Consider planting outdoors in early fall. Cherries need to experience constant damp and cold for 3–5 months in order to germinate. If you get cold winter weather about this long but don't get below -20ºF / -30ºC, you can go the easy route and plant the cherries in fall. If you decide to do this, skip down to the next section. If you don't live in this climate or you prefer a method with a higher success rate, continue to the next step instead.
Sweet cherries do best with a couple weeks of warm weather before the cold. Planting in late summer or the very start of fall can accomplish this. However, a "warm snap" after the cold weather has started can send some cherries back into dormancy.[6] Refer to an almanac or other long-term weather prediction to avoid this.