If you take the pit from a peach and plant it, a peach tree may grow. The pit should be put 2 to 3inches underneath the soil. The best time to plant a peach tree is in the fall. It can take a whole season for the tree to begin growing, so you may get a plant the following spring. It takes about three years for the tree to begin producing fruit, but the fruit you get may look nothing like the peach the pit came from. It's fun to try it anyway. Who knows, you may get an interesting new variety!

Further Tips for Successful Peach Pit Sprouting:

The orientation of the pit is not important--the roots and the sprouting top will sense the right way to grow.

Good quality soil is important--a good balance of sand, silt & organic matter. Potting mixes are fine as long as the organic matter content is not too high. A successful gardener can advise you here.

The soil should be firm around the pit. The soil should be slightly moist to the touch. If you squeeze the soil in your hand and water drips out, it is too wet (unless you just watered). Again, the typical amount for good growth as a seasoned gardener can advise you. If the soil is saturated with water continuously, the pit tends to rot.

Note: some pits will not germinate even with perfect care. So try pits from several different peach varieties.

Question: Can I plant a peach pit in a large container in the house? When will I see signs of growth? Answer: Yes, you can plant pits directly in soil in house. It is hard to predict when you might see growth. Sometimes after 2 or 3 weeks, sometimes after 2 or 3 or more months. Note: peach pits sometimes germinate better after a cold treatment (see below).

Cold treatment: Put pit in zip lock bag with enough good quality soil to cover. The soil should be just barely moist. The soil should be sandy rather than dark organic type. Put the zip lock bag in your refrigerator (temperature 34 F to 42 F). It will generally take 2 to 3 months to see growth. Transplant to a pot once the root is a 1/2 or more in length. This procedure is called stratification.

If the pit has dried out for some days after removal from the fruit, it is a good idea to soak the pit overnight in tap water before doing approach 1 or 2 given above.

Some peach varieties germinate easily, some slowly, some not at all.