How to Start Peach Trees From Seed

Overview

You can start a peach tree from seeds obtained from a local tree, fresh peaches from your grocery store, or you can purchase them from seed companies. Before you start, check your area's hardiness zone to see if a peach tree will grow in your region. To set fruit, most types of peach trees need a certain number of hours of exposure to cold temperatures, known as chill hours. Peaches are usually grown in zones 5 through 9.

Starting Your Peach Seeds

Step 1

Get some peach pits. Remove each seed from within the hard outer shell of the peach pit using a nut cracker. Ensure that the seeds are fresh and undamaged or diseased.

Step 2

Plant seeds in the fall if the temperature in your area drops below 40 degrees F for at least 100 days. Plant the peach seeds directly in the ground, 2 inches deep in fertile, well-drained soil.

Step 3

To plant in the spring or indoors, place your seeds about 1 inch deep in a container filled with equal amounts of peat moss and sand mixed together. Cover and refrigerate them for 98 to 105 days. Keep the soil moist to encourage germination.

Step 4

Watch for the seeds to sprout. Water them regularly to keep the soil moist, but not wet.

Step 5

Replant the indoor seedlings in larger pots once they have reached 4 to 6 inches, or plant them outside in fertile, well-drained soil.