Growing Plum Trees From Pits

I hate throwing anything away that has a good use, but I may have outdone myself this time. We had some really good plums for the first time from a new tree this year. I juiced a lot of them and then cut some up to dry. They dried beautifully! We're looking forward to some plum bread.

But I looked at all those pretty little pits and wondered what could be done with them. After all, each one is a living seed. I found a large flower pot that had once held petunias, and spread the pits from one side to another. Then I covered them with rich compost and watered them well. I left them outside so they could get the benefit of winter freezing (seed specialists call this scarifying).

In the spring, they will sprout, and I will transplant each into a large styrofoam cup. I'm saving them now. My husband, the gardener, says they should be two years old before I try to sell them. That gives me plenty of time to prepare for one super yard sale.

A year from August, there will be jams and jellies, pies, crafts and aloe vera plants to go with my little plum trees. I should be able to ask $1.50 or $2.00 for each tree, depending on how they look. I'm so excited!

By coreenhart

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Growing Plum Trees From Pits

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By 02/21/2012

Just to be clear, it isn't illegal to raise and sell the seedlings.

By 02/21/2012

Some things to keep in mind:
1) Most fruit is not true to seed - your buyers will not necessarily be getting exactly the same wonderful fruit you did. To get the same fruit, you would need to graft cuttings from your tree onto your seedlings. Many named varieties of fruit are protected by patent, making it illegal to graft and sell without permits.

2) Lynda is right. Some types of plums require 2 different trees to produce fruit. Oriental or California plums are like this. Italian (prune) and European plums (like Green Gage), not so much so. So sell the trees in pairs.

3) Your tree may be grafted on to dwarf rootstock, keeping it a nice size - I don't know what you planted. But your seedlings will all grow full size.

4) It will be a number of years before your seedlings bear fruit. Your buyers will need patience.

By Lynda (Guest Post) 11/13/2006

I do so hope that each person who buys one will buy TWO, instead, since the plum tree-from-seed that I planted has never blossomed or fruited after four years and likely needs a pollinating mate of a similar variety. Either that or more sun? It is FULL of healthy reddish leaves, but NEVER does anything more. It's a Calif. Black Plum growing but not fruiting in TEXAS. : (

By 11/10/2006

Wow, are you ever a thrifty person! I hope you have great luck making and selling all your food! Thanks for posting!