Having an Apricot tree in your garden is the best way to enjoy its flavorful fruits! Learn How to Grow Apricot from Seeds in this article!
Apricots (Prunus armeniaca) are grown for their luscious, sweet, and fragrant fruits. You can grow them from cuttings, grafts, and pits as well. Read on the article to find out how to grow apricot from seeds.
Check out our article on seed starting hacks here!
How to Grow Apricot from Seeds
Remove the Seed
Cut the apricot in half by placing a sharp knife at the center. Do this on both sides, pulling each side away from the seed. Remove it and rinse in cool, running water to wash all the pulp. Place seed on a paper towel while preparing the germinating mix.
Germinating Mix
Mix one part moist sphagnum peat moss, one part coarse sand, and one part perlite or vermiculite. Alternatively, you can also buy a Germinating mix from any garden supply center if you don’t want to make your own.
Take a gallon-size, airtight plastic zippered bag and fill it two-thirds full with germinating mix. Sprinkle a little water on the mix and shake the bag to moisten them evenly.
Stratify the Apricot Seed
Place the seeds in the germinating mix and squeeze it to take out all the air from the plastic bag, sealing it securely. Keep the bag in the refrigerator for four weeks. This process is called ‘cold stratifying’ and mimics what the seed would go through under natural conditions. After the cold treatment of four weeks, the seed will be ready to germinate.
Apricot Seed Planting
At the end of four weeks, remove the seed from the germination mix and rinse with cold water.
- Crack the hard outer shell lightly with a nutcracker. Don’t use too much force as it might damage the kernel inside.
- Use the germinating mix to fill a six-inch pot, within one inch of the top rim. Place the cracked seed in the center of the germinating mix, pushing it down one inch. Locate the pot in the sink and water until the water runs out of the bottom drainage hole. Stop watering and allow the pot to sit and drain for another hour.
- After an hour, cover the top of the pot with plastic wrap and seal edges tightly. It will help to keep the soil consistently moist.
- Place the pot in a sunny location, where it is going to receive indirect sunlight. Don’t put in direct sunlight as it can cause the soil to heat up too much, cooking the seed.
Wait For the Germination
Keep the soil moist and cover the pot with a plastic wrap. It will take 4-6 weeks for the sprouts to appear. Remove the plastic wrap and keep it in the full sun, preferably a south-facing window.
Transplanting
The apricot seed is going to develop a strong root system and need to be transplanted into a larger container, in 4-6 weeks.
- Select a pot that is going to be a permanent home for the apricot tree.
- 20-25 inches in diameter is going to be perfect for growing apricots.
- Fill the container with a commercial potting soil mix that has a neutral pH of 6 to 6.5.
- You can make your growing mix with sphagnum peat moss, sterilized topsoil, sand, and vermiculite or perlite, in equal proportions. However, getting the pH just right can be a little tricky, so it’s best to use a commercial potting soil mix.
