Why don't we have thousands of apple trees growing at the roadside from all the apple cores people throw away?

Answer 1

Two reasons:
1) not all seeds germinate and it takes pretty good soil for a tree to take root and frankly, the soil beside roads is poisoned by the salts and heavy metals released by the ICEs in most cars;
and
2) Departments of Transportation (Roads Maintenance) sprays defoliant along the roadsides to reduce tree growth. This is a powerful poison that kills trees and bushes and fish and squirrels and deer and anything else that comes in contact with it at the time it is sprayed. Fortunately, it degrades pretty quickly, or we'd all be dead because the DOTs are too lazy to mow these days.

Answer 2

We do, just look about!

In the last week I have collected (scrumped) apples from a tree at the side of the Cleveland Way in Yorks and from a disused railway track in Norfolk. Enough to fill 2 carrier bags in each case; now stewed and frozen, some eaten, apple pies and crumbles made almost for free.

There are loads on roadsides everywhere,but usually too dangerous to stop and collect. Disused train lines are a good place to look.
I heard that someone is doing a PhD on varieties found alongside the motorways in Britain, even since the 60s many UK varieties have disappeared forever.

Answer 3

Seeds thrown out on top of the ground will not survive.
It takes 6-10 years to grow apples from seed, and to find out if they will even produce edible apples. Also the seeds need to be chilled at least 6 weeks, in damp peat, before planting in conditioned soil.

Pollen is a substance produced by apple trees, and is necessary for reproduction. Pollen stimulates the development of the seed, which in turn stimulates the fruit to develop.

Answer 4

Some of them land on the tarmac, some in the drain, some on the pavement...

Of those that make it onto some patch of ground, maybe conditions are not always right for an apple tree to grow. Maybe out of the few that do manage to grow, most get runover by people stopping on the side of the road to take a pee, AA trucks and bad drivers swerving onto the road shoulder.

Answer 5

That would be fab wouldn't it. Maybe you could start an apple core planting challenge for everyone.

Answer 6

you need at least 2 apple trees nearby for a new one to germinate i think. of course, that could be totally wrong, my memory is a bit shoddy @ times :-)

Answer 7

apple trees need care the seeds need to be free from the core to germinate and the shoots have to be protected from animals that eat young shoots

Answer 8

It would appear that not that many people throw away apple cores.

Answer 9

We do, its just that the little pixies keep them pruned to 12 inches high so they can reach the apples.

You just don't see then wizzing past in your car.

Answer 10

Because all the yobbos come along and snap the saplings in half.