Cherry tree cut

Trimming Cherry Trees - When And How To Prune A Cherry Tree

All fruiting trees need to be pruned and cherry trees are no exception. Whether sweet, sour, or weeping, knowing when to prune a cherry tree and knowing the correct method for cutting back cherries are valuable tools. So, if you want a cherry tree that will provide maximum fruit production, ease of harvest and care, and is aesthetically pleasing in appearance, you’ll need to prune your tree. The question is what is the proper method for cherry tree pruning? Let’s talk cherry tree pruning care.

Why Trim a Cherry Tree?

Pruning cherries, or any fruit tree for that matter, is of paramount importance. The primary reason for trimming cherry trees is to ensure the most optimal access to sunlight. Cherry tree pruning allows for aeration, allowing light channels to penetrate the tree, allowing a better fruit set, ease of harvest, and the ability to battle or thwart disease.

So in essence, when you trim a cherry tree back, it will be allowed to develop a proper form, yielding higher quality fruit earlier in its life and remaining healthier overall. Trees that have been improperly pruned or trained tend to have upright branch angles, which may lead to limb damage under heavy fruit production.

When to Prune a Cherry Tree

The rule of thumb when pruning fruit trees is to do so when the tree is dormant during the winter. However, cutting back sweet cherries is an exception to this rule. Sweet cherries are more susceptible to fungal and bacterial diseases, especially on recently cut limbs, so it is best to prune them in the late summer. Keep in mind that summer pruning reduces the tree’s energy for fruit production as well as its growth, so this should be minimal using only thinning cuts. Thinning cuts are those which remove an entire shoot, branch, or limb up to the point of its origin and do an excellent job of opening up the canopy.

Dormant pruning is a more aggressive pruning. When a large portion of the tree is removed during the dormant season, the energy reserves of the tree remain unchanged. The timing of dormant season pruning is critical, and should begin as late in the winter as feasible to avoid injuring the tree. Sour and weeping fruit trees may be pruned at this time once the risk of winter frost has passed.

Early spring is also prime time for pruning young cherry trees, shaping and training the young tree before it blossoms. Pruning should begin as buds emerge, but wait until all chance of extreme cold temperatures have passed to avoid possible cold injury, as younger trees are more susceptible to this. Mature cherries can be pruned in early spring too, or after they bear fruit.

How to Prune a Cherry Tree

The tools needed to trim a cherry tree back include: a hand pruner, long handled lopping shears, and a pruning saw. Bypass pruners are better than anvil; they can get a closer pruning job done than anvil pruners. The number one task in cherry tree pruning care, actually prior to pruning any bearing tree, is to sterilize your pruning tools. This is to prevent the potential spread of disease from other plants to the cherry. You can wipe the blades down with rubbing alcohol and a rag or mix a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water and then rinse with clean water and dry.

How to Prune Cherry Trees When Young

Young cherry trees should be pruned into an open vase-like shape to allow for light and air penetration which increases the number of blooms, hence an abundant fruit set.

First, cut the suckers off the trunk of the tree and any shoots from limbs that are pointing towards the trunk of the tree as well as any weak branches. All of these are rather pointless shoots that strive to take nutrients from the areas of the tree you want them to go. Cutting them also serves to increase air circulation. Cut the sucker right outside the branch collar, the raised area where the stem meets the trunk. Also, cut any obviously dead, diseased, or broken branches.

Head the tree in fall or winter, an exception to the above rule. A heading cut is the removal of part of a shoot, branch, or limb, up to one-third to one-half its length. If you head in the spring, you will be lopping off developed buds, potential fruit. Heading means cutting off the top of the leader, the central trunk to encourage growth of the lateral branches. This is done within the first year or two to control the tree’s shape. Be sure the sapling is well over 30 inches (76 cm.) tall before heading it. Make a 45-degree angle cut on the leader, leaving the tree 24 to 36 inches (61-92 cm.) tall.

In the subsequent year, begin creating a scaffold whorl, a set of four lateral branches extending out from the tree which provides a solid stricter. Choose four sturdy, evenly spaced branches to keep and prune out the others. Opt for limbs that are at a 45 to 60-degree angles to the leader and at least 8 inches (20 cm.) apart vertically from the lowest branch about 18 inches (46 cm.) above the ground. Cut those four branches back to 24 inches (61 cm.) with one-fourth inch angled cuts above the buds. This is where new growth will emerge. Continue to make clean cut flush against the leader to remove the remaining branches.

The following year, create a second scaffold whorl. The tree will be taller now, so select another set of four branches to keep about 2 feet (61 cm. ) higher than the first set. Choose branches that don’t fall over the older primary limbs. Repeat as above to create a second scaffold.

