How to Germinate a Cherry Tree

Like other fruit trees, cherry trees start from the seed or pit of the fruit. Cherry trees, however, are notoriously difficult to germinate. The pit of a cherry is dense with a hard outer shell, which in turn results in a long germination process. While germination may take a long time, the materials needed to make it work are minimal, and the actual physical work involved in the process is nearly non-existent. As long as you have patience, you can likely germinate a cherry tree.

• 1

  Place the cherry pit in the middle of four layers of paper towels.

• 2

  Spritz the paper towels with water until thoroughly wet. Use just enough water so the paper towels are moist to the touch.

• 3

  Put the paper towels and cherry pit in a sealable plastic bag. Place the bag in a safe spot in the refrigerator. The cherry pit should not be where other objects can potentially crush it.

• 4

  Remove the cherry pit once the seed begins to crack open. Depending on the variety of the cherry, this can take anywhere from 90 to 150 days.