Fruit tree and shrub seeds
Growing a fruit tree from seed is a cheap and interesting way to get a rootstock or try something new. Here you will find fruit tree and shrub seeds — from apple, pear and stone fruit like cherry or peach to soft fruit and shrubs. With many species you have to reckon with cold stratification and with the fact that the seedling need not match the variety the seed comes from.
Fruit tree and shrub seeds
Fruit trees and shrubs can also be grown from seed, even though this is a longer and less certain route than grafting or buying a plant. Fruit tree and shrub seeds suit growing rootstocks, experiments and the pleasure of following a plant from the very start. Good to know: a tree grown from seed usually does not bear the same fruit as the variety the seed comes from.
The range includes various groups. Pome and stone fruit such as apple, pear, cherry, peach or plum are among the most commonly sown and often serve as rootstock for later grafting. Soft fruit and shrubs, for example currant, gooseberry or less usual species, add smaller plants to the range that also suit containers. Heat-loving species such as fig or grapevine also appear.
Germination differs from species to species. Seeds of temperate-zone fruit trees usually need cold stratification — a few weeks moist in the cold, which stands in for winter and breaks dormancy. Hard stones are best soaked before sowing, or the coat lightly nicked. Sow into a free-draining substrate and keep steady moisture.
When choosing, think about whether you want a tree for fruit or a rootstock to graft onto and how much space you have. Reckon on several years between sowing and the first fruit. Give young plants a bright spot, free-draining soil and careful watering so the roots do not sit wet.