Pruning Mature Cherries

Once the tree is three years old, it’s time to promote outward growth by pruning out new vertical limbs. At this point you will need loppers or pruning saws, not shears. Again, clean the tools prior to use. Also, prune out any dead or diseased limbs and dead fruit. Cut back any suckers at the base of the tree. Remove any crossed branches.

Cherries are prone to disease, so be sure to clean up all the discarded remnants. Also, cover all cuts with a tree sealant to fend off disease.

In summary, when you prune cherries, remember your goal. You are trying to create a tree that is well balanced, open and manageable, as well as aesthetically pleasing. There is no real science for pruning fruit trees. Some of it is trial and error. Look at the tree carefully and try to envision it as it will look when it’s leafed out in the summer, and eliminate any shoots that seem too closely spaced.

Pruning Cherry Trees - Stark Bro's

Pruning is a very important part of proper cherry tree care and maintenance; however, many people think the task overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be! Keep these things in mind when you set out to prune your cherry trees:

NOTE: This is part 8 in a series of 11 articles. For a complete background on how to grow cherry trees, we recommend starting from the beginning.

Survival

When your cherry tree is dug up from our fields to be shipped to you, and any time a tree is transplanted, the root ball loses many of its fine feeder roots. These hair-like, delicate roots are important to the process of absorbing moisture and nutrients in the soil. Pruning, in this instance, helps balance the top growth of your tree with the root system, giving the roots time to re-establish in your yard to support existing top growth and new growth.

When your bare-root cherry tree arrives from Stark Bro’s, our professionals have already pre-pruned your tree for you. Because of this, you do not need to prune it again at planting time. The only pruning necessary at that time would be to remove any broken or damaged branches and/or roots.

Plan to prune your cherry trees every year during their dormant season. In Zone 6 and north, you should wait until late winter. A good reference book, such as Pruning Made Easy, can be invaluable for providing additional visuals and answering questions you may have during the pruning process.

Stimulation

In addition to the survival benefits, pruning an cherry tree stimulates stronger, more vigorous growth from the remaining buds. After a single growing season, a cherry tree you prune will be bigger, with stronger branching than a similar, unpruned cherry tree.

Shape and Structure

Equally as important to the benefits above, your cherry tree needs to be pruned to provide a strongly structured shape. The natural shape a cherry tree takes on is not always the best for its maximum fruit production. Stark Bro’s cherry trees are pruned in the nursery row for proper shaping to get you started and corrective pruning must continue at home. If you keep up with your pruning and shaping each year, it will be a reasonable task mostly involving small, easy-to-heal cuts.

Always prune sweet cherry trees to a “Central Leader” or “Main Leader”. This structure encourages scaffold development, which supports the canopy and keeps the fruit from becoming overexposed to the sun and other elements. Pie/Sour/Tart cherry trees can be pruned to a modified central leader or more of an “Open Center” or “Vase-Shaped” structure. This structure keeps the canopy open to light and air circulation, which helps protect fruit and sustain quality.

Pruning Tips

First dormant season (a year after you plant the tree): Remove the central leader and direct the tree growth toward three or four strong scaffolds. Choose branches that are evenly distributed around the trunk. Maintain about 6 inches of height between the scaffold branches, keeping the lowest branch at least 18 inches from the ground. Leave some small branches on the lower trunk to encourage trunk strength. Prune back scaffold branches to one-third of their length.
Second dormant season: Prune back fast-growing new shoots but leave twig growth, which will be future fruit-bearing wood. Choose and encourage additional scaffolds, if needed.
Third dormant season: Prune off any broken limbs or crossing branches, but don’t do any more major pruning until the tree has produced a good-sized crop.
Mature-tree pruning: Once the basic shape of your cherry tree has been established, make your pruning decisions in line with which branches are bearing fruit. Most trees produce fruit on the previous year’s long stems and on short branches (spurs), each of which will bear fruit for several years. Each year, cut out a portion of the older fruiting wood to keep rejuvenating the tree. Prune back each of last year’s stems to half their length.

Pruning angles

Narrow, V-shape crotch angles in the limbs are an open invitation to disastrous splitting later on, particularly when your cherry tree is supporting a large fruit crop. For your tree’s branches, choose wide 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock angles.

Pruning to a bud

Make sharp, clean cuts close enough (about ¼-inch away from the next outward-pointing bud) so you won’t leave a clumsy stub that’s hard to heal over. Stay far enough above the bud so it won’t die back. Slant the cuts and the new growth will develop beautifully.

