Re: Peach stones

Liz, I wouldn't bother trying to grow a peach tree from that seed.  You
are, as you already know, unlikely to get a peach true to the orginal and,
what's worse, it will take you years to find out.

But it's not too hard to propagate the tree.  Just take scions.  Cut
branches from the peach tree when dormant and then graft them on to an
existing peach tree when it's budding.  You can even do some cross grafting
among peaches and similar species (check a chart first).

There are various details you will need to know but you can find them in
many books.  I have good information in the California Rare Fruit Grower's
handouts (it being winter here we just had our annual scion exchange last
Saturday).  They might be on their website: http://www.crfg.org/

I happen to know there is an Australian version of CRFG (they did a
presentation at a CRFG conference last August) but I don't know where in
Australia they are.  There is probably a link from the CRFG site.  You can
likely get very cheap rootstock peaches from them if you don't have
something to use already.

This is the easiest way to propagate that tree you love.  If you were
propating it officially you'd graft on to rootstock too.  The only issue
you have to decide is how much to graft: 1-2 branches or the entire tree at
the bottom.

Good luck and don't forget to name your find if you are certain it doesn't
already have one.

Cyndi

_______________________________________________________________________________
Oakland, California            Zone 9 USDA; Zone 16 Sunset Western Garden Guide
Chemically sensitive/disabled - Organic Gardening only by choice and neccessity
_______________________________________________________________________________
"There's nothing wrong with me.  Maybe there's                     Cyndi Norman
something wrong with the universe." (ST:TNG)           cyndi@consultclarity.com
                                                         http://www.tikvah.com/
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