My children, I did not think I needed more apples, but TL purchased some Cripp's Pink apples from Chile, and in butchering them, out popped a number of sprouted apples. As the season was late, and we were on the move, that was not something I had intended to become involved in, but waste not and want not, I took some of the last gumbo sticky clay soil from this spring, and poked the roots into the soil contact and left the seed hull just above ground.
I used the same methods of the clear plastic container from a fast food place, which has the clear top. This helps immensely in keeping the seeds moist, so when they sprout fully, they can shuck the hull from the first leaves.
A reminder, just make a hole in the bottom of the container for water draining.
As the thermostat is set at a constant 75 degrees, I know that was the temperature, with clear curtain sun in the morning in an eastern exposure.
I planted 4 the first time, and the second time I think there were 9. The first four turned into trees in a few days, and the second batch are beginning to grow in various stages too within a few days.
I make mention of this as Mom had a Granny Smith that never did grow for her which was sprouted, like many of the times I have tried such things. These Cripp's Pink though are like weeds in their children at least in this test and very robust.
I will mention that the second set of roots I was busy making chicken and sweet potatoes, so they were in the fridge for almost 4 hours. The roots did look a little brown in spots, but it seemed not to have bothered them as they are beginning to grow.
I am hoping that in the next apples there are no sprouts to deal with and just seeds to save. I had good news that Mom said my Wealthy had one apple on it this year, so those seeds will be saved too. Just need the money and land to have these trees come home to.
I will not know how the unsprouted seeds will react in the Cripp's until the day I try them, but in this scenario, all are growing like weeds in being sprouted in the apple.
It appears that the entire problem I had earlier was in that Scotts fertilized soil, which burned the roots off and killed the sprouts. Is odd as earlier there was some of that bark soil too, which the plants never did respond to either. This lot though is growing like one would expect a seed to germinate, sprout and then keep on growing, instead of just laying there dead.
I assume Cripp's is a USDA Zone 5 which is not for most of America. Perhaps in the northern zones, it will be kind to these seedlings and not freeze them all off or any of them off. I just would prefer apples that are sweet, instead of the apples I had growing mostly in the Honeycrisps and Braeburns.
Thing is I think there is a Pink Lady and maybe an Ambrosia growing in the first group, and the Pink Lady is dwarfish while the Ambrosia is as large as the rest of the apples.
I see the one red leafed tree is still putting out reddish leaves again in cooler weather, and the one tree I thought was going to die, actually is the most robust of trees. Pathetic little round leaves for the first 6 leaves, then it turned out apple leaves and has been growing like on a mission.
So I do not know or vouche for Cripp's Pink as a seedling, but I can say that this group which is the same apple of all the other clones, crossed with other clones, are very weed like in growing. I have them in that sticky clay as stated, which is not the best, as it turns concrete when dry and is like dog poop when wet in coming in globs, but these might be worth a try if the other seeds are not behaving as you hope.
Will leave it at that in more information for the wall.
Additional Note* Second apple showed brown roots on the seedlings after short period. It seems to be in connection with oxidization and sugars, as the fruit of the Cripps browns readily after cutting.
After research, Cripp's Pink is Pink Lady, an Oz apple of Lady William and Golden Delicious perhaps. It is a 200 day apple, which is one of those rare types which prevailed among early apples of the 1700's. It was not uncommon to have apples listed as maturing in November of December.
That along with USDA zone 5 hardiness, means this is not an apple for the north, as it will not mature the fruit. Then again these apples sprout like weeds which is remarkable and as apples do call in old genetics, perhaps I might be blessed with something that will do a north zone like a Wealthy out of thousands of seeds.
Never know about things God does, so you just do them. Am not going to be like Minnesota U in killing thousands of plants off that do not fit a category. Holy Ghost says I can always graft on a Wealthy if the roots survive.....deer eat unripe and sour apples too...so do pies.
*Additional Note as this is archived and written over days, the sproutling which I broke the root off in the apple pod, not only sprouted a leaf, but has pushed up to the light. I placed this sprout on the edge of a clear plastic cup, so I could monitor it, and it is turning into a tree. I have not seen roots but it is now 1/2 inch tall and trying to become a tree.
I had a maple seedling which broke off, at what I deemed was the bark, and that turned into a tree too this past summer, so it remains to be seen, but I do not believe a tree grows from trunk alone out of the hull.
These really are remarkable apples in Oz stock from Chile in their vigor.
agtG
