Hello! So I’ve been reading this book chapter about apples and in it it says that apples grown from seed tend to be very different from the apple from which the seed came, and frequently lack desired characteristics. Later on in the chapter, it says that what growers do is they usually graft together a rootstock and a scion to form an apple tree that has desired characteristics (and that also bears fruit with desired characteristics?). But the rootstock and scion are grown from seed, no? So how do they come together and produce fruit that is similar to apples that have been grown on the orchard in the past and that DOES have desired characteristics? I feel like there is something fundamental that I am not getting. Any help understanding this would be appreciated.
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Hort guy here, simple view, seed varies in genetics, tissue culture doesn’t (propagation from stems and leaves). Grafting is essentially, which apple tree has the best root system for water and nutrient uptake, and which fruit can we splice together that is marketable to suppliers and customers. It’s all cost based and how vigorous the plant can grow. It’s way more effective in citrus though.
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