Question
Hi- Thanks for volunteering! My question is in regards to my Loquat Tree SEEDS. I grow many things, but need help with some info on this tree....

After the 1000s of loquats ripen and fall off the tree, they take root into the ground and I have tons of little seedlings. I have always gotten rid of them. Well, the tree is inbetween my neighbor and I on a property line and he wants it to go away. I do not. My compromise is to get those seedlings and grow some on my property before he cuts it. But the loquats are still green. Can I fight the situation? Probably, but they are a nice older couple and it's just too important to them for some reason.

So I'm kind of in a hurry. I have green fruit on the tree now- it's supposed to be golden when ripe. **When can I harvest the seeds? He could probably wait 4 weeks. Are the seeds harvestable out of the green fruit? Do I just put them in the ground or do they have to dry out/germinate? And here's a really crazy question...if he cuts the tree with green fruit, will the loquats still ripen on a cut branch if I save them?
Thanks for any advice,
Lisa
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Answer
Is there any way to just prune off all the branches on their side of the property line? (It is probably unreasonably to try to pick off all the green fruit only leaving a few on your side to ripen.) If not, the fruit needs to ripen for the seeds to be mature.  

There is a point at which a green fruit will or won't ripen after it has been picked, and I have no idea when that would be. I don't know if they would ripen on a cut branch, you would just have to try it.  If you do try that, keep the branch in water, and it might work.

I would talk to them and explain to them that you would like to wait for a few ripe fruits before removing the tree so that you could save and plant some of the seeds.

To save the seeds, let the fruit completely ripen, remove the seeds, dry them on a paper towel after wiping them off, and then you can plant them when the time is right.