peach seeds

[speedster7926]

when I buy a peach from the store am I able to plant it. I have only blueberry bushes, and 1 persimmon tree and some wild grapes but no actual fruit trees am I able to do that w/ peaches and other fruit or do I need to buy the trees.

[rainbowgardener]

In the areas where peach trees grow, you can grow them from pits. But the pits need cold stratification first, meaning you plant them in the fall, and then let them go through the winter or you put them in moist potting mix in a zip lock bag and keep it in the frig for a couple months.

Therein lies the rub! You aren't really in a peach tree growing area, because they need some cold winter dormancy. Peach trees are generally grown in zones 5-8. You would either be in zone 9 or 10 depending on where in Florida.

So you probably can't grow peach trees from grocery store pits. It would sprout okay if you treated it as above and grow for the first year, but after it went through the first winter of non-dormancy it would most likely fade out and die.

If you care enough about it, there are peach varieties that have been bred to be adapted to need less chilling:

Florida is well-known for its superior citrus trees and plump sweet strawberries, but did you know delectable juicy peaches can also be grown in the central part of the state? Varieties that have been specifically bred so they will flourish and survive in the Florida climate include the Florida King Peach and Florida Prince. Both are low-chill varieties, requiring a shorter cold period of time and will produce an abundance of sweet aromatic fruit in early June.

But you would have to buy these as trees from a reputable local nursery that knows what varieties they have.

Or grow something like oranges and pomegranates that likes your climate!