Store-bought Pink Lady seedlings, hope me!
September 14, 2010 10:39 AM Subscribe
We bought some Cripps Pink (pink lady) apples recently from the supermarket, and while cutting one of them open we found that the seeds inside were *sprouting*. I took 2 of the seedlings and put them into pots; at least one of them is actually sprouting with tiny leaves and such.
So my question is compound: how normal is this? The apples are still tasty, crunchy, and quite edible.
And then, what now? The Cripps Pink is a hybrid, and from what I'm reading likes hot climate. There's also the whole thing about how most commercial apple hybrids grow on spliced rootstock anyway.
I live in northwestern Missouri, and it's also September, so I suspect that it'll need to live indoors this winter. Is our baby tree doomed? If not, what do I need to do to get it to grow and/or thrive?
So my question is compound: how normal is this? The apples are still tasty, crunchy, and quite edible.
And then, what now? The Cripps Pink is a hybrid, and from what I'm reading likes hot climate. There's also the whole thing about how most commercial apple hybrids grow on spliced rootstock anyway.
I live in northwestern Missouri, and it's also September, so I suspect that it'll need to live indoors this winter. Is our baby tree doomed? If not, what do I need to do to get it to grow and/or thrive?
If it's a hybrid then the apples on the little tree will probably be very different from the apples you bought. First generation hybrids are all essentially the same variety, but their children are often radically different. It's sort of like a genetic lottery.
You'll probably want to keep it inside this winter, yeah, and maybe the next too. If you want to give it a better fighting chance, you might want to splice it onto stronger roots stock, like you said.
posted by wayland at 10:49 AM on September 14, 2010
You'll probably want to keep it inside this winter, yeah, and maybe the next too. If you want to give it a better fighting chance, you might want to splice it onto stronger roots stock, like you said.
posted by wayland at 10:49 AM on September 14, 2010
jon1270, that's not what it means. The roots have no effect on what apples are produced if another tree is spliced on. The reason that is done is because most trees that make nice-to-eat apples have pretty flimsy roots.
On the other hand, they probably won't be Cripps Pink apples anyway because Cripps Pink is a hybrid.
posted by wayland at 10:53 AM on September 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
On the other hand, they probably won't be Cripps Pink apples anyway because Cripps Pink is a hybrid.
posted by wayland at 10:53 AM on September 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
The roots have no effect on what apples are produced if another tree is spliced on.
I didn't say they did, but I did make my point rather poorly.
From what I've read, apples are propagated using cuttings, essentially cloning the original tree rather than growing them from hybridized seeds the way you'd grow a hybrid tomato. But as you say, that really doesn't have anything to do with the rootstock, which I understand is used to impart useful traits to the tree without changing the fruit.
posted by jon1270 at 11:01 AM on September 14, 2010
I didn't say they did, but I did make my point rather poorly.
From what I've read, apples are propagated using cuttings, essentially cloning the original tree rather than growing them from hybridized seeds the way you'd grow a hybrid tomato. But as you say, that really doesn't have anything to do with the rootstock, which I understand is used to impart useful traits to the tree without changing the fruit.
posted by jon1270 at 11:01 AM on September 14, 2010
Best answer: Keep them inside over the winter. They may go dormant. In the spring after the last frosts, plant them in buckets with a 50/50 mix of potting soil and regular dirt and water them well every other day. Chances are you won't ever get decent (meaning, Cripps Pink quality) apples off of them, because no apple -- hybrid or heirloom or whatever -- reproduces true to seed. But they'll probably look nice (and get fairly large, so be careful where you plant them for good).
posted by cog_nate at 11:11 AM on September 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by cog_nate at 11:11 AM on September 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
Ah, I did misunderstand your first post.
To anybody who is reading this and is confused: when an apple tree is a hybrid, the first one (or couple or dozen) is grown from hybridized seeds much like you would grow a hybrid tomato. Cuttings are then taken from that first one and grafted onto root stock from hardier but similar trees. This is done is because a lot of the really good tasting apples coincidentally don't have the best root systems; with better roots, the tree produces more and sometimes bigger fruit.
posted by wayland at 11:15 AM on September 14, 2010
To anybody who is reading this and is confused: when an apple tree is a hybrid, the first one (or couple or dozen) is grown from hybridized seeds much like you would grow a hybrid tomato. Cuttings are then taken from that first one and grafted onto root stock from hardier but similar trees. This is done is because a lot of the really good tasting apples coincidentally don't have the best root systems; with better roots, the tree produces more and sometimes bigger fruit.
posted by wayland at 11:15 AM on September 14, 2010
Apples don't grow true from seed no matter what (and something like 95% are inedibly sour/bitter), although it may still be fun to grow them.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 11:21 AM on September 14, 2010
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 11:21 AM on September 14, 2010
For a really interesting explanation of why your seedling will not give you Cripps Pinks, I refer you to chapter 1 of The Botany of Desire.
Cliff notes: apples are among the genetically sluttiest of plants, and this is to their advantage, much to the consternation of people who like apples to only taste a certain way.
