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Plant & grow a nectarine tree from their stones

General    None Given

Can you plant & grow a nectarine tree from their stones?


Posted by: pauline (1 point) pauline
Posted: August 19, 2013


Kelsey commented,
How long from the very beginning stages of planting the seed does it take until the tree bares fruit?
about 7 years ago.

Dr. Ravishankar Narayana commented,
Though it depends on the variety you grow, region, weather conditions and other factors generally tree can take four years or more to produce first fruit. http://fruitandnuteducation.ucdavis.e...
about 7 years ago.



Answers

1
point
The answer to this is YES. You can successfully grow a nectarine seedling from the seed of a nectarine fruit. However, it is worth noting that, like many other fruits, it is very unlikely that the resultant tree will bear fruit that resembles that of the tree that it came from. This is because the parent tree that produced the delicious store bought fruit was a hybrid, produced by budding or grafting, and not grown from a seed. This allows growers to combine desirable characteristics, but the seeds will not breed true to type. In addition, nectarine seeds need to be cold treated to break their dormancy before they will germinate.

If you don't mind that and would like to try growing your own nectarine seedling (I think its really fun and am currently growing avocado seeds) then it is relatively straightforward. Here is what you will need to do:

How to grow a nectarine from seed

1. Remove the nectarine pit from the fruit and place it in a bowl of water to soak off any remaining pulp. If the pit floats then its not viable and you will need to try again with another pit. Air dry the seeds on the counter top for a 1 or 2 days.

2. Remove the seeds from the pit by cracking it open - try using a pair of nutcrackers to crack it open. Once removed, soak the seeds in a bowl of water overnight

3. Straitify (cold treat) the seeds. This process essentially simulates winter conditions and breaks the dormancy of the seed. Fill a lidded container half full with some moist potting soil and place the seeds on top of the soil. Close the lid of the container and place in the fridge. Leave for several weeks, make sure that the soil is kept slightly moist and does not dry out. After about a month, the seeds should begin to germinate

4. Plant each germinated seed in a small pot (about 6" diameter) filled with good quality potting soil. Plant the seed 0.5-1.0" deep in the center of the pot. Keep the soil moist but not wet and continue to grow the seedlings.

5. Transplant the seedlings into the garden or continue to grow as a container plant.

Hope this helps - I kind of want to try this too! Good luck!


Posted by: Lindsay McMenemy (4 points) Lindsay McMenemy
Posted: August 20, 2013




0
points
Yes. Do it. It's totally worth it. I've grown a lot of trees from seed and the one thing they all have in common: exceptional vigor. Sure, it won't be a Johnson SuperOrange MagicCot(TM) or whatever, but you'll get a great tap root and a nice full tree if you plant them young right into the ground.

http://www.floridasurvivalgardening.c...


Posted by: David Goodman (69 points) David Goodman
Posted: September 3, 2013




0
points
I've come across people online who think that nongrafted, unpruned fruit trees are healthier, and produce fruit that's healthier to eat. They probably have the benefit of lots of land so they can grow from seed and wait several years to find out if the fruit is worth eating. Or they might have access to own-root fruit trees, where they know the fruit is worth growing, so they can take cuttings. I've heard it's possible to get great-tasting fruit from such trees, but it takes a lot more time than just buying a known cultivar.

In any case, if you're interested in experimenting, you can search for information on nongrafted fruit trees.


Posted by: Tanya in the Garden (128 points) Tanya in the Garden
Posted: August 20, 2013




0
points
so my nectarine pip was split when I ate it and easily opened, I assume i can kinda skip step 1, however, I was, hence, unable to float to check viability. I assume if I try this one and the other 2 waiting to be eaten in the fridge then if this one doesn't work it probably doesn't matter.

I saw somewhere to plant in January - perhaps someone could tell me if that means summer or winter as I'm in Australia and it's summer here.

I'm going to give it a go with these seeds just to see if I a can, perhaps next year i'll have small trees for sale as I really only need one!!


Posted by: Jenny (1 point) Jenny
Posted: February 20, 2017


Dr. Ravishankar Narayana commented,
Generally stone fruits (nectarines and peaches) require a cold winter in order to crop. If you want to grow nectarines in containers, can plant any time of the year. The bare rooted trees purchased during the winter should be planted immediately. But the best time to prepare the ground for planting your nectarines seedling is autumn. http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stori...
about 7 years ago.



0
points
Hey Jenny! I know it's been a few years since you asked your question but I'd like to respond to it anyways. Here in the states January is considered midwinter. It is by far the coldest month of the year in most places here. So to plant your nectarine seeds and successfully germinate them just pick the chilliest month for you all in Australia and there you have it! ❤️ Great luck!


Posted by: Jessica (1 point) Jessica
Posted: July 1, 2022




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