I chomped into an apple recently and in the middle were five sprouted pips still attached to the pips. I potted them into some seed mix (mid Aug) and put a thin layer of potting soil around seedlings. They are still growing and 2 pips have first pair of seed leaves.
Guavas seem to grow easily from seed, I've got quite a few seedling strawberry guavas around the parent bush now after mulching well last year and a nice wet spring. Loquats will also grow from seed rather well. Neither of these need cross fertilisation so you can have one or as many as you like. A friend grew an avocado from seed but it wasn't a great cropper, and with some fruits (avocado included) you can wait years before you get the first crop. Macadamia is the same (but will crop prolifically despite what you do to it from what I've observed). Um, what else self seeded in the garden.... oh, riberry and szygium.
I don't know what you need to do to grow these but if they grow so easily naturally then plonking them in a pot might be all that's needed. Some take a long time to germinate so don't lose heart (or patience).!
hello Dana, have uploaded some photos onto my profile page of quince & apricot seedlings that have just emerged! Am looking forward to them getting big enough to learn to graft onto them. Am not so concerned about them not growing true to type, am just impatient for the fruit. The seville orange trees and apples were grown from pips planted in 2007 so they've got a way to go yet.
Sealander, your quince may have cross pollinated with an ornamental quince which would explain the smooth skin (are they a bit waxy/greasy to touch)? Have made jelly with ornamental quinces and it wasn't as fragrant and sharper tasting than the fruiting variety.
All seed needs to be dried before planting. Most of the stone fruit germinate best if the shells are cracked open before the kernel is planted. Planting time is nearly over. Early spring is best. You can tell the best time by watching for bud break on the trees concerned. Some fruit, like plums and apples, are best grafted on to cuttings, or root cuttings (apples). Very few seedlings are true to their parents, so budding or grafting on to a suitable stock is the preferred method of propagation. Grafting is done in spring, when growth first appears, budding (mainly peaches and nectarines) around January, when the bark becomes free. Persimmons grow easily from seed, but should be grafted to keep the variety. Berries like currants and gooseberries grow easily from cuttings. Citrus tend to be true from seed.
Hi everyone. I belong to the Waikato Tree Croppers Group and for stone fruit it was recommended to me to plant seedling trees rather than store purchased grafted. Apparently the seedling trees are better doers and more disease resistant in the Waikato area. Last year and this year I have planted several varieties of stone pips and got a fairly good success rate. The varieties I planted were Peaches - Black Boy and Golden Queen, Nectarine - a small as yet unnamed variety with year round maroon leaves. I hope this information can help someone. Katherine
Hi sealander, how long did it take for your quince to flower and fruit? I bought a little seedling at my local library at least 7 years ago, it is now about 1.5m tall but I'm still waiting for blossom, doesn't look like it will happen this year.
Sealander said:
I grew my quince tree from seed. It produces big quinces but they are nothing like the ones I see at the market - they're torpedo shaped and don't have that grey fuzz on them that quinces usually have.
I grew my quince tree from seed. It produces big quinces but they are nothing like the ones I see at the market - they're torpedo shaped and don't have that grey fuzz on them that quinces usually have.
The only thing I remember about growing apples from seed is that the seed needs to be ripe.. Usually in the brown state they are mature. I am not an expert.. Just from past experience. One thing I do know is that although it is enjoyable to do this.. It takes years to get fruit. This could be a good thing if anyone has the knowledge of grafting as Robbie mentions.
Oh ok, lemons, oranges (if you can find some with seeds in them!), apples, cherimoya, pears. I am wondering if we have been lead to believe that fruit cant be grown from seed? Did mother nature get it wrong? Oh and olives, can they grow from seed?
Replies
I chomped into an apple recently and in the middle were five sprouted pips still attached to the pips. I potted them into some seed mix (mid Aug) and put a thin layer of potting soil around seedlings. They are still growing and 2 pips have first pair of seed leaves.
Guavas seem to grow easily from seed, I've got quite a few seedling strawberry guavas around the parent bush now after mulching well last year and a nice wet spring. Loquats will also grow from seed rather well. Neither of these need cross fertilisation so you can have one or as many as you like. A friend grew an avocado from seed but it wasn't a great cropper, and with some fruits (avocado included) you can wait years before you get the first crop. Macadamia is the same (but will crop prolifically despite what you do to it from what I've observed). Um, what else self seeded in the garden.... oh, riberry and szygium.
I don't know what you need to do to grow these but if they grow so easily naturally then plonking them in a pot might be all that's needed. Some take a long time to germinate so don't lose heart (or patience).!
Sealander, your quince may have cross pollinated with an ornamental quince which would explain the smooth skin (are they a bit waxy/greasy to touch)? Have made jelly with ornamental quinces and it wasn't as fragrant and sharper tasting than the fruiting variety.
Sealander said: