Every once in a while, I find an ordinary thing that happens everyday but strikes me as wondrous. I found one of these recently in an apple. The apple had two seeds in the middle of it that were already sprouting, and this was something that I hadn't seen before. I know that the whole goal of an apple seed is to sprout and grow into an apple tree, but most seeds wait until they are in the ground. These two early-sprouting seeds struck me as an everyday, wondrous thing. Sometimes it's the simple things...
Neat! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI'm a sucker for any sprout that still has the seed attached--like an acorn and a small oak tree. I put these seeds into some water to see if they would sprout any more and I was maybe going to plant them. However, they fell apart before I got around to it.
DeleteI would be hoping I could plant them. Imagine starting an apple tree from a seed, then watching it grow over the years. Too bad the seeds fell apart.
ReplyDeleteMy father started many trees from fruit pits and seeds and nuts because he liked to grow things. After he got them a foot or two high, he would give them to others. We had a really pretty orange tree that he started that eventually got too big to be inside. and we don't have the climate that it could survive outside. So we gave it to a senior center with big ceilings. Last I heard it was still alive.
DeleteI've had fantasies of starting an apple tree from seeds, but apparently it doesn't really work that way. I mean, if you plant an apple seed you'll get an apple tree, but the fruit will bear little resemblance to the fruit that it came from. The fruit will likely only be suitable for making Applejack and not sweet enough to eat. I don't really understand how that works, but it's something unique to apples, or so I've read. If you want a tree with the same kind of fruit you apparently have to take a cutting, or graft or something like that.
DeleteSo apparently Johnny Appleseed (who was a real person, BTW) wasn't exactly spreading wholesome goodness, he was sorta seen as a bit of a rabble-rouser because he was planting trees, the fruit of which was designed for making alcohol. I think I heard that in a Michael Pollen film. Who knew?
I think this is why most (all?) fruit trees you buy have been grafted. That way you know what you're getting.
DeleteJohnny Appleseed (John Chapman) planted trees around some the parts I'm from. He was a interesting and complex person. Not only did he plant trees (mostly in nurseries to be sold), but was a missionary, and later in life a vegetarian. I think I might have to do some more reading about him. I've only read kids' books.
I eagerly await your Johnny Appleseed post! :-)
DeleteI'll put it on my list. If I had time to do extensive research, it would be interesting to sort out the rebel from the saint persona.
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