Every branch has buds pointed in various directions. Because you want vigorous new growth to spread out and away from the center of the tree, make your cut above a bud that’s aimed outward. These are usually located on the underside of the branch. This helps your cherry tree develop a solid structure, keeping it strong and productive for years.

Pruning Whips (Unbranched Trees)

Unbranched cherry trees are ideal if you want more control over which branches are allowed to develop — as you might in certain artful pruning styles like espalier. Prune whips back to 28- to 36-inches above the ground at planting time. After the new branches have grown 3 to 5 inches in length, select a shoot to become the leader and the rest become the tree’s scaffold limbs.

Off-season Pruning

Sometimes pruning needs to be done even when the season isn’t ideal. If a branch is broken by the wind or by a heavy load of fruit, emergency treatment is necessary. When taking action due to injury, prune to clean up any ragged edges; making a flush cut that leaves no stub.

It does not benefit the cherry tree to wait until dormancy to prune damaged, dead, or diseased limbs or to remove unwanted growth like suckers and watersprouts. These should all be completely removed as soon as you see them.

Fruit-Thinning

There are several good reasons to thin fruit:

To reduce limb breakage
Increase the size of the remaining fruit
Improve fruit color and quality
Stimulate floral initiation for next year’s crop

Home gardeners can effectively thin cherry trees by hand if needed. During the spring, cherry trees may will start to drop or abort underripe fruit. This is a natural process that allows the tree to mature the remaining crop load. If not corrected through thinning, cherry trees may bear biennially (fruits only every other year) or bear heavily one year, then bear a comparatively light crop the next year. Thinning may seem counterproductive in theory, but it really is a benefit to your cherry harvest in the long run.

Cherry pruning: 6 rules with photos and diagrams

Cherry tree grows fast. Without regular pruning after planting, it very soon turns into a ball of woven branches. Such a tree grows poorly and bears little fruit. To prevent such problems, regular pruning is needed. Let's figure out when and how to prune cherries and how to take into account the characteristics of berry varieties.

How to prune a cherry tree

Why is it necessary
Timing of the procedure
Principles of pruning
Features of working with different types of cherries
— Tree
— Bushy
Detailed instructions
— Spring processing
— Autumn processing
Rejuvenation

Beginners, and sometimes experienced gardeners, doubt whether it is possible to cut cherries and why this should be done. We list the most important reasons that prove that the procedure is necessary.

Uncontrolled growth of twigs results in a dense crown. It gets little air and light. This dramatically reduces the number of flower buds, and, consequently, the yield.
An overgrown crown takes a lot of energy from the tree to form and grow shoots and leaves. The cherry is weakening, the harvest is decreasing.
Insect pests settle more often on thickened poorly ventilated branches, pathogenic microflora develops.

Proper pruning prevents all these problems. It has a positive effect on the plant.

What pruning does

Increases fruiting, and the berries grow larger.
Increases annual growth.
All branches receive adequate lighting and ventilation. Among them, there are fewer withering and fading.
Kidneys actively form and develop.
The tree tolerates winter cold well.

The crop tolerates pruning relatively easily. It can be done at different times. The best time is the period when there is no active sap flow. This is early spring, when the tree has not yet begun to grow, and autumn, when the plant hibernates before the cold. Spring pruning - sanitary and shaping. She is the main character of the season. It is carried out when the kidneys woke up and began to swell. In this phase, it is easy to distinguish a live branch from a dead one.

Summer pruning of cherries is possible for adult strong specimens after fruiting has ended. But even for them it is undesirable, if possible it is avoided. The active movement of the juices will not allow the wounds to heal quickly. They will drag on for a long time, which adversely affects the condition of the tree. The summer procedure involves only cutting out broken or diseased branches. The rest is left until autumn.

If the cherry trees are pruned well in spring, there will be almost nothing to do in autumn. It remains only to remove the dead and broken branches. If the crown was not formed in the spring, they do it in the fall. You can cut cherries even in winter, but at a temperature not lower than -8˚С. A sleeping tree will transfer the procedure easily, because sap flow is completely absent.

Only two steps are used to prune a crop. Let's briefly describe both.

Shortening or trimming. With it, the upper part of the shoot is cut off. They do this to accelerate the growth of new shoots and activate the buds that are located below the cut line. On a cherry tree, branches longer than 0.4 m are usually cut. At the same time, pruning can be strong when half of the grown growth is removed, medium - a third of the growth is removed, or weak. In the latter case, a quarter is cut off.
Thinning. The branch is cut off entirely, to the base. This is how weak, diseased or thickening crown shoots are removed. Its removal improves the flow of air and light to the remaining growth.

