Last summer, I collected the pits from six donut peaches I purchased at the farmer's market. For those who aren't familiar, these peaches are smaller and have a unique, flattened shape but are incredibly sweet and flavorful. I stored the pits in the freezer, and now I've planted them indoors in pots. I'm curious about their chances of growing. How long should I wait before I see any signs of growth? Would I be able to transplant them this year, or should I hold off until next season? By the way, I'm located in Zone 6A, just north of Chicago. Thanks for any guidance!
3 Answers
Unfortunately, freezing the pits might have killed them. You'd typically want to store them in a moist paper towel inside a plastic bag in the fridge for a couple of months. This method allows the seeds to sprout by encouraging them to break open. Your setup might be more of an experiment, which can be hit or miss when it comes to fruit quality, but it could be fun to try!
Starting peach trees from pits isn't the best way to get the same fruit you enjoyed. Due to cross-pollination and genetic variation, you might end up with something completely different after 4 years of waiting. Usually, the best way to get the fruit you want is to buy a grafted tree from a reliable nursery. Trust me, it'll save you a lot of time and uncertainty!
Yeah, you probably made it harder for the seeds to germinate by freezing them. They need a period of cold from refrigeration for vernalization, not freezing. And just a heads up, even if you do get them to sprout, the resulting tree won't produce the same peaches as the parent tree due to requiring cross-pollination. But starting from seeds can lead to some new varieties, though it's typically done in controlled breeding programs.