How Can I Regrow My Kitchen Fruit?
Fruit from the supermarket can be a great source of free fruit seeds or scraps that can grow into a plant or a tree. While it usually takes a long time to actually grow a fruit that you can harvest and eat, growing a plant from a supermarket fruit is a fun and satisfying project. If you have ever wanted to do something with fruit seeds or stems that you would usually just throw away, why not try planting them?
A note on seed viability and hybrids: Large-scale fruit production relies heavily on the use of hybrids, meaning each individual piece of fruit has a genetic makeup from more than one variety to maximize shelf-stability, ripeness, and other factors that make them suitable for shipping and selling. Though they still contain seeds, those seeds are not intended to be used to grow new plants. Some of them will still be able to sprout and grow into a new plant, but they will not produce the exact same fruit as the one you purchased. It will more closely reflect one of the varieties that make up the hybrid. That doesn’t mean your fruit will be inedible, but it will be more unpredictable than purchasing fruit seed that was meant for growing.
Regrowing Fruit From Seeds
Citrus fruits:
Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit, Tangerine, etc
  • Remove seeds from the fruit, remove any pulp, and soak them in water overnight.
  • Plant prepared seeds .5 inches deep in moist potting mix
  • Cover the container with clear plastic and let it sit in a warm, sunny location
  • When seeds sprout in a few weeks, remove plastic but continue keeping the soil moist
  • Transplant to a larger pot or outdoors in temperate areas
  • Usually it needs 7 to 9 years to bear fruit
Pome Fruits And Stone Fruits:
Apple, Pear, Quince, Cherry, Apricot, Peach, Plum, etc
  • Remove seeds from the fruit and clean off any pulp
  • Plant seeds into small containers of moist seed-starting mix soil, then cover with plastic
  • Place the pot in a cool area such as an unheated basement, garage, or refrigerator for at least six weeks to mimic the conditions of winter. Be sure the seeds do not dry out during this time
  • Move seeds to a warm, bright location and keep soil moist. Seedlings should emerge within a month
  • Plant in full sun and keep them well watered and fertilized. Be sure to plant at least two plants so they can cross-pollinate
  • Needs up to 10 years to bear fruit
Berries:
Blueberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Gooseberry, Goji berry
  • Remove seeds from the fruit and clean off any pulp. Berry seeds can be very tiny, so a mesh colander can help separate seeds from fruit
  • Drain the seeds on a paper towel
  • Prepare a shallow nursery tray or small pots with a layer of moistened seed starting mix, then press seeds onto the surface of the soil spaced about 1 inch apart
  • Cover with clear plastic and place in a cool area such as an unheated basement, garage, or refrigerator for at least 6 weeks to mimic the conditions of winter. Be sure the seeds do not dry out during this time
  • In spring, place the seeds outdoors in a shady location and water as needed. Seeds should germinate in 4 to 6 weeks
  • When seedlings reach 6 inches tall, they can be moved to the prepared garden bed
  • Most berry types produce fruit in 2 to 3 years
Melons:
Cantaloupe, Casaba, Honeydew, Watermelon, Muskmelon
  • Remove seeds from the fruit and clean off any pulp
  • Spread the seeds out on wax paper on a flat surface in a cool, dry location and allow them to dry for at least one week (preferably 2 to 3 weeks)
  • Melon seeds can be planted directly into the garden if the season is right, or you can start them indoors in spring
  • To start melon seeds indoors, place one seed per pot into a seed starting mix and use a heat mat to provide bottom heat for the seedlings
  • Harden off the seedlings and transplant them to the garden when they have 2 to 3 true leaves
  • Melons can grow the same year they are planted
Tropical Fruits:
Dragon Fruit, Papaya, Kiwi
  • Remove seeds from the fruit and clean off any pulp
  • Spread the seeds out on wax paper on a flat surface in a cool, dry location and allow them to dry for at least 1 week (preferably 2 to 3 weeks)
  • Gently press seeds into a seed starting mix, cover with plastic, and use a heat mat to provide bottom heat to the seedlings
  • Harden off the seedlings and transplant them to the garden or a container for indoor growing when they have 2 to 3 true leaves
  • Time to bear fruit varies, most are between 3 to 7 years
Regrowing Pineapple
  • Cut the spiky crown off your pineapple about .5 inches below the lowest leaves, and trim off the lower leaves
  • Trim around the bottom of the crown to remove any fruit, until you see brown bumps that indicate the root buds
  • Allow the crown to dry for several days (this helps prevent rotting), then root the your pineapple by placing it in water or planting it directly in a well-draining soil
  • Roots should develop in 6 to 8 weeks
  • Grow pineapple as a unique foliage plant indoors in bright light
  • You are unlikely to get another pineapple from this process, especially if you are growing it indoors