Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Posts: 4893 Location: London N21
Posted: Sun Jul 24, 11 9:11 am Post subject: Growing Cherry Plums from the stone
In spite of the council scalpings, in spite of torrential rain knocking most fruits to the ground, I've managed to pick more than a handful of cherry plums from the hedgerow opposite the house.
I've saved the stones with a view to growing some for either the back garden or the allotment.
What's the best way to get them to germinate? Do I crack the stones, chill them, or just let them be until Spring?
I had a go with greengages last year which are probably similar. Ours germinated in damp sand in the fridge and I think we got about 50% success rate in the end; the plants are looking quite healthy and substantial and they are only a few months old.
I think it might be important to keep the stones moist - we don't seem to have had any germination from the cherry plum seed we bought from the ART and treated in the same way
funny you should have posted on cherry plum seeds, I've just made a batch of jam and was thinking about sowing the pips.
I was just going to chuck them on the ground where I'd like them to grow and cover with some soil, most years I find a handful of cherry plum seedlings in the flower beds. If you'd like more pips I can save some and post them to you, the season is really only just starting round here and there's crumbles and chutney to be made!
Coincidence that!! I've been wondering the same. Scrounged the fruit from someone down the road before they cut them all down ;o(( I just chucked some through our hedgerow in the hope they'll just take off. Some I've got in pots. hadn't thought of putting them in the fridge. think I'll just leave them outside, but protected against hungry micet, to do their own thing through the winter and see what happens next spring.
Got yellow, red and really deep purply red ones. Hope they grow cos they're delish.
Hairyloon
Joined: 20 Nov 2008 Posts: 15425 Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.
Posted: Tue Jul 26, 11 4:07 pm Post subject:
Bit of a tangent, but ditto the question for cherry stones.
Oooooh, cherry plums! I haven't come across any growing wild round me. They should grow easily from fresh stones, as they're native to our country and grow wild.
Midland Spinner
Joined: 13 Jan 2009 Posts: 2931 Location: Under a green roof
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 11 8:18 am Post subject:
Make sure that you get most of the flesh off the stones before you plant them - iirc many fruits contain a growth inhibitor in the flesh that stops the seed germinating while it's still in the fruit (that way it won't germinate directly under the parent tree & out compete it).
We have cherry plums in the garden - another one self-set next to the path a few years ago (I wonder how the seed got there?), and this year we've just had the first fruits from it.
Blue Peter
Joined: 21 Mar 2005 Posts: 2400 Location: Milton Keynes
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 11 1:20 pm Post subject:
According to the Agroforestry Research Trust, it's warm startify for 4 weeks and then cold stratify for 20 weeks,
it's warm startify for 4 weeks and then cold stratify for 20 weeks
in other words,
chuck them on the ground in August/September where you want your tree, then forget about them
madcat
Joined: 24 May 2008 Posts: 1265 Location: worcester
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 11 10:17 pm Post subject:
the wretched things appear all over our garden and Iam so fed up of them that the tree by the gate is in for a severe haircut very soon.I think they taste natsy and they make a mess splattered all over the path and the drive and the road
madcat, you could contact Transition Worcester and ask if anyone wants to come and collect them before they rot? should be right up some transitioner's street - collecting free unwanted food....
madcat
Joined: 24 May 2008 Posts: 1265 Location: worcester
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 11 4:33 pm Post subject:
They have gone over now but next year they will be in reach because I will have pruned.May follow that up on any crab apple surplus.I did manage to inflict a lot of the horrid things and a jam jar mountain on my neighbour
The taste of them does vary. I have sowed one in a pot from a particularly good flavoured tree, so hope it works. If not, will have to try to take a cutting as it is definately worth cultivating.
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