Hackbridge in Wolverhampton - hello!!

[Hackbridge]

Hi I'm Brian, currently living in Wolverhampton.

I am keen on growing fruit for my wife as she has a small business making and selling jam and stuff.

I have seeds for damsons, raspberries, red currants, strawberries, blueberries, and some for plums (and possibly others). Sloe berries.

Why? because I want the challenge of growing something that to be honest I have never done, and these seeds are coming from fruit we have eaten.

We have brought fruit from a wholesaler but there was an experience we don't want again.

For me it's either seeds or cuttings but I would love to see seeds growing from the beginning. Yes I know it's going to take a good couple of years but it will be worthwhile.

Point me in the right direction please, I'm in this for the long haul.

Thanks very much.

Brian
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[Jay-ell]

Hi Brian and welcome to the vine.

Growing new fruit plants from shop bought fruit stones is an idiotic madcap idea - looks like you've going to fit in well here
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...nge_85744.html

Those trees could turn out MASSIVE so hope you have a suitable large garden.

[Lumpy]

Hello Brian and welcome to the Vine.

I love the idea of growing fruits from stones etc - good on you.

[Zelenina]

Hi Brian. Welcome to the Vine!

Growing fruit plants from the seeds of fruit you eat is a nice experiment if you've got lots of patience, plus space for big trees, and if you don't mind too much whether you eventually get something that's productive and pleasant to eat. But if you really want to grow fruit to help your wife's business it would be much better to buy some plants of suitable named varieties, and then when they are established you can multiply them by cuttings.

Tree fruits are usually grafted onto rootstocks that determine how big the tree will grow, and for most people it's more convenient to grow and harvest from dwarf or semi-dwarf trees, so you'd want a dwarfing or semi-dwarfing rootstock. There are one or two members here who know a lot about rootstocks but I'm not one of them. If you're really interested you could grow your own rootstocks and learn how to graft them yourself.

There's also a lot of interesting stuff to learn about compatible pollinators and pollination groups for apples, plums, cherries and other tree fruit.

Sloes might do ok from seed since they are really a wild plant anyway and I don't know if there are any named varieties. You could select from bushes that have the most and biggest fruits. Although cuttings would be quicker and surer to have the same characteristics as the parent bush.

Also once you have some known good varieties of other fruits, you could experiment with cross breeding to get new varieties if you have, as I said, lots of space and patience. But that's not going to help your wife in the near future.

There are some kinds of strawberries that can be grown from seed e.g Alpine strawberries and woodland strawberries. But the usual large-fruited strawberries we love to eat are actually an interspecies hybrid with an interesting history. They are normally multiplied vegetatively from runners. In fact they will multiply themselves even if you don't want them to. Breeding new varieties of them from seed is complicated and you'd probably need to grow the individual species first and then deliberately cross them. It could be a fascinating life-time hobby, but again not of immediate help to your wife.

[burnie]

I think Zelenina has hit the nail on the head, growing from seed doesn't always produce the same crop and you could have a very long wait, as in several years. The cost of seeds/plants is not so prohibitive when you consider the rewards and the material you will get for propagating too.

[veggiechicken]

Hi Brian and welcome
I'm not going to say its a crazy idea, after all, i started the Growing Pips Challenge - but I will suggest that you think about quicker options. Some of the berry plants appear to grow quite easily from seed/pips if the number of currant bushes that appear randomly in my garden is a guide. Cherries too and I've found a peach seedling.
I'm growing Kiwiberries and pepino from supermarket seed.
Have you considered growing herbs that your wife could use for flavouring her preserves? They would give you a better chance of producing something edible within a year

[Bren In Pots]

He and welcome to the vine Brian, and good luck with you seed sowings.

[Mr Bones]

Hi Brian, can't help with your question but welcome to the Vine