# How to Plant Fruit Seeds in the Fall
The seeds of fruit trees like apple, pear, crabapple, plum, cherry and peach require a period of chilling before the embryos develop into new plants. This process is called stratification. In the wild, this occurs naturally, when the fruit rots, releasing seeds that spend the winter in the ground and give rise to seedlings in the spring. If you collect the seed from a ripe fruit, you can bury it in the ground in the fall.
Things You'll Need
- Hoe
- Shovel
- Metal screen mesh
- Rocks
Instructions
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1
Harvest the ripe fruit whose seed you want to plant. Eat the fruit and save the seed.
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2
Clear an area of vegetation and debris. Loosen the ground with a shovel.
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3
Plant the fruit seed at the recommended depth. Sow apple and crabapple seeds ½ to 1 inch deep. Bury the large pits of plums and peaches 2 inches below the surface. Water the area after planting if the ground is dry. Most soils have enough winter moisture for stratification.
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4
Place a metal screen mesh over the planting area, burying its edges in the soil. Weigh down the mesh with rocks to protect the seeds from digging wildlife. Remove the mesh as soon as the plants sprout in spring.
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Next:
Garden Seeds
- How to Plant Blueberries in the Fall
- How to Get the Seed to Sprout for a Fruit Plant
- How to Plant Thyme in the Fall
- How to Plant Chia Seeds
- How to Plant Bittersweet Seeds
- How to Plant Dry Banana Passion Fruit Seeds
- How to Use Mustard Seeds From the Plant
- How to Plant Wisteria Seeds
- How to Plant Spinach Seeds
- How to Plant Spinach in a Fall Garden
- How to Plant a Fruit Tree From Seed
- How to Plant Hibiscus in the Fall
