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  • From: Heron Breen <breen@fedcoseeds.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] apple seed germination
  • Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2004 17:43:14 -0500

Respectfully,
Apples do not need 3 months of dormancy. They only require the appropriate
chill
period. This is usually defined as somewhere between 32 and 40 degrees F
sometimes
as low as 25. Dormancy is a behavior which allows trees to survive winter,
not a
requirement. Some plants have a natural dormant cycle, and surprizingly it is
during summer, when one would expect growth. Apples in the North are actually
rated
usually as having a low chill hour requirement, meaning they only require
constant
temps in the above stated range for 500 hrs, some even less before buds are
formed.
Contrary to belief it is not winter cold which crack buds open but
fluctuation in
temps. So, if the the air began to get springlike immediately following the
500 hr
chill period, the tree would attempt growth. This is the enviroment which is
deadly
to a tree or at least bud damaging if followed by more very cold weather.
Luckily
it keeps getting colder into deep freeze. Root Temperature generally is the
signature for the tree to begin this movement toward chill then dormancy.
After the
summer solstice, in fact the day after, soil fungi and microbes experience a
drastic death because of the gently shifting planet. This slight changes in
the
angle of radiation from the sun may seem imperceptible during an August heat
wave,
but plants roots, which are much like our nervous system and digestive tract
in
one, really speak only that language. Tropical places are difficult if not
impossible to grow apples because the tree never gets its chill cycle.
Luckily,
breeders have come up with a few. In terms of seed, believe it or not
elevation is
a factor for development, ie air pressure and of course the afore mentioned
temps. "Dryness" is a term that confuses a lot of people. The apple seed
survival
has as much to do with maintaining a balance of moisture as it does avoiding
heat,
because these elements when out of balance causes fungus and bacteria to
grow.
Fantastically, the rotting of the fruit rarely rots the seed, while
germination
tests frequently do. Fermentation is a key to this. The "germ" and viability
of
seed is a great and amazing look at how this little black object is the
collected
whole of a massive tree. This process still amazes me.
Heron


On Fri Oct 22 12:29 , Guru Gardener <master@guru-gardener.com> sent:

>
>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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