Fruit seeds
Growing a plant from a stone or a pip is a simple and cheap way to begin. Here you will find fruit seeds of many species — from apple, pear and stone fruit to citrus and melons, all the way to exotic species. The species differ in sowing and germination needs, for example cold stratification for temperate-zone fruit or warmth for tropical species.
Fruit seeds
Getting your own plant from a seed taken out of the fruit is one of the simplest and cheapest ways to grow and a popular pastime for children and adults alike. Fruit seeds include seed of common and less usual species and suit experiments, growing rootstocks and ornamental plants for home and garden.
The range covers several groups. Temperate-zone fruit such as apple, pear, cherry or plum is often sown for rootstocks and experiments. Citrus and heat-loving species, for example lemon, melon or grapevine, need more warmth and suit the home or greenhouse better. Exotic fruit is not missing either, forming interesting houseplants from stones and pips.
Germination differs from species to species. Seeds of temperate-zone fruit usually need cold stratification — a few weeks moist in the cold, which stands in for winter. Tropical species and citrus, by contrast, need warmth around 25 °C and steady moisture. Hard stones are best soaked before sowing, or the coat lightly nicked, and the sown seed is kept in a moist, free-draining substrate.
When choosing, think about whether you want the plant for fruit, as an ornamental or as a rootstock to graft onto. Reckon that the seedling need not bear the same fruit as the variety the seed comes from and that several years can pass between sowing and the first fruit. Give young plants a bright spot and careful watering.