Many in childhood tried to plant a bone from a fetus they liked. At that time, it was a naive hobby, and the final result was of little interest to the child. Adults also plant seeds of rare and liked varieties, the fruits of which accidentally came to them.

Is it possible to grow a plum from a stone and will it bear fruit

The answer to this question is unequivocal: a plum can be grown from seed. To do this, you will have to make a lot of efforts to care for the crop, but the end result can exceed all expectations or at least repeat the qualities of the mother plant.

Did you know? Plum bones contain amygladine glycoside. This compound is capable of decomposition to form hydrocyanic acid, which is a strong cyanide. It is not worth using raw plum seed grain for food, and preservation from whole plums must be used during the winter months.

All operations necessary for growing seedlings from seeds are described in this article. You can grow an adult plum even by purchasing several fruits you like in a store or on the market.

The preparatory phase for landing at home

Landing at home does not require special knowledge, it takes only some effort and selection of quality material.

Seed collection

It is better to collect seeds from the garden in the spring, when the seeds from the ripened autumn fruits that fell to the ground separated from the pulp and survived the winter season on the soil surface. Thus, they underwent natural stratification and are ready for conditions of rapid growth. These bones when planting in the ground will soon open and release a sprout.

The seeds of plums are prepared for planting in the following way:

• clean all the flesh from the fruit;
• bones are dried in the sun or in another warm place (attic, attic, etc.);
• the shell is gently crushed with a nut cracker or pliers;
• grains are placed in water for 1-2 hours;
• sunken seeds are selected for germination, the rest are rejected.

Seed germination

The selected seeds pass another test for germination - the so-called cold germination. This operation tempers future germs and allows one more stage of rejection of the material.

Important! While in the refrigerator, the substrate needs to be moistened approximately once a month.

Stratification is carried out no later than the beginning of November according to this instruction:

• the container (sudok, trough or just a bag) is filled with moistened compost;
• the obtained plum seeds are laid in the ground and lightly sprinkled with soil;
• a container with seeds is placed in a freezer with a temperature of +2 ... + 4 ° С for 5-6 months.

Soil preparation

The soil for planting the sprouted seed should imitate its future real place for growth. Ideally, you need to take the soil from the garden, slightly improving it with humus (10 to 1). The earth in the pot must be moistened all the time, and at the bottom a drainage layer of expanded clay is prepared.

For transplanting seeds frozen in the refrigerator, pots of up to three liters are used.

Growing and caring for seeds

Caring for plum cuttings is no different from growing young indoor plants. It is necessary to water the seedling on time, provide it with proper lighting and check the leaves for drying out and the appearance of aphids or powdery mildew.Young plants will strengthen well if they are hardened by exposing the pots to fresh air in the warm time of the day. At the same time, they need to be placed in the morning in the sun, and by lunchtime in shaded places without drafts.

Important! When placing pots on the street, it must be taken into account that pets may become interested in tender vegetation and destroy it.

Transplanting a sprouted seedling into the ground

To grow a tree from the received seedlings will help both the correct location on the site, and the fulfillment of all the "whims" of the plant.

When and where to plant

After the young seedling spends the summer in an indoor and outdoor pot, it is necessary to transplant it into the open ground.Usually this is done in early November, when the plant has a couple of weeks to take root and prepare for its first winter.

Site selection for a young seedling is important. It should be a bright place, with the possibility of temporary shading. It is necessary that at some distance (about 10 meters) adult plums grow. In this case, cross-pollination can occur - insects will pay attention to young bushes with their first flowers.

Landing pit requirements

The landing pit, despite the small size of the seedling, must have a volume sufficient for its proper planting. The normal size of the pit is 60 cm in depth and up to 1 meter in diameter. From the walls of the pit, trimming of the roots of neighboring trees or weeds should not stick out, and the plant will perceive the soft and rather loose soil with responsiveness.It is better to prepare a landing site a few days before the planned transplant, so that the soil is laid down and structured. 30 cm away from the middle of the pit, you need to drive a stake, to which the future plant will be tied.

Transplant technology

Transplanting a seedling into the soil is carried out according to the following step-by-step scheme:

• The soil dug during the preparation of the pit is mixed with humus in a proportion of 10 to 1;
• the resulting mixture is placed in a pit;
• in the middle of the landing site they make a notch under a clod of earth;
• the plant is transplanted with a lump of earth from the pot into the prepared place;
• the soil surface around the trunk is carefully tamped;
• the seedling is watered and tied to a pre-driven stake.

Features of further care of seedlings

After planting, the seedling needs to be helped to survive its first winter. To do this, near the trunk, the soil is mulched with straw (up to 30 cm) and covered with agrofabric until spring. During the first two years of life, a young tree does not need to be fed, as it takes fertilizers laid in the ground when planting.

The soil near the trunk is maintained in a loose state, removing all weeds.

Watering is carried out as necessary so that the part of the soil located near the surface does not dry out. Water is introduced to a depth of 40 cm away from the stem, but under the perimeter of the crown. For the youngest plants, it is useful to make a hole for irrigation with a radius of 30–40 cm.In winter, rodents in search of food can simply destroy a young tree. To prevent this, it is necessary to wrap the barrel with a special mesh. An alternative method is even better - a garter to the trunk of coniferous spruce branches.

Did you know? Among the Chinese, plum is a symbol of winter, and its five petals signify peace, joy, luck, longevity and prosperity.

The branches of spruce, fir or pine are hung upside down to the trunk and do not allow animals to feast on a tender seedling.It is also well repelled by fluffy pests by treating the trunks with a mixture of clay and mullein in equal proportions, which for a long time retains its unpleasant repulsive smell.

A pick of trees can begin from the age of two, when they are sufficiently rooted and strengthened. Pruning is aimed at healing and rejuvenation. All shoots directed inside the crown, and too thick lateral processes must be removed.

After how many years will the plum from the seed bear fruit

The fruiting of a plum grown from seed occurs in the 5-7th year. It depends on growing conditions and plant variety.

Not always the gardener will receive a quality tree with varietal characteristics, since a wild bird with sour fruits may well grow out of the seed. This process is extremely difficult to predict, much less regulate.Even with the best quality care, the properties of the resulting culture may turn out to be wild-growing.

Plum cultivation from seed is largely experimental. You can get great pleasure from observing and being present during the development of a plant at all stages of its growth, but without juicy sweet fruits.

With this method of cultivating the crop, you need to carefully monitor the vagaries of the plum, and you may be able to get a quality tree.