When do you plant peach pits

If you overwater it, the pit will rot [source: Michigan Peach , Parker ]. Soak the pit in water for a few hours. Put the pit in barely moistened soil in a plastic bag. Store the pit in the refrigerator at 34 to 42 degrees Fahrenheit 1. Check for germination after six weeks. Don't be discouraged if there are no signs of germination. It may take closer to three months for the seed to germinate.

Once the pit develops a root that is at least half an inch 1. Replant your tree outdoors in spring, after the last frost [source: Michigan Peach ]. Cite This! Try Our Sudoku Puzzles!

More Awesome Stuff. Early varieties do not have a good germination success rate. Another consideration for peach growing is the low temperatures your area receives in the wintertime.

Most peaches need a sustained temperature lower than 45 degrees in order to set fruit. Early springs with late frosts will also harm a peach harvest, since the flowers and fruit are very susceptible to late cold blasts.

Prepare the peach seeds by scrubbing all of the peach off the pit with a soft brush in clear water. If the peach was so ripe that the pit has split open, it will reveal the actual seed inside. You can remove the outer hard coat and just plant the seed kernel. Handle these seeds with care. They contain cyanide and are highly poisonous. If you can successfully remove the seed without damaging it or yourself, the germination process will speed up after planting.

This is not necessary, though. Tiny trees will grow from many of the hard pits. Chill peach seeds for at least 8 weeks or from fall to spring. Otherwise, they might not germinate.

The peach pits need to be moist but not wet for their chilling stratification period. There are several ways to accomplish the cold and moist conditions needed for the stones to sprout. Although planting the seeds of apples, pears, plums, and cherries can also result in a new tree, the fruit of the seedling tree will usually not resemble the parent tree. In many cases, even seeds from the best tasting apple will result in a tree with inedible or poor quality fruit. Seedling trees also lack the dwarfing qualities of a tree grafted to a rootstock, so a seedling apple tree may get to be 30 feet tall.

For these reasons, vegetative propagation through grafting attaching a bud or branch from one tree to another is the primary way new fruit trees are produced. Peaches and apricots tend to come fairly true to seed, meaning a seedling tree will generally be very similar to the parent tree and bear similar fruit. Although commercial orchards plant grafted peach and apricot trees, a seedling tree is a fine option fro a yard or community garden orchard. Growing trees from seed is free and can also make a fun project for young orchardists!

Ever wish you could step outside and pick a deliciously ripe peach off the tree? It might be easier than you think for this dream to become a reality. When choosing your peach pits, pick fully ripe fruit that you enjoy from a local area later in the peach season, as those will germinate better.

Clean the pit with a brush in clear water and let it dry for a few days on your counter; it will now be easier to open the hard outer shell to find the seed inside of it.

You can use a vise, a nut cracker, or as a last choice, a hammer.