apricot trees - seed

piegirl · November 7, 2009

My mom sent me seeds from our family apricot tree. My brother is growing one and the seeds are from his tree (probably the great great grand daughter seeds) - can I plant the seeds now, covering w/ chicken wire to prevent squirrels from digging? I can't remember when we planted in the past. I would love to get them growing since brother isn't much of a gardener or lover of fruit. Thanks for any assistance. Piegirl

PaulF · November 8, 2009

Piegirl:

This may not be the best time to start an apricot from seed. We have an eighty year or so old apricot tree in our yard that I wanted to grow some trees from. This is how I found out to do it.

Get the pits you want to plant and let them dry out for a couple of days. Carefully crack the pits open to get the seeds. Soak the seeds in water overnight then wrap them in a damp paper towel inside a jar and put in the refrigerator. (The alternative is to put in a zip-lock bag of potting soil in a jar.)

Leave the jar in the refrigerator until the seeds sprout. That should be six weeks to two months. Plant the sprouts in seed starting potting soil in containers with good drainage. They like to be moist but not wet. Keep them in a warm sunny window. I used my tomato growing system of lights with a timer for equal light and dark.

Planting outside time is after all danger of frost is past. Here in the country, the sprouts need to be protected from the wildlife with poultry fencing. When the seedlings are planted, be sure to not disturb the roots. Some recommend using milk cartons so the container can be cut away leaving the root system intact.

Maybe you can save the pits in a bag in the refrigerator until the timing is right for spring planting, or just grow them indoors in a larger container for transplanting in the warmer weather.

Good luck,

Paul

Medbury Gardens · November 10, 2009

Through the fruiting season i gather up seeds from peaches,nectarines plums and apricots that came from outstanding trees i may come accross or people have given me.
What i do is plant the seeds in pots of soil/compost before winter,these pots are left outside in the frost and snow,come spring i seem to get about an 80% germination rate.

beeman · November 10, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Medbury Gardens

What i do is plant the seeds in pots of soil/compost before winter,these pots are left outside in the frost and snow,come spring i seem to get about an 80% germination rate.

Assuming you can wait till they produce fruit! Do these trees run true? Or are they like apples and need to be grafted?

mjc · November 10, 2009

Stone fruits tend to be closer to 'true' than pome fruits...

Medbury Gardens · November 10, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by beeman

Assuming you can wait till they produce fruit! Do these trees run true? Or are they like apples and need to be grafted?

Certainly my earliest grown trees seem to have grown close to true but that's not to say they dont as i'm sure they would,apples on the other hand tend to throw wide variations.I have in the past and still do take fruit from a wild road side Apricot tree that's a long way away from any other trees,the trees ive grown from it that have being given to friends along the ones i have grown in my own orhard have all grown identical fruit.

piegirl · April 23, 2011

I am so excited! Very early last spring (2010)I planted the above mentioned pits. Covered with chicken wire and stakes. And lo and behold - I just found eight seedlings coming up - about 3-4". Thought I saw one a week or so ago but not up enough. I think every seed came up. These trees do come true - my parents always had 'one in training' just in case of a storm or disease. They are quite close together but probably this fall plant out to a large pot or something? I almost gave up - they have taken a year. I am thrilled! piegirl

Worth1 · April 24, 2011

Most stone fruits are self pollinating which means they should come true. An exception would be stray pollen just as in tomatoes.

I love apricots but they grow best in the western part of the state not where I live.

Worth

Medbury Gardens · April 24, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by piegirl

I am so excited! Very early last spring (2010)I planted the above mentioned pits. Covered with chicken wire and stakes. And lo and behold - I just found eight seedlings coming up - about 3-4". Thought I saw one a week or so ago but not up enough. I think every seed came up. These trees do come true - my parents always had 'one in training' just in case of a storm or disease. They are quite close together but probably this fall plant out to a large pot or something? I almost gave up - they have taken a year. I am thrilled! piegirl

Well done

Ive just had some good luck with a wild pear i found growing on the side of a road that had lovely fruit,it was a long way away from any others so it wouldn't have crossed,i took some seed out of a few then planted them straight away and within a week they were popping up,i thought it would have been spring before they would have germinated.

How come apricots dont do well were you are Worth??

November 7, 2009	#1
piegirl Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 791	apricot trees - seed My mom sent me seeds from our family apricot tree. My brother is growing one and the seeds are from his tree (probably the great great grand daughter seeds) - can I plant the seeds now, covering w/ chicken wire to prevent squirrels from digging? I can't remember when we planted in the past. I would love to get them growing since brother isn't much of a gardener or lover of fruit. Thanks for any assistance. Piegirl

November 8, 2009	#2
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,295	Piegirl: This may not be the best time to start an apricot from seed. We have an eighty year or so old apricot tree in our yard that I wanted to grow some trees from. This is how I found out to do it. Get the pits you want to plant and let them dry out for a couple of days. Carefully crack the pits open to get the seeds. Soak the seeds in water overnight then wrap them in a damp paper towel inside a jar and put in the refrigerator. (The alternative is to put in a zip-lock bag of potting soil in a jar.) Leave the jar in the refrigerator until the seeds sprout. That should be six weeks to two months. Plant the sprouts in seed starting potting soil in containers with good drainage. They like to be moist but not wet. Keep them in a warm sunny window. I used my tomato growing system of lights with a timer for equal light and dark. Planting outside time is after all danger of frost is past. Here in the country, the sprouts need to be protected from the wildlife with poultry fencing. When the seedlings are planted, be sure to not disturb the roots. Some recommend using milk cartons so the container can be cut away leaving the root system intact. Maybe you can save the pits in a bag in the refrigerator until the timing is right for spring planting, or just grow them indoors in a larger container for transplanting in the warmer weather. Good luck, Paul __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

November 10, 2009	#3
Medbury Gardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Medbury, New Zealand Posts: 1,881	Through the fruiting season i gather up seeds from peaches,nectarines plums and apricots that came from outstanding trees i may come accross or people have given me. What i do is plant the seeds in pots of soil/compost before winter,these pots are left outside in the frost and snow,come spring i seem to get about an 80% germination rate.

November 10, 2009	#5
mjc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WV Posts: 603	Stone fruits tend to be closer to 'true' than pome fruits...

April 23, 2011	#7
piegirl Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 791	I am so excited! Very early last spring (2010)I planted the above mentioned pits. Covered with chicken wire and stakes. And lo and behold - I just found eight seedlings coming up - about 3-4". Thought I saw one a week or so ago but not up enough. I think every seed came up. These trees do come true - my parents always had 'one in training' just in case of a storm or disease. They are quite close together but probably this fall plant out to a large pot or something? I almost gave up - they have taken a year. I am thrilled! piegirl

April 24, 2011	#8
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Most stone fruits are self pollinating which means they should come true. An exception would be stray pollen just as in tomatoes. I love apricots but they grow best in the western part of the state not where I live. Worth