I got some pits from my nanking cherry bushes and I was going to see
if I could germinate them. Is there anything special one needs to do
to the seeds first? How long do they take?
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The best seed for planting usually comes from fully ripe fruit. Small quantities are pleasantly extracted by eating away the flesh; larger amounts can be obtained from the refuse of processing (e.g., cider pomace). Sometimes, however the fleshy parts of the seed-bearing fruit will not be very good to eat. In this case, the ripe fruit may be crushed, piled into a heap, and allowed to ferment for several days. The seed is then separated from the pulp by washing and screening.
In handling the seed, some care must be taken to prevent loss of viability from excess drying out or rotting. The seed should be washed immediately after extraction and then dried for a few days in a shaded, well-ventilated place. Once dry, it should be stored under cool, low humidity conditions; many seed savers find a loosely covered glass jar to be an excellent storage container. When ready for sprouting or planting, the stored seed can be rehydrated by soaking overnight.
Most common types of fruits and nuts require that their seed undergo a definite amount of chilling before germination will occur; seed from fruit ripening in summer and autumn normally remains dormant until the following spring. The duriation and temparture of requisite chill will vary according to species. Two to three months of temperatures befow 40 degrees F and above freezing is typical for apple and pear. Stone fruits like peach and plum may require up to four months of chilling; almond and apricot seeds, however, have been known to break dormancy after only a single month of cool temperatures.
The stratification method of exposing seed to the required chill is known as stratification: seed is stored in a cool (32-40 degree F) place through the winter in boxes containing alternate layers of damp sand and seed. After this stratification period, the swollen or freshly sprouted seed is planted out. Many amateurs have found the household refrigerator to be an ideal place to stratify small quanitites of seed. The seed is mixed with moist sand and/or peat moss, placed inside a plastic bag, and refrigerated 'til planting time. Whatever the medthod of stratification, it is important that the seed be inspected regularly to monitor moisture levelws and determine time to plant. Seed is best planted out just as germination is beginning. In some instances, the start of stratification should be delayed to prevent premature sprouting; this is especially true under refrigeration, since the contant temperature may hasten the required accumulation of chill.
Propators living in a temperature/cold winter climate zone often take a more casual approach simply by planting outsdoors in the autumn. Seed may be started in flats or containers for later transplating, direct sown in a nursery bed, or evn planted out immediately into a well-prepared permanent site. Most fruit tree seed will do best if planted between one and two inches deep, depending on seed size and soil conditions. Acutal distance between seeds is determined in part by expected germaintion rate and vigor of growth. For rootstock production, some crowding is desirable to prevent excessive or shrubby growth; two or three inches between seds is a common interval.
While autumn planting with natural stratification enjoys the obvious advantage of simplicity, there are cetain inherent problems. Special attention will have to be paid to soil moisture levels to prevent drying out or rotting. A raised bed system coupled with a light mulch should help maintain proper moisture conditions. Weed control can also become a difficult problem in direct-sown seed beds. Perhaps the most serious drawback to autumn planting arises from the unfortuante potential for rodent damage. In many areas, a mechanical barrier such as hardware cloth is absolutely essential. Where rodents remain a persistent threat to nut and stone fruit seed, it may be best to start stratified seed in a protected area and delay transplanting until later in spring.
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