Growing Peaches From Pits

Growing Peaches from Pits

By Joseph Parish

Most people interested in garden or growing your own plants usually think of planting the pit of a peach after eating the delicious fruit. Many people knowing that I was a Master Gardener who promotes what I call, “Garbage Gardening” have asked me how to grow peaches from the pits. Think no longer for you can plant that pit and grow a very beautiful peach tree at home. Not only are such amazing feats possible but they produce some astonishing results. You can expect a few peaches as early as a year and a half and at 2 ½ you could get a couple dozen. By the third year the tree should have an abundance of fruit. Peaches usually produce quickly. Generally, expect your first fruit in three years, but it is possible to get it earlier. In its third year two seedling trees produced approximately five gallons of fruit. These trees consistently out produced their commercial counter-parts. Naturally these quantities also depend upon the soil, amount of sunlight, proper watering, and fertilizer used. Although, the farmer usual propagates the fruit trees by way of grafting, peach trees can and have been grown from seed. These grown fruits will not only be an enjoyable venture but will also save you money.

Unlike apples and other fruit trees, peaches tend to produce true to seed plants, meaning your seedling tree will often be a true representation of the parent tree and bear fruit which is similar. Being a plant experimenter at heart I always except new challenges as they appear. I never accept the fact that there is an abundance of small-minded home gardeners who just love to lecture me on the worthlessness of starting fruit trees from seeds. This fact just goes to show that the so-called experts are not necessarily correct. They are often like a parrot repeating what others have told them. Disregard much of their advice and do as I do and experiment.

Growing a peach tree from a pit is like helping Mother Nature out. Normally a peach will Fall from the tree and the pit will eventually produce another seedling the following spring. With a little help by us we can produce seedlings in a similar manner in the comfort 0f our own home.

It can take several years before you get a peach from your pit, if you get one at all, depending upon the pit you have used and the type of peach you are attempting to grow. The plant itself will grow but the question remains as to whether it will produce fruit. In either case you have received enjoyment from knowing that you grew the plant from a pit and you end up with an attractive plant for your home.

There are several methods by which you can germinate a peach pit, however in both methods, you must keep the seeds cool until planted. Keep them in a closed, container in the refrigerator for a least eight weeks. You can plant the pit directly into the soil during the fall months and wait for spring to arrive and watch the seedling break ground and germination in nature’s way, or you could store it and stratify it in your kitchen refrigerator, until early spring and then plant it outside.

One simple method is to plant the peach pit directly into the soil during the autumn months. This is likely the simplest method under consideration. All this requires is to bury your pit in a pot somewhere in your yard. Cover the areas with mulch. Protect the seeds to prevent them from being eaten by the neighborhood animals. Always plant several seeds so that you increase your odds of germination. After growth begins, replant the strongest of your seedlings after they reach a foot tall, and place them in a sunny spot which is well drained. In three to five years you will see your peach trees providing tasty fruit.

In warmer climates, you may have to artificially germinate your peach seeds by using stratification. After conducting some research years ago, I quickly discovered that peach pits require this cold stratification to germinate. Cold stratification is a technique which is employed to simulate conditions which a seed would normally receive after a frozen winter. There are six methods of cold stratification to choose from: cold-water soaking, refrigeration, fall planting, winter/solstice sowing, outdoor treatment, and snow planting.

Begin this process about four months prior to the last frost date in late spring. Soak the pit in a cup with room temperature water in it overnight, place it in a zip-lock bag with a bit of moist soil in it and store it in your refrigerator. Nothing could be simpler. You will likely see sprouts emerge in 12 to 17 days.

Store the pit in the refrigerator, making certain to keep it away from other fruit. Some fruit gives off gases which tend to affect the peach pit. Maintain a temperature of between 34-42 F. In my greenhouse I will employ a separate refrigerator for garden work such as this. Keep checking back periodically to watch for a germinating pit. This process may take as much as a few weeks to over several months, with eight weeks being the average, if the pit is viable. Since the pit may not germinate because of its variety, you may want to try several different varieties, eventually, one type of peach will germinate. The idea is to keep the seeds in a cool and moist environment without getting them moldy. You should start to see sprouting between one and three months, depending on the variety of peach. When you see these thick, white rootlets, they are ready to plant. However, the best time to plant is about a month before last frost. If sprouting occurs before this date, you may keep them in the refrigerator until the proper time.

Still yet, a third method which works well is to remove the seed from the pit. Although this is not a requirement, you can increase your success rate by removing the pit from the seed prior to the cold treatment.

In general, the planting of peach seeds usually takes place in the fall. Plant your seeds in well-drained soil, mixing in a measure of compost and other organic material. Plant the pit about 4 inches deep and cover it with an inch of straw or mulch to winter-over. Water the pit or seed during the fall but only if the soil is dry. Do not over water the pot. When spring arrives, you should see new and sprouting peach seedling growing. If for chance you were germinating your pit or seedling via the refrigerator method, once you see germination starting transplant the seedling to a pot or permanent outdoor location.

Whenever I sample a particular deliciously ripe peach, I frequently fantasize about stepping out into my backyard and picking my own fresh peaches right from the tree. This dream could easily become a reality to you as it did for me. I did not rush out to the growers for one of their grafted trees but instead grew my own from the pit. Since peaches usual grow true, be certain to choose your peach pits carefully from one that you enjoyed eating. Pick only fully ripe fruit late in the season, as those will be the best for germinating.

Clean the peach pit with a brush in clear water and let allow it to dry for a few days in the air. This makes it easier to open the hard-outer shell to access the seed inside. There are several tools you can use for opening the pit such as a vise, a nut cracker, or even a hammer. I usually use a pair of vise-grips. Never eat this seed as it does contain a small amount of toxic cyanide.

The most difficult part of growing peaches from seeds is the germination part of the process. Your transplants can be grown in pots as you would any other types of fruit.

Some peach pits will germinate quickly while others may take a much longer period of time or in some cases not at all. The key here is do not give up. Being persistence and attempting to grow different varieties will eventually pay off. Keep in mind it may take as much as three years before fruit will appear on your tree.

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