Plums from seed

[Andy Hamilton]

Planted a couple of plum pips in pots any advice?

[Wombat]

Mate,

If you are doing it for interest/experiment - go for it! To get a cheap plum tree - lots of luck! It will take many years to bearing and give you questionable quality fruit . (being a seedling rather than grafted!)

Nev

[Andy Hamilton]

Yep total experiment really. If it grows into a tree, even if it does not bear fruit, then at least I have brought a tree into the world.

[Wombat]

Great mate! always worth a go!

Nev

[Steve Hanson]

Hi Andy

Bob Flowerdew points out in his Complete Fruit book all the origins of all so called true fruit trees were grow from seed.

So it is always worth trying trees from seed you never know what it will be but it could be wonderful, and virtually free.

Steve

[Millymollymandy]

Why not try to grow a peach as well? I have read that they are one of the few fruit that can be grown from seed (pips) and bear true fruit. We have peach trees here that the previous people planted and there are youngsters galore and they keep coming up in my veggie patch! They grow really quickly too.

[Andy Hamilton]

Time for an up 'date' on growing my fruit tree. Nothing happened. So much for that experiment. Will give it another go though.

[Steve Hanson]

Hi Andy

Quick question did you put the seeds in the fridge for a couple of months before you planted them?

It is a requirement for most fruits trees, which are indigenous to Europe and other colder countries. They need to go through a process of stratification (I think that’s how you spell it) first then plant them up in the warm. If your pot is still outside and has been all winter it may sprout this spring.

I have several tubs of stones and seeds in my fridge and some in the freezer, which are all destined for a seedbed in the next couple of weeks. I know some won’t come true and some will be just be crab apples or poor quality fruit but my pigs don’t seem to care. Crab apple jelly is delicious and pork from pigs fed on fruit windfalls are fantastic, and the flowers will feed my soon to arrive bees this year.

Best of luck Steve

[Magpie]

Hey, great timing - we have been eating Greengages, and saving the pips, as I have read they grow pretty true from seed. Will pop them in the fridge, then... or would you wait until winter to do it?

[Andy Hamilton]

I am trying to think back, I know that I have tried putting some seeds in the fridge, I don't think for that long though. I am pretty sure it was just for a fortnight. - cheers

[Steve Hanson]

Hi Magpie
You would normally try to plant them out in spring but if you are going to bring them on indoors it does not really matter.

Andy
Each fruit has a different amount of time it needs to be cold or frozen some apples would be ok for just a couple of weeks but the fruits with stones as apposed to pips take longer. It does not hurt to have them colder for longer so I tend to go for 60 days as a rule, and then plant out in spring.

However I have 15 or so apples and pears from last year, which I did not even put in the fridge and they are all 12 inches tall or better, nature is a funny thing, don’t you just love it.


Steve

[Shirley]

hmmm good timing...

I've just found 3 plums lurking in the fruit bowl.. they've gone a bit wrinkly - will nab the seeds out of them and chill them as you suggest Steve.

Did this once with rosehips that we'd collected from the hedgerow but it didn't work

edit to add : Congrats Steve - you are now Jerry!!!

[Magpie]

I should've been clearer - we are in the middle of Summer here, so do I just leave them in the cupboard for now, them put them in the fridge over Winter? Will the heat we are having just now affect them? Or should I just pot them up and leave them outside, to be chilled naturally?

[Shirley]

I should've been clearer - we are in the middle of Summer here, so do I just leave them in the cupboard for now, them put them in the fridge over Winter? Will the heat we are having just now affect them? Or should I just pot them up and leave them outside, to be chilled naturally?

HEAT???? Now, I'm sure I've got some hints and tips re plum seed... I would have to visit you to demonstrate though

[nick]

project no ??? have tried to get stone fruit trees to grow from cuttings before with no luck (try again this year) have only just heard about stratification so will try that over winter. have some old varieties of peaches that seem to have dissappeared from the nurseries so am trying to get something to grow. the blood plum seems to germinate readily from seeds on the ground.