Question
My daughter and I live in Dallas, TX and we recently potted several cherry seeds from cherries that we bought at a local market. When should we expect them to begin sprouting if they will at all? Do you have any recommendations on maintenance for them?

Thanks,

Mike Saldivar

Answer
Cherry seeds require one to two cold periods in order to germinate.  Plant the seeds in pots and set the pots outside for the winter.  Many seeds will germinate in the spring provided winter temperatures are consistantly below 40 degrees F.  If they don't germinate, they may require another winter.  You can fool Mother Nature by placing the pots in the fridge sealed inside a plastic bag for 90-120 days then return to the warm weather outdoors.  Make sure you keep the pot watered when placing outside.  I hope this helps.  One other thing.  The resulting plants usually don't resemble the parent plants nor will the fruit because most fruit trees are hybrids.