by Toepopper » 20 Jul 2010 17:00
I have tried to do the same but could never get anything to sprout. I have planted apricot and plum pits, apple pear, and kiwi seeds and nothing ever sprouted except Bing cherries which grew from the cherries that dropped onto the ground from a tree my neighbor gave me. These new cherry trees actually became a nuisance to deal with. The best way to produce viable fruit trees is to take a small cutting from a tree that produces consistently good fruit, cut the end at a 45 degree angle to expose more bare wood and then immediately dip the end into some "Root Tone" root growth powder and place this in a Jiffy 7 peat pot during the spring time when the fruit trees begin growing again. If you plant during the winter time when trees are dormant it won't take. For positive results its best to plant cuttings when the trees naturally begin to grow. I keep my peat pots warm and damp (with a small spray bottle) in a covered rooting tray untill roots appear and as soon as you notice new roots growing out of the Jiffy 7 pot, transplant it into a larger container so the roots can get established. After transplanting its good to cut back on watering to twice a week so your new trees don't develope root rot or mold. I get about a 75% success rate by doing this method, actually you are making a clone of the original tree. Depending on growth rate it may take a year and several larger pots before placing in the ground permanantly.
I have tried to do the same but could never get anything to sprout. I have planted apricot and plum pits, apple pear, and kiwi seeds and nothing ever sprouted except Bing cherries which grew from the cherries that dropped onto the ground from a tree my neighbor gave me. These new cherry trees actually became a nuisance to deal with. The best way to produce viable fruit trees is to take a small cutting from a tree that produces consistently good fruit, cut the end at a 45 degree angle to expose more bare wood and then immediately dip the end into some "Root Tone" root growth powder and place this in a Jiffy 7 peat pot during the spring time when the fruit trees begin growing again. If you plant during the winter time when trees are dormant it won't take. For positive results its best to plant cuttings when the trees naturally begin to grow. I keep my peat pots warm and damp (with a small spray bottle) in a covered rooting tray untill roots appear and as soon as you notice new roots growing out of the Jiffy 7 pot, transplant it into a larger container so the roots can get established. After transplanting its good to cut back on watering to twice a week so your new trees don't develope root rot or mold. I get about a 75% success rate by doing this method, actually you are making a clone of the original tree. Depending on growth rate it may take a year and several larger pots before placing in the ground permanantly.
