How To Prepare Peach Seeds For Planting

Peach fruits contain a large stone pit in the center. And inside of that pointy, bumpy, and rocky pit is a peach seed. That seed can be extracted from the pit and planted to become a brand new peach tree. It's important to note that the resulting peach tree (​Prunus persica​, USDA zones 5-9) will not be identical to the parent tree that the fruit came from, and the fruits likely will also be different in quantity and quality, because peach trees are grafted. Before you can plant the peach seed you must extract it from the pit and prepare it.

To get started remove the fleshy fruit from the pit. This can easily be done by cutting away the fruit with a knife, or just eating it. Once that's done, rinse the pit under running water until it doesn't feel slippery or sticky anymore.

Dry the pit with a cloth or paper towel, and then lay it in a dry location with good air circulation like a window sill. Allow it to dry out for at least three to four days. The pit has to be completely dry so that you can crack it open.

Once the peach pit is nice and dry, place it between a pair of pliers and press down on the handles with firm force until you feel the peach pit crack. Don't put too much force once you hear it cracking so that you don't break the peach seed inside. Pull away the cracked pit to reveal the inner peach seed, which is white and looks a lot like an almond.

Place the seed into a plastic storage bag and seal the top of the bag halfway. Put the bag into a refrigerator and leave it there until you are ready to begin the germination process. You can also store the seeds in a room temperature location that is out of direct sunlight.

Remove the bag from the refrigerator and fill it with about 1 inch of water. Close the bag up tightly and allow the seed to soak in the water for 2 to 3 hours. Open the bag and add an all-purpose potting soil to the water until the soil is damp but not soggy. If the mixture is still too wet and looks like mud, add more soil and then seal the bag up tightly.

Place the bag back into a refrigerator that has a temperature of between 34 and 42 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave it there for five or six weeks and then check it daily to see if it's sprouting. When a seed is finally sprouting, remove the bag from the refrigerator and sow the peach seed as desired in a pot or outdoors.