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  • From: Guru Gardener <master@guru-gardener.com>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] apple seed germination
  • Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2004 10:29:47 -0700

Apple seeds may take 3 months to break dormancy, but many plant seeds, including apple, are able to germinate almost immediately if they do not become dormant and are in a suitable environment.

The seeds would normally have entered dormancy when they dried out, but you apparently placed them in a suitable environment (the refrigerator) before allowing them to do so.

Goof luck with the experiment!

Original Message:
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2004 08:20:13 -0700
From: "Mark Lee" <markl@nytec.com>
Subject: [NAFEX] apple seed germination

My four year old went fruit exploring with me in my neighborhood.  We
found an apple tree that was dropping apples into the street.  He asked
me to pick one of the fruits off the tree.  He really liked this apple.
He was munching away at it, and when he got to the seeds, he collected
them.  He gave me the handful of seeds and he said "Make me a tree,
Daddy.".  I was starting to explain to him that apple trees don't come
true from seed, but then I had another idea.  I told him how apple seeds
need a cold treatment to start growing, and that apples would take years
to show up on the tree.  He could learn many things from this little
project.

So on October 11 I popped the seeds into the frig, wrapped in a moist
paper towel in a sandwich bag.  Last night, October 21, I checked on the
seeds.  After only 10 days in the frig, one of the seeds has already
sprouted!  How could that be?  I thought it took at least 3 months for
an apple seed to sprout.  What is the typical time required for apple
seeds to sprout in the frig?

-Mark Lee, Seattle, z8a

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