Florida Peach Pits: Still Need Cold Stratification

Larry asks if Florida peach pits skip the cold requirement. Answer: yes, they still need 60–90 days below 40°F.

Why? Modern peaches are hybrids grafted onto hardy rootstocks. The pit carries genetics from temperate-zone ancestors that require winter chilling to break embryo dormancy. Even "low-chill" varieties need some cold. The resulting tree won't resemble the parent fruit anyway.

For reliable Florida peaches, buy grafted low-chill cultivars (e.g., 'Flordaprince', 'TropicBeauty') from a nursery.