How to properly grow a peach from a stone at home

Grow a tree from a bone? Such thoughts from time to time visit everyone who loves to work in the garden or greenhouse. Especially if you have a fragrant juicy peach with delicate pulp in your hands.

And if people have learned to grow lemons and pomegranates at home, then getting a peach tree is a snap.

To do this, you need to be patient and follow the recommendations of experienced gardeners.

Is it possible and how to properly grow a peach from a stone?

Choosing planting material

High-quality planting material is the key to success... Turkish or Spanish peaches, no matter how beautiful and tasty they are, are not suitable for planting in our latitudes.

Everyone knows that imported peaches are removed from trees long before biological maturity. This is the right approach, because with the onset of technical ripeness, fruits acquire a delicate taste, retain useful substances and tolerate transportation well over long distances.

But the seeds of such fruits do not ripen, and therefore you should not waste your time and energy on their germination.

Besides, southern varieties will not survive in our climatebecause they are used to more comfortable conditions. If the seeds will sprout, then the seedlings themselves will die without receiving the required amount of sunlight and heat.

If you have already decided to plant a peach, walk around the market looking for local fruits... The seller, who has grown his goods with his own hands, will be happy to tell you how to care for the seedling in order to achieve fruiting.

It's great if a neighbor in the country shares the harvest. In any case, prepare a few bones. The germination rate of peach seeds is about 25%, some of the seedlings will die during cultivation, so the more seeds you collect, the better.

Be sure to ask which tree the peaches were taken from. Do not take fruits from the grafted tree, because the characteristics of the variety when grown are unlikely to correspond to the mother.

Only peaches from own-rooted trees give planting material that can preserve species characteristics.

Growing a peach from a seed is as easy as shelling pears:

Choosing a variety

Zoned varieties will feel better in a local climate, content with the amount of heat and lighting that the nature of a particular region can give them.

Even if you decide to plant seedlings in open ground, with proper care they will not be afraid of frosts.

When choosing a peach variety, pay attention to the main characteristics.

Winter hardiness. If you are planning to transplant a seedling into open ground, choose varieties with good winter hardiness and unpretentiousness to growing conditions.

Self-pollination. Many varieties are self-pollinated. But if you want to get a generous harvest, plant at least 3-4 peaches nearby, which will subsequently bear fruit.

Early maturity - for successful fruiting in summer, it is recommended to plant early ripening varieties (July-first half of August).

To remove the seeds, prepare large, ripe, soft fruits with no signs of damage, rot or mold. Free the bones from the pulp, rinse thoroughly under running warm water and dry. Select seeds without traces of pests and cracking.

Choosing a growing method

Gardeners use three methods for growing peach trees from seed.

Stratification, or "cold method". An imitation of cold natural conditions is created so that the seeds are prepared for germination and germinate better.

During stratification, the shells soften, the seeds swell, complex organic substances turn into simple ones and are assimilated by the embryo of the seed.

Extraction of seeds. The “quick way”, which consists in splitting the bone and extracting the kernel. After the extraction of seeds from the stone, seedlings appear much earlier than during stratification.

Warm way. You can germinate seeds in pots at room temperature and natural light.

Cold way, or stratification, at home

For successful stratification, it is necessary to create moist conditions for seeds at a low above zero temperature and provide air access. For these purposes, a compartment for storing vegetables in the refrigerator or a basement is suitable.

Stratify seeds as follows:

1. Prepare a small container, without a lid, filled with wet sand or peat. Use coarse sand, sifted out of foreign particles and thoroughly washed.
2. Place the bones in the sand to a depth of 6-8 cm, place the container in a plastic bag with holes (to allow air to enter) and refrigerate for the winter.
3. Check the container regularly and moisten sand or peat with a spray bottle if necessary. The main thing is not to overdo it with watering, otherwise the seeds may rot.
4. In 3-4 months the seeds will "hatch" and sprouts of future peaches will appear.
5. Remove the container of sprouts from the refrigerator and plant the seedlings in the pots. Take the pots with drainage holes. Use a fertile soil made from a mixture of leafy soil, peat, and humus.
6. Place the seedling pots in a well-lit area.
7. Avoid sudden temperature changes. At first, provide the sprouts with a temperature of + 10 ° C, placing them on a glazed balcony or veranda.
8. After a few days, bring the pots with sprouts into the room and maintain the room temperature at + 18 + 20 ° C. Water sparingly as the soil dries.

