Fruits are gifts of heaven to the earth. Among many fruit plants, The Peach (Prunus Persica) is a beautiful and eye-catching Plant that belongs to the family rosacea. It grows in warmer temperate regions. One of the reasons to plant a peach seed is the beauty of its fruits which are red-pinkish in color.
Peaches are consumed directly as fruit as they are rich in vitamin A. These are also used in baking products like pies, jams, juices, and tarts.
Due to the increase in pollution and toxicity in agricultural products nowadays, home gardening has become necessary.
In this blog, you will be able to know how to germinate a Peach fruit from seed successfully. You can be able to grow a peach tree that will produce beautiful and healthy fruit in your own home.
How amazing is that?
Sprouting Peach Seeds
To perform peach seed germination successfully, you will have to follow this step-by-step guide:
How to obtain a Peach Seed?
You might be wondering how to start this process. First of all, you will have to obtain the seed. A very simple and basic method to obtain the Peach Seed is to collect it when you are eating this fruit.
The seed you collected after eating should be clean of any dust or dirt. This will help in proper seed germination. It is scientifically proven that dirt can clog seed germination.
Another method to obtain the seed is to buy it online or from a plant nursery.
You should be careful of the following things while choosing a Peach Seed Pit:
- Make sure to get the best variety of Peach seeds as there are several varieties available in the market.
- There might be a chance that you will obtain the Peachtree variety different from the seed you germinated.
- Avoid the hybrid varieties. These varieties will not germinate properly.
- Choose the Peach Seed variety according to your regional climate. Make sure that the variety you are going to sow is capable of growing in your area’s temperature or not.
How to Prepare the Peach Seed for germination?
Once you collect or obtain the Peach Seeds, you have to prepare the seed for germination. There are several steps involved to germinate a peach seed. We will discuss them stepwise:
Cleaning the Peach Seed Pit:
After you collected the Pit, now you have to clean it. You can clean the seed pit by simply scrubbing it with a brush. Make sure to scrub it gently. This will remove any kind of dirt and fruit fibers from the seed pit.
Washing the Peach Seed pit:
To make sure that the seed is entirely clean, now wash or rinse it in cold water. Another method is to soak it in the Sodium Hypochlorite Solution which is also known as Bleach Solution. This will remove any possible remaining dirt.
Drying and preserving the Peach Seed pit:
After rinsing the seed pit, you will have to dry it before germinating. There are several methods to dry the seed.
- By keeping the Peach Seed pit for one or two days:
The best method to dry the seed pit is to keep it for some days. It will completely dry off after that period.
- Air drying Peach Seed Pit:
You can dry the seed by air. This will help in seed germination.
- Preserve it with a fungicide
You can preserve the Peach Seed with a fungicide. It will prevent the attack of mold.
Cold Treatment or Cold Stratification:
Cold Stratification is a process in which cold treatment is given to seeds in order to stimulate their natural condition. This treatment helps most of the seeds in growing.
Many Seeds remain dormant in normal conditions. In order to break their dormancy, Cold Stratification is important.
Peach Seeds need Cold Treatment for about 4 months before germination. Make sure to keep the temperature between 35-50 F◦. it will induce the germination of Peach Seeds.
Process of Cold Stratification of Peach Seed:
Following is the process of cold stratification of Peach Seeds:
- Put some soil in a pot.
- Soak it with water.
- Add your seed to the soil
- Now mix the soil and the seed.
- Take some soil/seed mixture in your hand.
- Put this mixture in a plastic bag and close it.
- Place it in the refrigerator for a time period.
- After that period, check if the pit is germinated or not.
- If the Seed pit develops a root of half an inch, plant it in the soil.
Precaution:
Make sure to keep the Peach Seeds away from the fruits which release ethylene gas, as it may hinder its germination.
How to Plant the Peach Seed?
You can plant the seed in two ways:
Planting Whole Seed Pit of Peach:
You can plant the whole Seed Pit of Peach in a Pot of Soil. The addition of Organic Matter to soil is a preferable choice to germinate Peach Seed the best way. Other preferable mediums are sphagnum moss or vermiculite Peach Seed Germination.
Extracting the Kernel from Peach Seed Pit:
Another choice for planting Peach Seeds is to crack the Seed Pit and remove its kernel. This is a fast-growing method for the Peach Seed. You can crack the Peach Seed pit with a Hammer. Make sure to not crack it so harshly. It will affect the internal kernel.
After Cold Stratification, the leaves of Peach Seed will be developed. Draw out that Peach Plant carefully. Now, it is time to plant the Peach-tree.
You have to follow these steps to plant a Peach Tree:
Proper weather for Peach Tree Plantation:
You must have to plant the Peach Tree in proper weather conditions. The perfect condition for the Peach Tree to grow is in the winter season. It will break its dormancy.
Location for Peach Tree Plantation:
You should choose the planting area which can provide proper sunlight to the Peach Tree. The soil in which you are going to plant the Peach Seed must have a basic PH (of 6-7).
Drainage of soil is very important. You can also plant the Peach Seed in a container with fertile soil.
Proper Hole for Peach Tree:
You should dig a proper hole in the Soil for the Peach Tree. The hole should be a few inches deep and wide.
Placing the Peach in the Hole:
Now, you can place the Peach Tree in the hole. Put the Peach Tree in the hole in a way that its root should not be damaged. Handle it carefully. There should be a proper space for the new roots to prosper. Now, fill the half hole with Soil carefully around the roots.
Water the Peach Tree
The next step is to fill that hole with water. After the water drains completely, check for any soil adjustment and when it’s done, fill the remaining hole with soil.
Use of Organic Matter/Manure:
For Peach Plant nourishment, you should spread the organic manure around the root zone of the Peach Tree. This will help in absorbing moisture and growth.
How to take care of your Peach Plant/Tree?
You can take care of your Peach Tree by following the steps:
Pruning Peach Tree:
Once your Peach Tree is grown up, you should prune the side branches and cut the top of the tree. It is helpful in the healthy growth of the Peach Tree. It will increase the production of the fruit.
Jon Munday, of Blackmoor Nurseries, said;
“For stone fruits – cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots – pruning should be left until the sap starts to rise (usually around mid-March),”
You should prune your Peach Plant in early summer during its three early years. Maintain the shape of the Peach Plant by proper pruning.
Water your Peach Tree daily:
You should water your Peach Tree on a daily basis. The soil must be evenly moist. The amount of water should be excessive.
Use of fertilizer
Use fertilizers that are not very harmful to the Peach Plant. The fertilizer will increase fruit production. It will also help in the Peach Plant’s growth.
Remove the small Peaches:
After 2 or 3 years, when the Peach Tree is blooming, remove the smaller Peaches. Let the bigger Peaches take all the nutrients and bloom more fully.
Use of Pesticides:
During the growth of the Peach Plant, take care of its health. You should use Pesticides and insecticides to prevent diseases caused by pests and insects. The control of pests will help you increase the quality and amount of Peach fruit.
How to Harvest the Peach Tree?
It depends on the regional temperature when the Peach Tree will blossom. In most cases, it blossoms in the spring. Its harvesting can be done in early or mid-summer. It is a fact that not all the peaches ripened at the same time. So, you should check all the fruit while harvesting. Handle the Peach fruit gently.
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References
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/plant-peach-seed-grocery-store-57929.html
