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How can I plant/grow plums (or any other stone fruit) from the seed?

Last Updated: February 28, 2008

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Such seeds require a cold, moist, chilling period called stratification for them to germinate. You can do this in the refrigerator or you can let Mother Nature do it outside. Soak the seeds in water for about one hour. Then place them on a moist paper towel, put them in a sealable plastic bag, and place them in the refrigerator crisper for six weeks. After six weeks, plant the seeds in a container with a loose, porous potting soil. They should come up in a matter of weeks. If you artificially stratify the seeds, you will need to protect them from freezing temperatures once they germinate.

You can also soak the seeds, place them in containers with a good potting soil, and place them outside where they will get occasional rain. Mother Nature will chill the seeds, and when the temperatures become favorable for growth, the seeds will come up.

Most tree fruits are hybrids. Any such plant you grow from seeds may not resemble the parent with regard to fruit characteristics.

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