Branches can be trimmed in different ways. Let's analyze the basic techniques for performing a cut.

Shortening by transfer. Used for twigs. Leave only one branch from the fork. Usually, this is an external branching. The second branch is cut off.
Lateral branching. Cut off a thick branch-base. Leave a strong side branch.
On the ring. The branch is cut to its base.
For kidney. An oblique cut is made just above the bud, from which they plan to grow a new shoot.

An important point: all sections are immediately smeared with garden pitch or similar. This will help the plant recover and prevent infection.

Trees of different types are pruned differently. Let us briefly characterize the features of such pruning.

Tree-like varieties

The tree-like group includes large sprawling trees with a high trunk. They are characterized by the formation of ovaries on the branches of a bouquet type. Therefore, the main purpose of pruning is to stimulate the growth of fruit-bearing areas. Carry out such procedures.

Remove all small branches on the ring conductor. This strengthens the skeletal branches.
Long branches are shortened "for branching" or "for a kidney". Too short shoots up to 200 mm long are not cut.
Remove forks. Cut off shoots for branching, remove shoots that are directed upwards or along the trunk.

Bushy varieties

Plants of the bushy group are compact, with a low trunk. Fruits are formed on annual shoots. Therefore, you need to activate their growth. Conduct the following activities.

Branches with exposed ends are trimmed by a third. If this is a skeletal branch, it is cut at the level of the lateral branch directed upwards.
Cut shoots that have reached a length of 45-55 cm. This enhances branching.
Do not cut "on the ring", it is better to use the "side fork" technique.
Annual growths cannot be cut. Otherwise, the branch after fruiting may die.

How to prune cherries in spring

Sanitary pruning is carried out: all dried, broken and diseased branches are cut out. After proceed to the formation of the crown. Usually it is formed in tiers. This means that the branches are left only at the tier levels. The rest is removed. The average distance from the soil level to the lower tier is 85-100 cm. The gap between the first and second levels is 45-50 cm, and between the subsequent ones is 35-40 cm. We have prepared instructions on how to properly form tiers.

Completely remove the shoots on the trunk between the first tier and ground level.
Cut off all branches growing between the levels.
Form a tier. To do this, cut out all the extra branches inside it. There should be no more than four or six of them, the strongest and most viable. The distance between them is not less than 12-15 cm.
Clear the levels-tiers of unnecessary branches. This growth, which is located near the skeletal branches, often duplicates them. It is not recommended to shorten it, it is cut off “on the ring”.
Trim the annual growth. On skeletal branches, it can reach a meter per year. This is too much, because the root system does not have time to grow so quickly, which affects the nutrition of the tree. Remove a third of the growth that has appeared. But if the branches have grown too large, you can cut off half.
Treat the sections with a disinfectant.

Spring cutting can be completed by shortening the center conductor. Then the crown will "open" and form in the form of a bowl. This is done if they want to stimulate the growth of another level-tier or if they need to slow down the growth of a tree. The bowl-shaped crown is optimal for a tree growing in the shade. In all other cases, it is not necessary to cut the conductor. It is enough to shorten its growth a little.

How to properly prune cherries in autumn

On the eve of wintering, sanitary pruning is carried out on cherries. Do it like this.

Cut out any diseased, dead or broken branches.
Cut the shoots towards the inside of the crown.
Remove all growth on the trunk below the first tier.
Cut out the young intertwined thickened shoots.

If no formative pruning has been done in spring, it should be done in autumn.

It is performed in the spring, at the same time as pruning. For tree-like varieties, the signal for the need for the procedure is the exposure of the base of the skeletal branches and a decrease in growth to 12-15 cm. The branches are shortened to four-year-old wood. It happens that the whole escape is already exposed. It is cut to a five-year-old wood for lateral branching. Bushy varieties rejuvenate with strong exposure of twigs and growth retardation. Branches are cut to three-year-old wood. Cut into lateral branching.

Rejuvenation is carried out regularly. Every year, part of the branches are processed. If such procedures have not been carried out and the cherry is too overgrown, the anti-aging pruning is divided into stages, carried out for several years. A single-stage procedure is too traumatic, the plant may not survive. In general, you can’t remove more than a meter of branch length, this is a big stress for the tree. For the same reason, you can not cut all the branches. Part must be left so that the branch is not bare.

Contributed by

Inna Yasinovskaya

Photo

ShutterStock

Country house Plants

Cherry pruning chart with photo and video

Cherry pruning is one of the most important tree care products. And yet, many gardeners, fearing a significant reduction in fruit, do not dare to cut the branches. Others, consider this a useless exercise, which, moreover, can weaken the tree and thereby cause irreparable harm to it. However, in reality, this is a consequence of not knowing how to cut cherries correctly, and, as a result, making common mistakes.

