Question
Hi,

We live in the southeastern part of Washington State.  The valley we live in is mostly farmland (wheat, alfalfa, lintels, etc).  I have tried to grow cherry trees from the seeds we glean from purchased cherries but have been unsuccessful in getting any of them to grow.  Right now I have a collection of being cherries I would like to start.  How do I go about encouraging them to germinate?

Thanks...

Answer
Hi Jacqueline,
Thanx for your question.  I think you were referring to Bing Cherries towards the end of your question.  At any rate, this question has been posed many times by many people over the years in this forum.  In the future, if you use our Search Function, you may find the answer to your question already posted.  So, it may save you some time next time.  At any rate, here's the answer.

Generally, most fruit like cherries, purchased in the United States are the result of intensive hybridization.  The seeds will not bear true to the parent plant because of the intensive hybridization.  The results are almost alway inferior to the current parent plants.  That doesn't mean the fruit won't be edible or even good tasting.  It just means that due to hybridization, the seedling will probably revert back to a previous generation.  It will also take 5-7 years for you to get fruit from a tree started from seed.  With all of that said, I agree that it might be fun to try it anyway.  Most likely, the reason your seeds are not germinating is because they have not had a sufficient cold period to break dormancy.  You can do this in two ways.  Plant the seed in a pot and leave it outdoors for the winter and the seedlings will emerge in the spring.  Be sure to keep the pot watered even when it is very cold.  The second way to break the dormancy is by wrapping the seed in damp paper towels and placing this inside a plastic baggie, sealing it and storing it in the refrigerator for 60-90 days.  Once the time period has been completed, remove the seeds from the plastic and the fridge and plant them as you normally would.  The seedlings should emerge in  a few weeks.  Prick the seedlings out gently when they have have a set of true leaves.  Grow them in separate pots until they are strong enough to go outside.  After the last frost, place the potted seedlings under a tree or in a shaded place for about 10 days.  After that, plant the seedlings in a protected nursery bed in full sun.  I hope this helps.
Tom