How To Germinate Cherry Seeds Indoors

Starting cherry seeds indoors helps establish your fruit tree before the ground thaws outside. This helps your tree develop before the normal season begins. Cherry seeds require a period of cold before germinating. This is called stratification. Start your cherry seed indoors following this crucial step. Obtain cherry pits from a seed vendor: cherry pits from cherries bought at the grocery store might not grow the same variety.

Step 1

Fill a plastic pot with a drainage hole at the bottom with vermiculite.

Step 2

Moisten the vermiculite with water so that it is wet but not dripping.

Step 3

Place the cherry seed into the vermiculite at a one-half inch depth.

Step 4

Place the pot with the vermiculite in a refrigerator that is set between 33 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the cherry seed in the refrigerator for six to eight weeks.

Step 5

Fill a pot with potting soil purchased at a garden center.

Step 6

Plant the cherry seed at a depth of a one-half inch. Keep the soil moist but not soaking wet. The cherry tree seedling will appear in a few weeks time.