AboutTom Alonzo Expertise I have been growing plants from seeds for at least 20 years. I have grown literally hundreds of different kinds of vegetables, trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, tropicals, some cacti, water plants, iris, rose, lilies, cannas, etc. I enjoy starting from seed.
Experience I've been growing my own seeds for 20 years with indoor propagation equipment I built myself. I am also an Allexperts volunteer on the perennial forum. I have completed the Master Gardener course through the Kansas State University Extension. I have experience with a wide variety of seeds and I have also read through Norm Deno's books on seed germination.
Question QUESTION: I bought several black cherries at Winn Dixie this summer. I planted some of the seeds and they actually germinated to my surprise. They look nothing like a tree though. They look more like a vine such as watermelon or cantaloupe with the little fingers that grab onto limbs, brackets, etc. in a garden. Is that how very a young cherry trees look? What are the odds that these seeds will actually produce a cherry worth eating? I would love to email you a picture of them to see what they look like. My email address is if you want to reply. Can you suggest the best way to plant these cherry trees? I’ve read all kind of methods of putting the seeds in the freezer for a while or in the refrigerator. What do you suggest? Lastly, if you think these seeds will not produce a good fruit, where online do you think I can buy cherry trees?
Thanks a lot
Frank
ANSWER: Hi Frank,
Thanx for your question. Black cherry seedlings should not look like vines. You may have had some other seeds mixed in the soil possibly? Can you attach a picture of them to your response to this message? Seedlings should stand upright. Here is a picture of a black cherry seedling. http://www.theforester.com/graphics/b_cherry_seedling2.jpg
If your seedling doesn't look like this then something else was in the soil and sprouted. Black cherry seeds require a cold period in order to break dormancy and germinate. About 90 days should be sufficient. This can either be done naturally by planting seeds 1/2 inch deep in a pot and leave the pot outdoors if you have consistent winter temperatures below 40°F/5°C or you can place the seeds in a damp paper towel, place inside a plastic baggie and seal it. Place inside the fridge for 90 days.
The trouble with using seeds from fruit brought from the floor are almost always seeds from a fruit of a hybrid tree. The resulting trees and fruit will not resemble the parent plants/fruits and will most likely be inferior although that does not mean they won't be edible or acceptable.
Rather than go to all this trouble, local nurseries are your best bet for getting high quality fruit trees. You can often find them on sale in late spring and there are numerous varieties from which to choose. Miller, Stark, Henry Field, Gurney are all reputable companies with whom I have dealt and there are other companies that deal with farmers and other agricultural professionals on a wholesale basis.
I hope this helps.
Tom
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks a lot Tom. The picture you provided me looks nothing like what I have. I thought that maybe the pots got some other seeds in it but Tom I planted them in three different pots and they all looked the same. I've attached a picture of them. The plants are about 1.5 months old. What do you think?
ANSWER: Hi Frank,
Thanx for the pic. You have a watermelon plant growing in the container. Must have gotten mixed in or maybe a bird dropped it (if it was outside?). Anyway, I hope this helps.
Tom
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I closed out this question and answer series but I had some another questions.
Tom, I did grow watermelons and also cantaloupes this summer in my garden. But I just don't understand how this could have happened in three different pots that I planted cherry seeds in and NOT in other pots that I planted other seeds in such as orange, nectarines, muscadines, plums and other fruit seeds. These fruit seeds while they haven’t germinated don’t have the watermelon seeds germinating in them. Do you think this could have been a weird circumstance that it happened to the ones that I planted the cherry seeds in?
I’ve got another question Tom. I have about ten or fifteen cherry seeds left that I put in my refrigerator with a damp paper towel about a month ago. I know I most probably won’t grow a cherry tree that produces cherries that taste any good but I just enjoy planting seeds and watching them grow. Call me crazy ha-ha. In your previous answer you suggested that I keep them cold for three months. After three months what should I do - plant them a half inch deep in soil and watch them grow or do you think I should wait until the last frost to plant them?
My third question: I saved most of the fruit seeds that I have eaten and I planted the seeds in pots but none of them have germinated. For fruit seeds is it across the board that the seeds should be kept cold for 90 days or is that just for cherry seeds? If not, how would you suggest I plant muscadines, plum, tangerines, orange, and nectarines, etc. seeds?
My last question is totally different. I searched online yesterday and found a website that sales seeds for the following tropical plants:
Travelers Palm
Sausage Tree
Bottle Palm
Silk Cotton Tree
Dragon Tree
Monkey Pod Tree
Kiwi
Being that I live in zone 8 or 9 in South Georgia, do you think I have any chance of having these seeds actually germinate and grow where I live?
Thank you very much Tom. You are a great help with your professional opinion!
Frank
Answer Hi Frank,
Thanx for the followup. Somehow, a watermelon seed got into the pot in which you planted your cherries. Oftentimes, not all seeds will germinate and then later on something stimulates the seeds and they germinate. Who knows? I have had castor beans come up in the mid summer around plants I had in the back yard that I did not get all the seeds off and I live in a climate where winters can get very cold.
I don't think you're crazy for enjoying growing seeds. I've grown fruit trees from seed before, knowing full well that they are hybrids and the results won't be the same. If I led you or anyone else to believe that this is not a worthwhile project, I apologize I just want to make sure that those who embark on this adventure know what they are getting into. The resulting plant may not be what the hybrid was and the fruit may be different but it doesn't mean the fruit won't be edible or tasty for that matter. Most deciduous trees that produce fruit in temperate climates, need 60-90 days of cold period to break dormancy. After you have cold-treated your seeds, plant them 1/2 inch deep in a pot and keep warm (about 75°F/24°C) and germination will occur in a couple weeks. Keep the seedlings under lights (40-watt shop lights) until they are ready to be moved outdoors after the last frost. Put the seedlings in the shade for about 10 days to get them acclimated to the outdoors and then plant in full sun.
Citrus and most tropical seeds do not require a cold period. Just clear all the fruit pulp off of the seeds and plant. Muscadines require that you gently nick the seed or rub on some sand paper to pierce the tough outer coating and then place inside the damp paper towel and cold treat as instructed for 120 days.
All the plant types you have listed in question 3 will germinate successfully indoors, or, outside during your spring and summer months.
Traveler's Palm - Ravenala madagascarensis is hardy to Zones 10/11 (South Florida) and will probably not survive or do well in South Georgia. The seeds could be started and the palm would have to be brought indoors or into a cool greenhouse for the winter. http://www.floridata.com/ref/R/rave_mad.cfm
Sausage Tree - Kigelia africana - Zone 10 - probably will not survive in South Georgia or will do poorly. Better as a potted plant to be brought in during the cold periods. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kigelia
Silk Cotton Tree - Ceiba pentandra - Zone 9b-11 - this tree may survive in your climate once it is 3 or 4 years old and protected the first few years during the cold months. http://www.tropilab.com/ceiba-pen.html
){kind=link}