Has anyone here ever started fruit trees from seeds? And how much longer until you harvest any fruit?

-- Russell Hays (rhays@sstelco.com), July 26, 2001

Answers

Everything I've ever heard or read says that the best producing fruit and nut trees are those where a cutting from an existing fruit tree is grafted on a special root stock. It has something to do with preventing degradations of the cultivar. Using the grafting method allows you to have the same Jonathan Apple that your great-great grandparents had 150 years ago. I always mail order all my fruit trees from Stark Brothers Nursery in Louisiana, MO. This family owned nursery is the oldest in North America and has been grafting fruit trees since 1816. My thoughts are that it takes so long (3-5 years) to establish a good fruit tree that I don't want to take any chances with less than ideal, tried, and true methods.

-- Steve in So. WI (alpine1@prodigy.net), July 27, 2001.

My grandpa has a slop pile by his garden and he throws many peels and pits out there. every year he has a couple apple and peach trees he sets out or hoes up. the peaches always taste really good and they are probably 10-20 years old. the apple trees never seem to make it. he has been doing this for many years. my guess would be to try peachs but not apples. i think they take a lot of grafting to be the kind you want. i would also wait for some one who knows for sure what they are talking about cause this is just how my grandpa does it.

-- lindsey in southern IL (l_shamahrt@hotmail.com), July 28, 2001.

I guess we have to forget about Stark Brothers Nursery. When Russell emailed me this weekend wanting information on them, I went out to their website and could not find it anymore. Then I found an article in the Pike County Press that said that the Louisiana, MO nursery closed its doors on July 5, 2001 after 185 years of continuous operation. Apparently, Clay Stark-Logan (the current Stark descendant that owned it) sold his ancestral legacy three years ago to some company that ran it into bankruptcy within three years. How absolutely sad for everyone--especially the nearly 600 employees that lost their jobs!!!! From the oldest nursery in North America to Chapter 11 in three short years! Good Lord, this was the nursery that introduced the 19th century world to the "Red Delicious" apple! I'm an amateur orchardist who has visited the nursery on occasion when visiting family in central Missouri. I will probably be in mourning for awhile. Maybe the Bankruptcy Court will find a buyer for this venerable old nursery.

-- Steve in So. WI (alpine1@prodigy.net), July 30, 2001.