I’ve got a hornet’s nest larger than my head in my Gravenstein tree right now …so I’m reluctant to pick and/or look for seeds 
I didn’t think fruit could/would form without enough cross pollination to create at least one seed? Gravs are weird, requiring an extra chromosome to pollinate. And, it was a weird wet Spring! I’ve got no fruit on several consistently heavy bearing apple trees, with leaves that look barely capable of photosynthesizing.
I’ll check my Grav for seeds after I get rid of that nest. …it’s a shame to have to kill those hornets; as I watch them, they’re on constant patrol for pests I certainly can’t see. I was asked if I might leave it? If it were further from the yard action, I would, but as is, I’m open to suggestions as to how to get rid of it in a more ‘organic’ way than spraying it with chemicals - or attempting to light it on fire, organic, but dangerous…
Different subject, but definitely between me and my Gravenstein’s – and perhaps your answer. Funny, as I was watching it yesterday a fat overripe ‘Transparent’ apple (of which I’ve got several grafts in the big tree for pollination) dropped on the nest. I didn’t stick around – but around 50 mad hornets instantly emerged! …any suggestions 
Viron, my live and let live policy ends at the point where bugs bite me. So, I'd hit the nest with some wasp and hornet spray.
You can probably pick apples after dark when the hornets are in bed.
Maybe you could hire a bee keeper to come out and clip the nest out of the tree and move it some place close by, so they could still eat bugs.
The trouble with even having them close is that they will fly over and nibble on your fruit, making harvesting quite dangerous if you aren't extremely diligent about where you put your hands.
Seedless apples could be a blessing.
Have you noticed if there was LESS of a codling moth infestation in those Gravensteins in contrast to other apples?
The codling moth larvae (proverbial worm in the apple) like to go straight to the seeds where they feast.....if they somehow sensed there were no seeds, I wonder if it is theoretically possible that the codling moth would be less likely to lay eggs nearby to become those pesky larvae in the first place.
Enquirer minds want to know.
Idyllwild
simplepress
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Marsha H
Viron
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