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Post by ottawagardener on Aug 14, 2010 18:21:20 GMT -5
I have a bunch of Montreal plum pits that I would like to start but the tree had brown rot this year. I have collected only the apparently unaffected fruit but how is there anyway of cleaning the fruit to remove any spores?
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Post by mjc on Aug 14, 2010 18:43:27 GMT -5
Give them a bath in chlorine bleach...about a 1/4 cup per gallon.
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Post by plantsnobin on Aug 15, 2010 8:30:25 GMT -5
My peach trees had rot problems this year too. Trees were loaded with fruit, which tastes great, just can't eat the whole peach. I will save the pits for anyone who wants some.
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Post by rockguy on Aug 15, 2010 21:27:38 GMT -5
I would try cracking the seeds gently and removing the seeds, followed by a 10 minute soak in H2O2 before planting.
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Post by fruitnut on Aug 17, 2010 16:47:21 GMT -5
I've been doing tissue culture in the lab for years, from vegetable to fruit seeds, so I've sterilize seed quite often. Javex concentrations vary (from 5-50%) but most seed can be sterilized using a 5%wash for 10 mins, followed by at least 3X sterile water rinses.
It works best if the seed is clean (no bits of fruit attached). If its difficult to clean, then you'd have to increase the javex concentration, or give it an ethanol rinse first (only a few seconds though) this helps remove sticky residue from the seed surface resulting in better sterilized seed.
Good luck with your Montreal plums! If you're looking for more seed a few years down the road, let me know as I should have some by then... I planted a Montreal plum this year.
Teresa
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Post by ottawagardener on Aug 17, 2010 17:09:27 GMT -5
Thank you, that's very helpful and encouraging fruitnut!
Good luck with your montreal plum. Despite it's disease problems, it's producing very well for me in Ottawa.
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Post by ottawagardener on Aug 23, 2010 18:53:03 GMT -5
I seem to have got my hands on some Prunus americana - okay, I found some fruit in a local wildlife garden... anyhow, I know they need cold stratification. Should I just winter sow in situ protected from digging animals?
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Post by mjc on Aug 23, 2010 19:28:34 GMT -5
Umm...ok...how to get them NOT to grow...treat them kindly.
Yeah, go ahead and winter sow them. You can do it in pots or in the ground, doesn't really matter...and if you want more, let me know (I can get quite few...the last ones I did anything with were boiled, so the pits aren't usable, but I can mash some up and remove the pits without boiling).
That goes for anyone...I'm getting ready to make some plum wine with my wild plums, so if you want pits, let me know, I can get a few hundred of them, easily...
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Post by ottawagardener on Aug 25, 2010 9:59:19 GMT -5
Yes please Mjc: I'll pm you.
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