What came 1st the apple or the tree?

[auditt]

Hi everyone.

I have lived in our house for many years, we have a large apple and pear tree which produce a large quanity of fruit every season..Far too many for us to consume, so there is alot of wind falls....My question is..Why do we not have little apple and pear tress growing in the garden, from all the fruit that has fallen on the floor.

Hopefully someone kind person will know the answer and post it on this website for me....Thanks in advance....AudiTT.

[ursula62]

Some trees release chemicals that prevent saplings from thriving around them.

[WoWo]

Also the main tree is likely to be using the resources in that area.

So the seedlings if they get that far won't get the nutrients and sun light they need.

[Clanad]

The problem is, auditt, that, most likely, your trees are hybrids. That is, they are the results of grafting two or more trees together to produce the desirable traits the hybridizer wants. Subsequent trees grown from seeds (it can be done) may or may not possess the desired characteristics. Additionally, if one tried to propagate the tree from seed an important requirement is that the seed undergo a very cold period (called chilling) after the fruit is ripened. In nature, this usually occurs during winter, but if it's too cold or not cold enough, to dry, to wet or being buried to deeply, the seed will not germinate. Lastly, the seeds may not be vigorous enough to germinate as a result of the parent trees hybridization... (bird's and squirrel's feed voraciously on the seeds and there may not be nearly so many as you would think)...

[brachiopod]

Probably because you mow the lawn, weed the patio, dig over the beds etc. which will not allow any seedlings to survive.