What is stratification. How to do stratification correctly:

Chop and extract seeds

A quick way to grow a tree from seed for the impatient. If you do not want to wait until spring for the emergence of seedlings.

Proceed as follows:

1. Chop the washed and dried bones with a knife or hammer. Work with tools carefully, try not to damage the core of the bone.
2. Remove seeds and place in warm water for 2-3 days to swell. Replace fresh water daily.
3. When you see that the seeds have swollen and increased in size, plant them in separate pots with drainage holes. Select the size of the pot taking into account the fact that the planting depth is 4-6 cm.
4. After planting, water the seeds and cover the pots with glass or plastic wrap. Ventilate the "greenhouses" daily - remove the film, wipe off the condensation and let the pots "breathe" for a while. Remember, excess moisture causes mold and mildew to develop, which are damaging to seeds and seedlings.
5. After the sprouts appear, remove the film.

Gardeners who grow peaches from seeds note that the height of the seedling reaches 0.5 m in 2-3 months.

How to germinate in a warm way

With this method, peach seeds are immediately planted in pots with soil mixture in the hope of waiting for sprouts to appear in a few months.

Planting technology is simple:

1. Keep the prepared bones in the refrigerator for 6-10 days. This will be a kind of short-term stratification.
2. Remove the seeds from the refrigerator and soak in a growth stimulant for 2-3 hours.
3. Plant the seeds 6 to 8 cm deep in wet potting soil.
4. Cover the pots with clear plastic or glass, ventilate them daily and wipe off condensation.
5. Sprout peaches at room temperature by placing the pots on a brightly lit windowsill. Water as needed.
6. When sprouts appear in 3-4 months, remove the film and move the seedlings to a well-lit place without drafts and direct sunlight.

Care of young peach sprouts

In order for the seedlings to survive and gain strength, it is necessary to create favorable conditions for them.

The soil. Use loose, fertile soil of peat, humus, sand and leafy soil in proportions 1: 1: 1: 2.

Lighting. Provide good lighting. If there is a lack of sunlight, use LED phytolamps, which will give the necessary spectrum and accelerate plant growth.

Watering. Water the soil regularly. Reduce watering during fruit ripening and dormancy.

Temperature conditions. In winter, provide a temperature of + 2 + 4 ° С, with the onset of spring during flowering + 10 + 15 ° С, and after flowering + 18 + 25 ° С.

Top dressing. Beginning in March, feed the plants with mineral and organic fertilizers every two weeks. Stop feeding from September. From organic fertilizers, use a nutritious infusion of humus.

Transfer. Transplant the seedling as it grows into a larger pot in early spring (before flowering) or early September.

Pruning. When the side shoots begin to grow, and the height of the main trunk is 70 cm, start forming the crown.

Fruiting occurs on the side branches of the tree, so the seedling should not be allowed to grow upward. Do the main pruning next spring. Prune and pinch vigorous shoots annually.

Planting a tree in open ground in the country

At home, a full-fledged peach can only be grown by owners of a winter garden, a cool veranda, a glazed loggia or a greenhouse.

In ordinary apartment conditions, it is impossible to provide the seedling with the necessary temperature regime, depending on the season. But if all the conditions can be met, then in the first year, a young peach will grow up to 1.5 m.

Plan a peach transplant in open ground for March next year or early September. If you are planting several seedlings, observe an interval of 3-4 meters between them.

The same distance should be to adult plants, giving extensive shade, and to the walls of buildings on the site. Choose a place for planting that is well-lit, but protected from drafts.

Before planting a peach dig a hole about 1 m deep, apply organic fertilizers and dig well... Plant a seedling and compact the ground. Spill the trunk circles with water at room temperature and cover with a layer of mulch or humus.

A plant grown from a seed at home in the first 2-3 years after transplanting into open ground should be given special attention, because it is still poorly adapted to weather conditions.

For winter, wrap the tree with burlap or non-woven fabric, and insulate the trunk with glass wool. Take care of the root system - so that it does not freeze, cover the soil of the trunk circle with a thick layer of fallen leaves or spruce branches.

To protect the seedlings prune dry and cracked shoots regularly and carry out prophylactic insecticide treatments.

The process of growing a peach tree from seed is simple, but takes time and patience. With proper care fragrant and juicy fruits will appear in 2-3 years, and the crop can be harvested within 10-12 years.

The cultivation of peaches is practiced even in the harsh conditions of Siberia, so in our latitudes you can safely undertake an experiment.

How to germinate a peach seed: