How to Grow Plum Trees from Plum Pits

Start a plum tree, and you may have fruit within 3 to 5 years.

Growing your own plum tree from a plum pit is a fun project for the whole family. The process is easy and can be started anytime. Germinating several plum pits is best, as not all pits will grow into plum trees. The tree may produce plums in three to five years. Many plums have pits that will not grow into trees since they are hybrid plums. If a tree does grow and it produces fruit, the fruit will not be exactly like the plum it came from.

Things You'll Need

• Plum pit
• Refrigerator
• Moist soil
• Plastic bags
• Fertilizer

Instructions

1. Wash and scrub the plum pit under tap water and dry overnight. This removes all the fleshy material from the pit. Mold can occur if fruit remains.

2. Store the dried pit in a plastic bag in your refrigerator. The pit should be nearly dry to avoid mold, though condensation in the bag is essential. Store the bag until midwinter.

3. Remove the plum pit from the refrigerator and soak it in water for three to five hours. Place the pit in slightly moistened soil, within a plastic bag. Fertilizer at this stage is not necessary. Return to the refrigerator. Rooting should begin in four to six weeks.

4. Plant the rooting pit indoors once the root is at least a half inch long. Once the chance of frost has passed, you can plant outdoors. Plant the plum pit 4 inches deep in moist soil in a sunny location, using a basic fertilizer. The position of the plum pit will not matter. You should see the sprout by late spring.

5. Consider buying some bare root plum trees as a backup. This is a great idea if you are doing this as a learning project for smaller children. If the plum pits fail to grow, you will have a small, bare root plum tree you can plant instead. Bare root trees are easily ordered online, shipped to you when they should be planted, and are far less expensive than buying them from an orchard.

Tips & Warnings

• Try several plum pits at once.

• Try pits from different plums.

• Plant near other fruit trees, and start your own miniorchard.

• Do not overwater the pit in the refrigerator.

• Squirrels like to eat these, so be on the lookout.

References

• Penn State Department of Horticulture; Growing New Fruit Tree Plants From Seed; Robert M. Crassweller
• University of Wisconsin: The Learning Store: rowing Apricots, Cherries, Peaches and Plums in Wisconsin; Teryl R. Roper, et al.