I have been growing many fruit and nut trees from seed as well. I have done sweet and sour cherries and have a lower rate of germination with them than other trees. I have no trouble getting them to grow once they have germinated. My only options for seed are a local orchard, an organic fruit and veg shop and supermarkets, all of which will have grafted, clonal fruit. I don’t know of anyone in Australia trying to breed cherries or other fruit/nut trees. I’d love to hear about them if they exist!
May I ask 2 questions please? When you collect cherry seed do you keep them moist until winter then let it stratify or do you dry the seeds out and then stratify them later? A quick google search suggests they are orthodox seeds and should cope with being dried but I wonder if they enter a dormancy that is hard to break?
Secondly, when you have your bopefully hundreds of seed grown trees, how do you plant them? As a hedge until you figure out which are best saved for further propagation?
Thanks
Having grown other stone fruits, I assumed cherries would be the same. I let them dry. If I crack the pit it’s pretty easy to see which are dead and which alive. This time I cracked the pits, but the germination rate seems to be about the same either way. I pull out those that rot in the bag, which 90% of them do.
If I get hundreds of trees (yes, please!) I would probably do a hedge of a sort. I am trying to decide where the “tree nursery” should be on the property.
We have wild sweet cherries (Prunus avium) here that come up readily from seed. Suckers also come up far enough from mature trees to make new trees. I’m constantly digging the seedlings out of my garden. Color and taste are nearly identical to Bing, although not anywhere near as big and plump as a developed variety. If anyone wants any seeds, let me know and I can collect them this summer.
Thanks Lauren, it’s always interesting to see other people’s methods. I just put my cherry pits in an old 2 L yoghurt pot with lid. I drill lots of holes in the bottom, put a layer of sawdust in, then a layer of seeds, then more sawdust and wet it to make the sawdust damp. Then I set it in a shady place in contact with the ground. So far I have just left it like that until early spring when I start checking for germinated seeds. Next winter I think I will put some in an air pruning bed (like Edible Acres and Twisted Tree Farm) and see if that improves germination.
I would be entirely interested if this works in your flow and isn’t a pull on your work.
I am ready to re-introduce wild genetics into my ongoing selected - stillllll potted (3 Gallons w open bottomed round pots for greater resilience and root development) stands - roughly 90 trees made cullings from 3000 seeds started 5 years ago. These selections will most likely start meaningfully fruiting this year (tho who the hyeck inows what will happen to those flowers given my absurdly unpredictable frosts in this Valley Bottom).
My point here is: Wild n Wooly is favored in my mix as re-introductions into the pollinating mix and for future on site seed work.
Absolutely, it would be my pleasure to send some seeds. I’ll setup a seed sharing spreadsheet this weekend so I can keep track of any requests.
I would be interested in seeds. I’m new here.
I have tried to grow cherries for years to no avail.
Oh my goodness, amazing Laura! I attempted the same, but no seedlings yet. However, I have not only cherry, but pear, apple, olive and other fruit seeds that I can’t remember, naturally stratifying in a pot outside in the cold - my goal is to get seedlings as well. The only luck I’ve had with fruit from seed is citrus - I have 15 three year old lemon citrons that are upt o 3 feet tall and less than 1 year old tangerine and orange seedlings (3 total) - they’re very tiny and fragile! I’m happy to stay in touch with you and we can help or learn from each others’ projects - I plan on giving away lemon seeds once my first fruiting arrives, which should be far earlier than any other fruit trees I have in the fruit tree grow queue 
And just and fyi, in the last 2 years I sought to find the oldest local fruit trees in my communnity - unkept by people as it made sense if they were very tall, very old, and still baring tons of fruit, it’s possible that either they’ve never been chemically treated OR if really tall, possibly they grew from seed. So if you can find the oldest cherry tree in your community, try and get some pits from te fruit
Wow, 3000 seedlings Joseph! Would you share how you accomplished that please?
These links are quite interesting - I think I will add in a 2 day soak for my cherry pits.
(Wild Cherry, Gean (prunus avium))
(Prunus avium - Forest Research)
I put up a seed-sharing thread and form here: https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/katies-seed-sharing-thread/532/1
There are supposedly two cherries in my front yard. One I think is actually a decorative pear. The other does look like a cherry, but I suspect it’s a pie cherry. The man I bought the house from said it was here when he got here, in the 80’s. So that one is a possibility.
I’ve been looking for the remains of old orchards, but I need to step that up.
So fascinating!! I LOVE starting fruit and nut trees from seed! Just started a couple years ago. I definitely find that germination rates can be all over the place. Was wondering if the fault was with my methods, but it seems from this discussion that perhaps not.
Yah yah. Sorry for delayed response. Kiddo is back in school and I have been chainsawing like a madman with my new saws.
So, the seedlings yes:
Many many many plants. It’s a but if a neurosis but also a passion and a hobby. So, I start many many seeds in peat and quart or gallon bags in a few mini fridges. BUT, I also cold stratify many a woody perennial directly in larger pots - 5-7 gallon rated. I let them compete and when the timing is right I separate them individually and give them individual pots. Others I will heel in to various soil banks and give them more time or me more time to decide. Others I’ve had in pots for yeas and I am always noting their characteristics and traits as they mature. It’s a wild complex of multiple horizons. Needless to say, quite a bit of culling happens throughout and some plants even get in the ground (Gasps!) 
Thanks, Joseph, sounds like quite a project. So you had no trouble germinating them?
It all depends. Literally on the year - for genetics and quality of seeds and my attention span in my mad blessed world. BUT, every year seed work is performed without fail - some years very large others small but all based in constant discourse and inquiry with nursery folks and always looking locally and regionally (both at pop up markets and roadside). It’s a contract with the wild and the crossing of the veld with the original agreement with plants and seed. I am, frankly, lost without it.
I started a bunch this past season. About 60 of 100 or so sprouted and about 30 of those survived in quart pots. I planted a few in the ground already and it looks like the sooner they go in wherever they’re going to stay, the better. Even with the dry spells this summer the ones in the ground (unwatered) look much better and three times bigger than the potted ones.
I’m fairly sure they won’t cross, since you can’t even graft sweet cherry onto serotina.