2 questions-plum and apple tree

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ves522 Jim Falls, WI(Zone 4a) Aug 31, 2006

For fun I saved my stanley plum seeds off our tree. Do they need a cool period before or after they are planted?

I noticed by the big old apple tree there are shoots coming up. Can they be dug up like lilacs and replanted? This tree is at least 60 yrs old and it's getting in pretty rough shape. the middle is rotted out. Some day we will lose it in a storm.

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Yuska San Antonio, TX(Zone 8b) Sep 03, 2006

Not quite sure what you mean by cool period - are you asking if they need to be chilled in refrigeration? Might not hurt - hard-shelled seeds that sprout in a natural environment often do so after spending the wintertime inground. Water and nutrients need to reach the embryo inside the hard shell before sprouting can occur. Freezing may help open the shell.

If the apple tree is on its own roots - i.e. not grafted - the sprouts should come true to form. Transplanting can be a bit iffy; getting enough of the supporting carrier root to sustain the transplanted sprout is tricky. Might be a good idea to leave one or two of the stronger sprouts in place.

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ves522 Jim Falls, WI(Zone 4a) Sep 04, 2006

Yuska- Thank you! That's the info I was needing.I'll try freezing a few plum seeds this winter and see what happens. I've never tried anything like this before.

Have to go out tomorrow and check the sprouts. Do you know when they started using grafted trees?

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tropicalaria Tri-Cities, WA(Zone 7b) Sep 06, 2006

Apple trees are highly variable. You never know what will grow from an apple seed. Grafting apples, on the other hand, is easy. Apples have been routinely grafted in the US since the 1800s. It is unlikely that yours was grown from seed.

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