Can hawthorn seeds (pits) from the Yanzhi fruit be grown as potted plants, how long until they sprout, and how do you plant them?

Hawthorn, also known as mountain fruit or mountain red, is a relatively common stone fruit in our country. Its fruit can be made into candied hawthorn skewers, hawthorn cake, stir-fried red fruit, and more, so it has high cultivation value. So can hawthorn seeds (pits) be grown as potted plants? How long until they sprout? How do you plant them?

Yes, hawthorn should be harvested from mid-August to mid-September, as it sprouts more easily during the seed maturation period. Remove the seeds and rub them clean with water, then soak the washed seeds in clean water for 10 days, changing the water every two days. After 10 days, while still moist, stratify them in sand: mix the seeds well with moist sand and place them in a sunny, wind-sheltered pit. In early April of the following year, open the pit, take out the seeds, and sow them.

How do you plant them?

1. Seed collection and treatment

Hawthorn seeds are very easy to collect. In autumn, many hawthorns are sold in the market. When you buy them to eat, simply keep the seeds left over after eating, wash them, dry them in the sun, and wrap them in a kraft paper bag. After winter arrives, place them outside the window for low-temperature storage, and then they can be planted when spring begins.

2. Seed germination treatment

Because hawthorn seeds have a hard outer coat, we need to treat them to promote germination. Soak the seeds in warm water overnight, take them out and sun them in a strongly lit place for 2-3 hours, then soak them in warm water again, then sun them again, repeating this process until the seed coat cracks, or simply tap the seed coat gently with a small hammer to crack it, then proceed with planting.

3. Choosing the potting soil and container

Hawthorn trees are not strict about soil choice, but they prefer slightly sandy soil. We can mix sand, garden soil, and leaf mold in a 2:2:1 ratio, choose a flower container you like, and then plant the seeds in the flower soil. Do not plant too deep; covering the seeds with 2 cm is appropriate. Then place it in a warm, humid place and keep the potting soil moist. Generally, they will sprout in about a week. When 4 leaves have grown, they can be transplanted into a new pot, with 1-2 plants per pot being appropriate.

4. Light and temperature control

Hawthorn trees like an environment with sufficient light. They can be placed on a south-facing balcony. If the light is not so intense as to scorch them, no shading treatment is needed. After winter arrives, hawthorn trees enter a dormant state and their leaves all fall off. At this time, as long as the temperature is kept above 0 degrees, they can safely overwinter.

5. Water and fertilizer supply

Hawthorn trees do not like water. During usual care, the potting soil can be kept slightly dry. The best watering method is to water when the soil is dry and stop when it is wet. If the summer weather is especially dry, the watering frequency can be appropriately increased. Hawthorn trees like light fertilizer. Apply a compound fertilizer with a higher nitrogen ratio once in early spring, and during the flowering and fruiting period, apply a compound fertilizer with a higher phosphorus and potassium content.