Plant Through The Seasons: The Apple Tree (1966)

if your home is in a part of the world that has Seasons you know that as you live through the heat of Summer and the cold of winter your activities change during the year other living things must be able to survive the same seasonal changes how do they do it how does a tree slow down its activities in Autumn and start them again in the spring here's a tree all of you know the Apple e e e e e e e e e e e see you inside the Apple have ripened too where do new apple trees come from seeds like these will grow after a Winter's rest if you want to plant some apple seeds you can speed up their resting period by cooling them in a refrigerator for several weeks let's watch a few of them growing with our special slowed down camera there are many different kinds of apples they vary in size and color what does the color of these leaves tell you about the season can Leaf make food when it is no longer green has the tree finished its important work it has made seeds and fruit and it has stored food that will help it live through the winter even in cold dry weather the plant needs water to stay alive how can the plant prevent the water from leaving it at the place where the leaves are attached to the stem below the bud a thin cork-like wall grows across the leaf stock this seals the stem and keeps the water from leaving the tree when a leaf falls it leaves a scar the scar is the place where the cork wall grew see how easily the leaves break off in the wind and fall buds develop during the summer they contain next year's leaves and flowers here you can look inside a bud to see how small these parts are and how neatly They are packed each bud is protected from drying out and freezing by waterproof scales with a fuzzy outer covering now the tree is ready to face the winter Roots draw water from the ground slowly sap has almost stopped flowing buds are closed and covered this helps protect them from freezing and drying even under the most severe conditions although the tree does not seem alive everything is ready for the coming spring soon it will be warm again sap will rise leaves will come out followed by flowers and the cycle of life through the seasons will go on and on again and again for