how to make pear seeds sprout?

[A Happy Seedling]

I put pear seeds in plastic cup, filled with water, left in fridge for 4 days, took out, planted in all-purpose potting soil, and watered every day. They have been in the ground since the 26th. How do I make them sprout, and is there anything wrong with them? From my experience apple seeds sprout rather quickly after doing this to them.

[applestar]

Was the pear previously refrigerated? I believe both apple and pear seeds need a period of cold stratification (winter). Apples that have been in storage for a while yield good sprouting seeds -- sometimes they are already sprouting inside the apple by late winter to next spring.

Most tree seeds from store bought fruits I've tried have taken 3-6 weeks to sprout.

[tomc]

The only true exception to winter dormancy in deciduous trees is-are castenea (chestnut & chinkapin). Everything else does better with a winters slumber in a pot out of doors in the cold-wet-and-rain.

So if your pear seed gets some cold stratification (like something more than 30 days outdoors) it should wake up in the spring.

*If* apple pear quince rose get some cold damp storage by another way they "might" germinate, they might just sit there and sulk.

Mike Dirr talks about seed inhibitors in his Manual of Woody Landscape Plants.

[A Happy Seedling]

They sprouted. Thanks!!

[A Happy Seedling]

My thread about the resulting seedlings is Pear Seedlings, if you want to read about them