Not many apples actually like blazing summer heat, but some are more appreciative than others of mild winters. Some apples need several hundred hours of near freezing temps to set fruit (growers call this hours of chill) and some need less. This is another instance in which YSeedlingMMV, but if the tree does grow large enough to set fruit you definitely want to start exposing it part of the time in winter, but while it's still tiny it probably won't tolerate the cold.
posted by slow graffiti at 11:30 AM on September 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
Cliff notes: apples are among the genetically sluttiest of plants, and this is to their advantage, much to the consternation of people who like apples to only taste a certain way.
Not many apples actually like blazing summer heat, but some are more appreciative than others of mild winters. Some apples need several hundred hours of near freezing temps to set fruit (growers call this hours of chill) and some need less. This is another instance in which YSeedlingMMV, but if the tree does grow large enough to set fruit you definitely want to start exposing it part of the time in winter, but while it's still tiny it probably won't tolerate the cold.
posted by slow graffiti at 11:30 AM on September 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I'm perfectly fine with the apples not being the best, though having edible ones would be a plus. Thanks for the planting/care suggestions, that's been some really good information.
I'm still really curious about why they sprouted while still inside a normal, crunchy apple. Google seems to have absolutely no information about this, only information on how to sprout regular seeds (sans apple). Does the fact that mine sprouted in the fruit mean that the apples spent months in a fridge somewhere? Because apple seeds need to be "wintered" in order to sprout, according to the internets.
posted by Bonky Moon at 11:39 AM on September 14, 2010
I'm still really curious about why they sprouted while still inside a normal, crunchy apple. Google seems to have absolutely no information about this, only information on how to sprout regular seeds (sans apple). Does the fact that mine sprouted in the fruit mean that the apples spent months in a fridge somewhere? Because apple seeds need to be "wintered" in order to sprout, according to the internets.
posted by Bonky Moon at 11:39 AM on September 14, 2010
Around where we live in England there are quite a few seedling apple trees, and many of them produce fruit that is at least edible (if you beat the bugs to it). One tree in particular produces fruit that gets fed to my wife's horses quite regularly. I've tried the fruit myself, and while I wouldn't say it's wonderful I've bought worse fruit in the supermarket.
posted by Logophiliac at 12:10 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by Logophiliac at 12:10 PM on September 14, 2010
Best answer: FWIW I've seen that a few times. Furthermore, I think it's always been Pink Ladies.
posted by people? I ain't people! at 12:38 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by people? I ain't people! at 12:38 PM on September 14, 2010
Best answer: Bonky Moon, I can't say for sure what exact conditions led to those seeds sprouting, but given that it's early September, it *is* possible that the apple had been in storage for a significant period of time. Apples are harvested once a year and can be kept in cold storage until they're sold. This page says, "Pink Lady® apples from the northern hemisphere tend to arrive in shops from late November." So either you are eating a northern-hemisphere apple that's been in cold storage since last November, or you're eating a southern-hemisphere apple that's been in cold storage since May.
As far as your baby tree, I'd say only keep it if you're interested in it as a curiosity and as an experiment. As others have said, the likelihood of it producing a piece of fruit you'd actually want to eat is low - and it will take you several years of tender care to get it there. If you want to buy and plant an established, named variety apple tree (which will have a year or two of growth under its belt already), autumn is the time to do that. (If you're interested in doing so, but can't find a local source of trees, Dave Wilson Nurseries is a good place to start, and an interesting site to boot.)
posted by jocelmeow at 12:51 PM on September 14, 2010
As far as your baby tree, I'd say only keep it if you're interested in it as a curiosity and as an experiment. As others have said, the likelihood of it producing a piece of fruit you'd actually want to eat is low - and it will take you several years of tender care to get it there. If you want to buy and plant an established, named variety apple tree (which will have a year or two of growth under its belt already), autumn is the time to do that. (If you're interested in doing so, but can't find a local source of trees, Dave Wilson Nurseries is a good place to start, and an interesting site to boot.)
posted by jocelmeow at 12:51 PM on September 14, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks for the information, everyone! I'll go ahead and try to grow it, primarily as a curiosity, but also because I like plants in general.
I am a bit disappointed that there's a good chance that the apples won't be all that great, but if nothing else I'll at least have another tree in the yard.
posted by Bonky Moon at 1:17 PM on September 14, 2010
I am a bit disappointed that there's a good chance that the apples won't be all that great, but if nothing else I'll at least have another tree in the yard.
posted by Bonky Moon at 1:17 PM on September 14, 2010
If you want to plant an apple tree and have lots of space, then nurture your plant indoors til spring and plant it out. If you want to plant an apple tree, get a tree from an orchard, so that you have a better chance of having a productive tree. I say this as someone who wishes she had room for several apple trees.
posted by theora55 at 3:24 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by theora55 at 3:24 PM on September 14, 2010
I've had this happen before, but it was with Fuji apples imported from China.
posted by Ouisch at 4:49 PM on September 15, 2010
posted by Ouisch at 4:49 PM on September 15, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Yes, but for you this just means that your tree, should you be successful in growing it, won't produce more Cripps Pink apples. No telling what the apples will be like, or whether they'll be worth eating.
posted by jon1270 at 10:49 AM on September 14, 2010 [1 favorite]