QUOTE
"Tell me if I'm understanding this correctly. Basically, many or even most “modern” fruit trees are the result of “making nature my bitch”. (Thank you Paul Wheaton for that phrase). They are largely not capable of propagating themselves to any useful degree. So, if we, for instance, let all commonly cultivated cherry trees go wild and never planted replacements, they would soon die out? Is this more or less correct? The whole idea that many cultivars/varieties of fruit trees need need to be grafted onto a rootstock is disappointing. "
THIS IS A YES AND NO
ANSWER.
THEY PROPAGATE THEMSELVES JUST FINE UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE FRUIT PRODUCED HAS A HIGH CHANCE OF BEING SLIGHTLY OR GREATLY DIFFERENT FROM THE PARENT . SO THEY WOULDN'T DIE OUT , THEY WOULD CONTINUALLY ADAPT WITH SOME HAVING BETTER DISEASE RESISTANCE, EARLIER OR LATER BLOOMING , DIFFERENT SOIL AND OR TEMPERATURE ADAPTATIONS- BUT FRUIT QUALITY WOULD BE SPECTRUM- TERRIBLE TO BLAND TO DECENT TO GREAT OR EVEN TO BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAVE NOW . EVERY CULTIVAR YOU CAN THINK OF BASICALLY WAS FROM A SEED AT ONE TIME .
"MODERN" FRUIT TREES CAN BE BETTER IN SOME WAYS - ESPECIALLY COMMERCIALLY SPEAKING. FOR COMMERCIAL CROPS , YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED CONSISTENCY. CONSISTENCY OF ROOTSTOCKS AND CULTIVARS. THIS ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS FOR MANY ISSUES. YOU WANT A BUNCH OF CLONES DOING THE SAME THING AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT FOR THE HOME GARDENER , YOU WANT DIVERSITY . BIODIVERSITY OF ROOSTOCKS EVEN FOR THE SAME TREE- INARCHING. (I AM FROM RIVERSIDE CA AND THE ORIGINAL NAVEL ORANGE TREE WAS PLANTED THERE IN 1873 AND IT IS STILL ALIVE BECAUSE THEY KEEP INTRODUCING NEW ROOTSTOCKS WITH DISEASE RESISTANCE AND OTHER ATTRIBUTES) DIVERSITY = BETTER POLINATION , LONGER HARVEST TIME, RESISTANCE TO HEAT, COLD , DROUGHT, HUMIDITY, RAIN, BUGS, VIRUSES , FUNGI, BACTERIA, AND METEORS. WELL MAYBE NOT METEORS . BUT THE GENETIC POTENTIAL IS ALREADY THERE . WE JUST HAVE TO FIND IT AND RELEASE IT. OR COMBINE IT AND RELEASE IT - BY SELECTIVE BREEDING . SO YOU GET THE BEST OF TWO OR THREE WORLDS OR MORE.
THE REALLY REALLY BAD NEWS IS THAT MOST TROPICAL FRUITS CAN BE PLANTED FROM A SEED AND COME OUT PRETTY GOOD BUT TEMPERATE FRUITS DON'T NORMALLY TURN OUT THAT GREAT FROM SEED. BUT HEY , YOU MIGHT GET LUCKY. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE SO MANY VARIETIES OF
APPLE . THOSE CULTIVARS JUST DO BETTER IN DIFFERENT PLACES OR HAVE A DIFFERENT FLAVOR OR RIPEN AT A DIFFERENT TIME . THAT'S WHY PEOPLE WANT TO KEEP THEM . THEY ARE THE EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMERS .
ON ANOTHER POINT , YOU MIGHT JUST WANT TO LOOK AROUND AND SEE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE GROWING SUCCESSFULLY IN OR NEAR YOUR AREA. OR CALL A
LOCAL NURSERY AND ASK THEM WHAT OTHERS ARE HAVING LUCK WITH OR CONTACT YOUR LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE "north american fruit explorers" AND ADD SOME DIVERSITY OF ANOTHER KIND . TRY NEW EXOTIC SPECIES LIKE YOU SAID . MANY BUSH BERRIES CAN STAND LOTS OF COLD AND WIND. SOMETIMES PEOPLE GET SET ON ONE THING AND TOIL ENDLESSLY WHEN A GOOD EASY SUBSTITUTE IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. TRY WHAT DOES GOOD IN YOUR AREA.
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