Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

General information and discussion about cultivating fruit-bearing plants, trees, flowers and ornamental plants.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old February 12, 2011   #1
Di Taylor
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Christchurch - New Zealand
Posts: 33
Default Growing plum from the stone/seed

There is a a plum tree at my work, it has the most beautiful fruit on it, sort of green inside and black skinned. Can I save the stones and try and grow from seed - will this work? If so are there some tricks I need to be aware of?
Di Taylor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 12, 2011   #2
Mark0820
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 907
Default

It can be done for peaches, nectarines and apricots, so I would guess it could be done for a plum. Here is an article in Mother Earth News for starting peaches, nectarines and apricots from seed. After reading the article, I tried it with peaches and it worked.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organ...uit-Trees.aspx
Mark0820 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 12, 2011   #3
DanishGardener
Tomatovillian™
 
DanishGardener's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Denmark
Posts: 328
Default

Yes, you can grow them from seeds, but you will most likely end up with more or less useless plants, with very variable fruit quality. Plum trees don't grow true from seeds unless we are talking about wild species. They are normally grafted to a rootstock (I use mirabelle because they grow in the wild here and are very common).
DanishGardener is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 12, 2011   #4
mjc
Tomatovillian™
 
mjc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: WV
Posts: 603
Default

The stone fruits are much more likely to produce similar fruit to the parent than pome fruits. Now, that said, the wild types of plums are much more likely to 'breed true' than the cultivated ones (as has been mentioned), but the 'pure' types (European and Asian) are also quite likely to produce decent fruit. With the 'prune' types being even more likely than the other ones. It's the hybrids that throw really variable fruit...especially when you get what amounts to a three way mix (Asian or European parent on one side and the wild American x Asian or European one the other).

Now, grafting isn't that difficult and you can graft on to wild plum or even another stone fruit (apricot/cherry are most common). Also plums can be 'rooted'...but it is usually done by layering as opposed to taking a cutting and rooting that.
mjc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 12, 2011   #5
Tom C zone 4/5
Tomatovillian™
 
Tom C zone 4/5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: SE Ohio
Posts: 253
Default

Based on my trials plum tends to come closer to true to type than say apple.

A trueism of any woody plant grow out is to plant freshly cleaned seeds to pot and let chill over a winter. Seed will not germinate till following spring.

In most cases dried tree seeds, is dead tree seeds. freezing (as in freezer) is not the same as cold stratification.

For more detailed instructions let me reccomend Mike Dirr's "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants".
__________________
Beyond the mountains, there are more mountains.
Tom C zone 4/5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 12, 2011   #6
Di Taylor
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Christchurch - New Zealand
Posts: 33
Default

Thanks for the advice everyone, sounds like it's worth a try - nothing ventured nothing gained. Thanks for the link Mark0820 that answered the other questions I had about seed collection and storage.
Di Taylor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 13, 2011   #7
salix
Tomatovillian™
 
salix's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: north central B.C.
Posts: 2,310
Default

Assuming one had permission, is it possible to root a cutting of the desired tree?
salix is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 13, 2011   #8
Tom C zone 4/5
Tomatovillian™
 
Tom C zone 4/5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: SE Ohio
Posts: 253
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by salix View Post
Assuming one had permission, is it possible to root a cutting of the desired tree?
I expect you'll have slightly better luck with an airlayer when propagating prunus.
__________________
Beyond the mountains, there are more mountains.
Tom C zone 4/5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 26, 2011   #9
mensplace
Tomatovillian™
 
mensplace's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,013
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by salix View Post
Assuming one had permission, is it possible to root a cutting of the desired tree?
As simple as it is to graft fruit trees, that is the preferred route. Generally, from plums you can dig up one of the seedling sprouts that grow around the base of plums to use as the stock, but be sure to get one that has some roots and get that started growing first. It is, in most states, it is late for grafting this year. However, in June you could bud from the desired variety onto some rooted stock. Most fruit trees other than the softer wooded varities such as fig and berries are rather difficult to root without proper atmosphere and equipment. grafting would yield a far stronger root system.
mensplace is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 5, 2011   #10
Medbury Gardens
Tomatovillian™
 
Medbury Gardens's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Medbury, New Zealand
Posts: 1,881
Default

Do you have any spare seeds Di so i can try some as well,all my plum trees have been grown from seed and have done well.
Medbury Gardens is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 6, 2011   #11
Di Taylor
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Christchurch - New Zealand
Posts: 33
Default

am carrying about 6 plum stones round in my handbag at the moment but obviously due to current events won't be doing anything with them, maybe I should mail them all to you and you could do something with them and then I could get one from you later when they are little plants and when I am back in my house?
Di Taylor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 6, 2011   #12
Medbury Gardens
Tomatovillian™
 
Medbury Gardens's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Medbury, New Zealand
Posts: 1,881
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Di Taylor View Post
am carrying about 6 plum stones round in my handbag at the moment but obviously due to current events won't be doing anything with them, maybe I should mail them all to you and you could do something with them and then I could get one from you later when they are little plants and when I am back in my house?
If you want to Di i would be happy to
Medbury Gardens is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:36 AM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★