Low chill varieties of stonefruit usually dont have a viable seed. A trick you can do is to not let the seed dry out. Very carefully crack the seed open then put the seeds in the bottom of the fridge sealed in an ice cream container with just a tiny bit of moisture, As long as you have not damaged the seed they should germinate in about 2 weeks. When a peach seed dries out it sets an inhibitor on the seed, then it needs to get a lot of chill before it will germinate.

Came across a bit more information as to some possible causes of the variation in germination rates in peach seeds. According to MSU (see link at bottom): "Some peaches will not germinate no matter what you do--it depends on the parents. Some peach variety seeds germinate easily, some poorly, some not at all. Seed from early season varieties (Red Haven season and before) do not germinate readily, and the very early season will not germinate without laboratory culturing work called embryo rescue. So try pits from several different peach varieties." I had known that some seed from flat peaches was sterile, but had not heard that some other peach seed won't germinate. I would tend to disagree with their comment about Redhaven seed not germinating readily. I've had plenty of seedlings emerge under the Redhaven tree in my backyard. I think there are 4 seedlings under it right now. I should also mention in warmer climates, chill can be an issue, so seed needs to be stratified in those areas to achieve chill. This wouldn't be a consideration in the Midwest or Northeast. Here is a link to growing peach seed in CO http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/VegFruit/Fruits/pits.htm Here is a link that might be useful: MSU - What will happen if I plant a peach pit?

yes it's possible, but the tree won't be true to type. In order to get the same peaches that you are eating, you need a graft.

I went back and the article did load up. Maybe it was a temporary glitch. Anyway, here's the article from the Grand Junction Free Press (Colorado) pasted in for the benefit of anyone else who may be having trouble accessing the page. Dealing with bitter and split pit By Curtis Swift September 13, 2006 Split pit and bitter pit are two problems fruit growers experience at this time each year. Backyard gardeners typically have more problems than commercial fruit growers, but they also lose a portion of their crop to these conditions. Split pit is a condition where the two halves of the peach pit split during the development of the fruit. In some cases, the pit splits into even more pieces resulting in what is known as shattered pit. Broken pieces of pit sometimes get stuck between your teeth if they are small enough. In most cases, however, they simply make eating a peach more difficult. If you are canning peaches, or making peach salsa or another gourmet dish, fruit with split or shattered pits make preparation more difficult. Split pit peaches have a shorter shelf life. The peach may split along the suture, opening the skin up to earwigs and other critters. Fruit rot diseases are also more common on these fruit. Sometimes you will find a seed that has germinated within the split pit peach. Split pit is a disorder that can affect up to 50 percent of the peaches harvested each year. High nitrogen fertilization, improper irrigation scheduling, and the number of fruit on the tree all influence the amount of split pit that occurs. Peach trees planted in the lawn where they receive more fertilizer and water have more fruit with split pit. Peach trees not pruned properly also experience this problem more frequently. Bitter pit is a problem with apples that appear after harvest. Sunken discolored pits appear on the surface of the fruit. Under each pit is a rubbery brown spot. These spots can be cut out of the fruit but as with split pit peaches, preparing these fruit for a pie or other uses takes longer. Most people cut these spots out of an apple before they take a bite. Other people feel these fruits are diseased and won't eat them. They are sometimes quite ugly. Like split pit, this malady is not caused by a disease or insect, but environmental and cultural practices. Young trees just coming into bearing are the most susceptible as is fruit harvested at an immature stage. Bitter pit also is more of a problem with more vigorous trees like those in a lawn where they receive too much water and fertilizer. Fruit on upright vigorous growing branches have a greater potential to develop bitter pit than fruit that develops on horizontal branches near the tree's main trunk. In the spring, plan on attending the pruning workshop conducted by the staff of the CSU Orchard Mesa Research Center to learn how to properly prune your fruit trees. Proper pruning will not only reduce problems with bitter pit and split pit, but help reduce insect and disease problems as well. If you plan on purchasing and planting fruit trees this fall or some time in the future, plan on an area not influenced by the lawn or garden. Fruit trees need to be planted where they can be watered and fertilized separately from other plants. For more information on the care of fruit trees, check out the web site at http://WesternSlopeFruit.org or contact the Master Gardener desk at 244-1836. The weekly gardening message available by dialing 244-1706 will inform you of the spring pruning workshop as we get closer to the OMRC workshop. Carol