Hello!
So my husband has gotten into my new fascination of gardening with me, however he keeps eating fruits and handing me the seeds asking "can you plant these?!?!?!"
So far I have pear seeds, and "cutie" seeds... "Cuties are those little mandarins that you buy in bulk in the store...
Are these plant-able and eventually harvest-able? Either of them? Or any of the possible future seeds my husband may throw at me?
Is there anything special I should do with seeds straight from fruit?
Sorry for all the questions, just don't want to hold on to seeds that may be pointless to hold onto ya know?
Thanks a bunch!
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cherishedtiger
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 339
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 1:10 pm
- Location: Sacramento, California
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applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30541
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I have tried growing practically all seeds from fruits I've eaten at one time or another. My best success come from popping the fresh seeds (right out of the fruit or dried 2~3 days at the most in a pot with another indoor plant. Unlike vegetable seeds that need extra light, fruit tree seeds seem to manage OK in SE windowsill with no or only a little supplemental light.
Citruses have been pretty easy. In my experience, Apples and Pears sprout as long as the fruits have had a period of cold storage. I've described my theories on the whys elsewhere in the forum and I'll dig up the link when I have the time.
Some fruits, like apples and pears need to be cross-pollinated to fruit. That means the seeds won't grow exact same copy of the parent and the resulting fruits won't be the same.
Citrus fruits may or may not grow true. But as I said, they're pretty easy to grow from seed -- I have quite a few unlabeled seedlings growing now (I don't even know what they are since I just stick the seeds in pots and keep whatever grows up. They could be Grapefruits, Limes, Honeybell oranges, Lemons, Clementines.... I do have one small pot labeled Lemons, so hopefully that's what they are.
)
Grown from seed, it takes longer for them to grow to fruiting size -- I'm thinking at least 7 years or so, and they may need to grow to a large standard size. In my area, it's too cold for them to stay outside so I can't plant them in the ground, and without sufficient light or warmth, they may not flower. It's all just for fun for me.
I also have several seedling avocado's (they are cross pollinated so again, not likely to grow good eating fruits), and one Mango seedling (I find Mango harder to sprout -- failed 3 times). Oh, and a couple of pomegranate seedlings.
Not from seeds, but I also have two different kinds of Pineapple tops growing. One has grown 3 pups (offsets).
Outside, I have two peach or nectarine trees that sprouted from seeds and two apple seedlings that grew from seed. Two more new apple seedlings are growing inside in the same pot as a Jalapeno pepper.
Citruses have been pretty easy. In my experience, Apples and Pears sprout as long as the fruits have had a period of cold storage. I've described my theories on the whys elsewhere in the forum and I'll dig up the link when I have the time.
Some fruits, like apples and pears need to be cross-pollinated to fruit. That means the seeds won't grow exact same copy of the parent and the resulting fruits won't be the same.
Citrus fruits may or may not grow true. But as I said, they're pretty easy to grow from seed -- I have quite a few unlabeled seedlings growing now (I don't even know what they are since I just stick the seeds in pots and keep whatever grows up. They could be Grapefruits, Limes, Honeybell oranges, Lemons, Clementines.... I do have one small pot labeled Lemons, so hopefully that's what they are.
)Grown from seed, it takes longer for them to grow to fruiting size -- I'm thinking at least 7 years or so, and they may need to grow to a large standard size. In my area, it's too cold for them to stay outside so I can't plant them in the ground, and without sufficient light or warmth, they may not flower. It's all just for fun for me.
I also have several seedling avocado's (they are cross pollinated so again, not likely to grow good eating fruits), and one Mango seedling (I find Mango harder to sprout -- failed 3 times). Oh, and a couple of pomegranate seedlings.
Not from seeds, but I also have two different kinds of Pineapple tops growing. One has grown 3 pups (offsets).
Outside, I have two peach or nectarine trees that sprouted from seeds and two apple seedlings that grew from seed. Two more new apple seedlings are growing inside in the same pot as a Jalapeno pepper.