Fruitgirl - I think you are right about the climate in that area. I only tried 1 kind of peach from the "Chambersburg" type since they were much more expensive to purchase than the others (even within the same market where I bought them). I don't know exactly what variety it was and the people at the market get more than one variety (depending on when it's ripe) from the Chambersburg area. So, depending on when you go to the market, one week may be one variety from Chambersburg and 2 weeks later they may be selling another variety. They also had other peaches there not from "Chambersburg" and were less expensive. I purchased some the week before I went at another local farmer's market in Ohio. They were nothing outstanding and quite boring actually. So I'm guessing that it's a particular variety that grows extremely well in that climate. How much success I'll have may depend on how different my climate is from the Chambersburg area. Although it's only a few hours away from me, I still think it's worth a try. What's odd too, is that I read online somewhere that there are only 2 peach growers from that area and neither ship their peaches. So either the market where I bought them physically went to that area to get the peaches, or they had them shipped in from a nearby area still claiming to be in the vacinity of Chambersburg. http://www.explorefranklincountypa.com/whats-new/detail.cfm?id=10 http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=5760#SlideFrame_1

Apricots are one of the few fruits which are likely to give you fruit which resembles the parent. But that doesn't mean that you can count on it growing true from seed. The older varieties may be more likely to give you similar fruit when you grown from seed. I have a seedling apricot tree which has a lot of fruit on it this year. It was an experiment. The fruit is elongated - not like any of my other apricots. It tastes decent, but not outstanding. If your apricot seedling does well in your soil type, you can graft another variety onto it later if the fruit isn't of good quality. You will be likely to get fruit faster from a grafted commercial tree than from a seedling tree. My seedling also has an odd, very twiggy growth pattern.

If you do decide to wait, hopefully the peaches set and you can taste a few to see if it is worth it. A pit derived peach (seedling) is supposedly unlikely to give a good peach (that would be a rare thing likely worth preserving). But here is an opportunity to find out and then decide just before bud swell late winter if it is worth moving. I hope you get a winner and one with unique taste and properties...that I hope will be worth propagating down the road. Document and photograph the fruit if it turns out good. Of course if you wait the tree will be even bigger with summer growth by then (see fruitnut's comment on summer pruning of new wood). This post was edited by Fascist_Nation on Mon, May 19, 14 at 10:41

No, it does not take that long for peaches. I've had fruit from four year old trees. They do better than most fruit trees from seed as far as getting decent fruit, too. Are you saying you want to germinate fifteen year old seed? I don't think you'll have any luck if you are. Use this season's crop, and they'll need stratified. No, do not break the kernel open. They can be started right in the ground and overwintered. Just mark where you planted them so you'll know them if and when they break through in spring. You can google directions about anywhere on the web. The two seed-grown peach trees I have (one went over in a storm) are the best tasting peaches (mid-season yellow) I have in my orchard. However, they were genetically different than their parent tree (a white fleshed variety)