Will this apple come true?

10 years ago

I have several hybrid apple (5) varieties in my orchard and with almost all apple tree owners, share my apples with friends and neighbors.

One of our elderly friends shared some apples with us, as well. The apple was about the size of a raquett-ball. Sorta swirly red and yellowish. The tree was about (oh, I would say 30' tall). It is hands-down the best little apple I've ever tasted! My friend said it has been there since he was a little boy, so it's easily, the tree is over 60 years old, and probably much older since it's an old farmstead from many generations. I'm thinking to myself, "clearly this is a wild apple and should come true to seed." But do you think I'm right?

I harvested some seeds and have them germinating on a paper towel in the frig now. So far (3 weeks) no sprouts but the seeds still look very viable.

With the other trees in my orchard acting as a pollinator, how do you think this might affect the taste of this little apple...oh, in about 10 years when I get the first one?

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Comments (6)

murkwell
10 years ago
Whatever the pollen parent, it is very unlikely that a tree grown from seed will be close to the fruit from which it came.

Anyway, what will affect the taste is the tree that donated the pollen to that 30' tree from which the apple came.

If you want apples like the one from that tree, collect some scion wood cuttings this winter and graft it, in the spring, to a rootstock or to an existing apple tree that you have.
cousinfloyd
10 years ago
runswithscissors, below is a link to a thread that might help you understand something of fruit tree reproduction. There's some confusion in the thread but it should come clear if you read through. The short version is that modern apple cultivars are no more "hybrids" than apples from 200 years ago -- neither are meaningfully "hybrid." Tree reproduction is very different from garden crop/vegetable reproduction, so a lot of people seem to get confused assuming they're more similar than they are. Growing apples from seed generally isn't ever (and hasn't ever been) the way to reproduce any unique apple. Apples are pretty easy to graft, which as murky suggested, is the normal way to reproduce apples (and has been for centuries -- the Bible even talks about grafting grapes in Romans by way of analogy.) If you want another tree like the old one, just ask for whatever guidance and help you need on this forum, and I'm sure you'll get it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fruit trees from seed
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ravenh2001
10 years ago
Listen to the experts. (past tense
drip under preasure) There was an orchard on this property in 1830 owned by Steve Salsbury. I found a wild apple growing in the back 40 and grafted it closer to the house. it is my best cider apple . Take a chance it may be the next granny smith.
cousinfloyd
10 years ago
I just wanted to clarify, when I said ask for whatever guidance and help you need, I meant help getting a graft of the good tree growing at your place or wherever you'd like to have it.
runswithscissors
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks all, I appreciate your input. And thank you cousin, for the link to the other thread. I did learn new stuff about the apple growing process.
David378
10 years ago
The seeds will vary, and usually be inferior.
Better to graft the seedling wood/cutting onto a full dwarf root if you are in a hurry to see what the fruit is like, or you will have to wait 8-9 years. Dwarfs fruit much sooner 2-3 years.
Most of the fruit will be of lower quality.
Some can actually be as good or better.
The odds are against you though.