Singing songs about the sweet orchard idyll. A plum tree seduces with juicy fruits in summer. The fruit harvest becomes an experience for the whole family. We give recommendations for growing your own tree.
How do I grow a plum tree from a seed?
To grow a plum tree yourself, remove the core from a ripe plum, crack the peel, store the core in the freezer and cover it with soil. Cold storage for approx. 8 weeks is necessary before the seedling continues to grow at room temperature.
Getting started
After enjoying a ripe plum, remove the stone core. The shell can be opened with a hammer. Store the core in the freezer for about 3 to 4 days. This makes cracking easier. With the help of an exposed core, the plant germinates faster.
Cover the plum core with about two centimeters of soil. A small flower pot is sufficient for cultivation. A mixture of potting soil and soil in a 50:50 ratio is suitable as a substrate. The latter comes from the future location.
Cold storage
Plums are cold germinators. You need consistently low temperatures for around eight weeks.
- Temperature: 4.5 to 10 degrees Celsius
- The ideal temperature is 4.5 to 5.5 degrees Celsius over a longer period of time.
- Winter: place protected from the wind in the garden
- Summer: Store the flower pot in the refrigerator for one to two weeks.
- Alternatively, three to five layers of damp kitchen paper are suitable for germination. In this way you ensure winter conditions. Regular checking of the seeds is recommended. As soon as the first seedlings appear, they thrive in the flower pot at room temperature.
Strong seedling
If you put the seeds in the ground in winter, a small seedling will stick its head through the ground in early spring. It requires constantly moist soil and lots of light. After the last frost, the plant is moved to its future location in the garden.
Harvest your own fruits
Home-grown plum trees delight with a rich harvest when they are grafted. You need a lot of patience for this. The first fruits take five to ten years to appear.
Tips & Tricks
The core of an old, robust plum variety or from organic gardening is suitable for cultivation. If the mother plant is not refined, plum trees can be grown from shoots.
