If you've ever nibbled on a ripe, luscious cherry, you are aware that the fruit's interior contains a pit or seed. Although sowing these seeds will also result in cherry trees, buying and planting grafted seedlings is a popular growing technique.
Cherries are called "stone fruits" and are rather simple to cultivate in a home garden, like their cousins, the plums, peaches, and apricots. The fruit-bearing tree can produce buckets of delicious cherries once it reaches maturity. Learn how to sow cherry seeds indoors and outdoors and raise seedlings into lush, fruit-laden trees to fill your buckets.
How To Sow Cherry Seeds Indoors?
- Pit the cherries and remove as much fruit as possible, starting with the fresh ones.
- After cleaning, let seeds air dry for several days in a warm, draft-free location away from the sun.
- After gently moistening a paper towel or sphagnum moss, encase dry seeds in a plastic bag or glass jar.
- Store the ready-to-plant seeds in a cool room or cold basement for about three months. Periodically check the seeds for fresh growth and remove those that have started to take root.
- After three months, plant the pits in a seed tray or seed-starting container with a moist potting mix based on sand. To prevent crowding, give each seed a few inches of spacing.
- Plant seeds in a greenhouse or window with a southerly orientation. Make sure the soil stays moist and doesn't get too cold.
- In approximately two weeks, seedlings should start to poke their heads above the dirt. Seedlings can be put in individual pots once they have developed their second set of leaves.
- In spring, harden off seedlings by bringing them outside and setting them in a spot with morning sun or partial shade for approximately a week. Seedlings should be put in full light when they are comfortable being outside.
Read More: No Soil, No Worries: Step-By-Step Guide On Grow Plants at Home Without Soil
Sowing Cherry Seeds Outdoors
Cherry seeds can also be sown outside in the fall in hardy regions as an alternative to beginning them indoors. Add dried and washed seeds to a mixture containing sand. Plant the seeds outside at a spot with direct sunlight and leave them open to the elements, just like they would be in the wild. During drier times, snow cover and falling leaves will assist in keeping the seeds moist. As the weather warms up in the spring, seedlings will sprout. Once a second set of leaves appears, they can be moved.
Tips For Maintaining A Cherry Tree
- Compared to other fruit trees, cherry trees grow quickly and need minimal maintenance; however, following these guidelines can assist your cherry blossom.
- If you want your cherry seeds or seedlings to thrive in full sun, plant them there.
- Wrapping the trunk and lower branches with tree wrap or burlap over the winter will help shield seedlings and young trees from wildlife.
- Don't prune cherry trees in the winter when they're dormant. Rather, wait until the first few buds open in the early spring.
How To Harvest Cherries?
Patience and fruit crops go hand in hand. Cherry trees need three years to fully mature before producing fruit in the fourth year. A healthy cherry tree can provide between thirty and fifty quarts of fruit in a single season. However, most fruit crops do not bear fruit the year they are planted.
When cherries are firm with a slight give and intensely coloured—depending on the variety, this can mean dark red, golden yellow, or virtually black—they are ready. When harvesting, cut fruit by the stems using pruning shears rather than pulling it off and perhaps causing damage.