Plants from pips/stones and kitchen scraps - a Challenge ;)

[veggiechicken]

Just bought a punnet of English strawberries for 10p.
I'm going to slice up the ripest ones and bury them in compost. May or may not work!

8 stalks of lemon grass (32p) are sitting in a glass of water.

[chillithyme]

can I join the challenge, although I've already sown my apple pips from last year and have 3 little babies. The pips were already sprouting when I cut the apple, I planted them, and they were up within a few days

[chillithyme]

I've also got some date seeds, which we chuck into pots and planters and they all come up, will do some as soon as we've eaten some dates but must remember to bring them in, as they get left outside.

I've done mango in the past, but it doesn't survive for very long in this climate, was fun to get it to germinate though

[Runtpuppy]

I sowed two lemon seeds a couple of years ago, from a lemon I used for a chutney or lemonade or something. They germinated as well. The plants grew up to about 5-6 inches before they died. I can't remember why... may have been because I left them out in autumn-early winter.

I used to find it impossible to throw out sprouted potatoes so grew a few. I try not to do that anymore :-| Otherwise my kitchen will be full of chitted potatoes while OH roars in frustration.

Oh, and I also grew some strawberry seeds (Murano, I think?) from supermarket strawberries. Had given up on them because they were planted quite late last year. However, I think I had two little seedlings in that pot now, so fingers crossed.

(Ignore that weird grass. I left it coz I thought it was pretty )

[HoneyChild]

I've have accidentally started growing a peach tree from one of my dwarf peaches.

Basically I was growing broad beans in homemade compost when I noticed something very odd looking poking up. I was so intrigued by it I decided to keep it and transferred it to a pot of its own. I eventually realised that the leaves were identical to my dwarf 'red leaf' peach tree.

The photo was taking 1 May '18:

[nickdub]

Better chance of growing something with good edible fruit from a peach or nectarine than most other stuff grown from seed.

[robbra]

I've done some oranges and have 6 shooting. I did this a few years ago but neglected them in the hot summer of 2015 when I was converting my camper van. They were at least a foot tall.
I've tried lemons with no success so will try the method of taking the outer off the seed.
I'd like limes but every one I have bought has been seedless however lemon and lime juice is great in gin so not a total waste.
Rob

[1Bee]

I found an almond sprouting in my compost heap, so now I have a baby almond tree. Actually, I often find odd things sprouting in the compost. Should pot up more finds....

[Runtpuppy]

I had planted a stone fruit seed... well, I say planted when I mean chucked it into a spare pot which is used for chucking all kinds of things I am too lazy to plant properly. Also, I say stone fruit because it could be apricot, peach, or nectarine (or plum?). I thought I'd remember what it was without labelling it.

Narrator: She did not, in fact, remember!

So anyway, after having sat there in the pot through frost and a bit of snow (cold stratification?), it's now sprouting.

In other news, I had a branch growing from below the graft on my patio plum tree which I dutifully cut off, and then didn't want to throw it away so stuck it in a little pot. It amazes me how resilient plants are because it has little buds growing now.

I am thinking of trying to graft the mystery stone fruit on to it. Since the branch was from below the graft, I am assuming I have a cutting of the rootstock (St Julian, I seem to remember). That should be compatible with any of the possible fruits that seed is.

My original plan for it was to maybe grafting a pollinating partner for the plum tree. However, I am also (already) in love with the mystery fruit tree, and would love a patio version of it.

Or maybe I could do both on one rootstock

These are all dreams and fantasies right now since the rootstock hasn't really got a well-established root system yet, and the seed has only JUST sprouted... but one can hope.

[nickdub]

You might want to check out "approach grafting" - its easier to get success with it than other sorts and it might well be applicable to your situation.

[Runtpuppy]

You might want to check out "approach grafting" - its easier to get success with it than other sorts and it might well be applicable to your situation.

I had never heard of approach grafting, but after a quick search, I think I will try it. Thanks, Nick! :-)

[nickdub]

I had never heard of approach grafting, but after a quick search, I think I will try it. Thanks, Nick! :-)

You're very welcome - hope it works for you - my other bit of advice, as with any grafting, is that unless you are familiar with the procedures already, run through it a couple of times first with bits of branch you are not bothered about, even if its only hedge trimmings, "to get your eye in" as it were.

[Pinklilly]

I've done this with chillis from the supermarket, wasn't sure how they'd turn out but they did okay and grew chillis. The bell peppers I tried grew nicely but only had a couple of small peppers on the plant.

[lolie]

I have 3 lemon pips sitting on my window sill and two out of the three have sprouted. Two avocado seeds are sitting there and have done nothing so far. Going to add some mandarin seeds to the collection and see how they go.

I've grown capsicums and tomatoes from the seeds of bought produce and got good crops. I also plant the bottoms of spring onions because I'm incapable of growing them from seed.

[MyWifesBrassicas]

I've tried many collected seeds from woodland trees, fruit and veg grown and bought from the supermarket, usually with good success.
Although I have a "citrus" tree the I grew from a seed 35 years ago, it's still alive but has never fruited.

I've grown a papaya tree from seed, which was in my parents conservatory for years, mango's and avocados as well as date palms from dried "christmas" dates.

Passion fruit was a success from a supermarket bought fruit, it fruited in a heated greenhouse, it was delicious, just like the shop bought one.
I've grown squashes from collected seed, I'm never that puristic around "proper methods" for growing for seed as I'm not that fussed about whether it turns out like the parent fruit, if it's edible, i'm very happy