumble' on a
result is much less
Straw man. Stick a fork in you, your done.
Ornamental trees that produce fruit: Mexican Fan Palm, California Fan Palm, Ginko Balboa, California Pepper Tree, Buckeyes, etc., etc.
Above varies from barely palatable, unpalatable, to poisonous, to no fruit < male Ginko Balboa >.
See above, you were wrong to begin with, you're wrong now. You may have the last word, if you feel the need. I'm done with this thread.
Bill
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