In the meantime, regular removal of unnecessary and unnecessary branches, thinning the crown has a significant benefit. The yield increase increases several times, and the cherry berries become larger. The crown of the tree is correctly formed, without one-sidedness and thickening. The tree does not age longer and rejuvenates after such a procedure. In addition, timely pruning of diseased and old cherry branches provides prevention and additional protection against pests.

Contents

1 Technology Propiating
2 The difference in pruning between the tree and bushy
- 2.1 Buildy
- 2.2 Drain
- 3 Age features of pruning
  - 3.2 Fruiting tree
  - " cherries correctly”
  Pruning technology
  
  If the question arises of how to trim cherries correctly, you should understand that this operation is carried out according to a clear scheme and is an important part of tree care.
  
  There are two ways to prune fruit trees: thinning and pruning. Pruning or shortening consists in the partial removal of the upper part of the branches, fruits and shoots. This method enhances the growth of young shoots, contributes to the thickening of the main branches and stimulates the rapid development of buds that are located below the cut. Thinning or cutting is the removal of branches, fruits and shoots entirely. This pruning method improves the air-light regime, protecting the crown from excessive thickening, thereby strengthening fruit formations.
  
  After planting and starting the development of a seedling, it is important to form a correct, symmetrical crown. Pruning preferably done annually . Trim the tops of the tree so that it does not grow too much upwards and does not reach an enormous size. The main feature of pruning cherries is that the buds of this tree are located at the tips of the branches, so it is better to cut the branch completely, rather than shorten it. Try to remove damaged, diseased or dead branches as soon as possible, this will provide good care and protection from diseases and pests. In addition, the cut points should not be treated with special preparations, this will only slow down the process of recovery and healing, which can subsequently harm the plant.
  
  As a rule, cherries can be pruned even in winter, provided that the temperature does not fall below -8 degrees. The cuts are sensitive to cold, so this operation should not be performed in severe frost.
  
  Most often, pruning is carried out in early spring, when the juice has not yet begun to actively circulate. In summer, such an operation is carried out only when the tree is already well developed. Young seedlings will only suffer in this case, since the removal of branches with green leaves will deprive them of useful substances and strength. In the autumn period, such care is of a preventive and sanitary nature. By removing barren, old, diseased, dry branches, the tree gets rid of unnecessary burden and prepares for winter. More specifically, you can see the cherry pruning video attached below.
  
  Difference in pruning between tree and bush
  
  Bush
  
  Depending on the maximum size of an adult tree, fruiting and growth pattern, cherries are divided into two types: bush and tree. Such varieties as Bolotovskaya, Fertile, Lyubskaya belong to the bush varieties. They bear fruit, as a rule, on annual shoots and form a small tree with low stems. The main task of pruning such cherries is to maintain active shoot growth.
  
  When the ends of the branches begin to become bare on adult bush cherries, they are significantly shortened by a third of the length or even half of the shoot. Skeletal and semi-skeletal branches are shortened to lateral branches, which are well developed and grow upwards, or to dormant buds. It should be borne in mind that pruning of skeletal branches is carried out in one year, and semi-skeletal in another, so the tree adapts faster and gives a good harvest. Annual growths that appear as a result of such pruning should not be removed, since this cuts off the growth bud located at the end of the branch, and after fruiting the shoot may die. Only shoots 45-55 cm long are cut, which contributes to their branching later. The cut is best done on the lateral branch, and not on the ring.
  
  With significant bare branches and attenuation of the growth of pagons, they are slightly rejuvenated by cutting off a well-developed lateral branch, which is located on 3-4 year old wood. In case of emergency, rejuvenation is done deeper - for 4-6 year old wood, while cutting cherry branches of the second order.
  
  Tree-like
  
  Cherry cultivars that form fairly large mature trees are classified as tree-like. They bear fruit on bouquet twigs and annual shoots located on 3-6 year old wood.
  
  Cherry tree pruning is similar to bush cherry pruning, however, in addition to thinning the crown of young trees in the garden, shortening is used in order to remove forks, strengthen fruit twigs and subordinate branches. Only long shoots should be shortened, but short ones should be left without pruning.
  
  When the one-year growth is 15 cm or more, and the bases of the skeletal branches are bare, rejuvenating pruning should be carried out on 4-5 year old wood. Rejuvenation is performed on a side branch located on five-year-old wood, in cases where the ends dry out or the entire branch completely. Cherry growth should be limited when it reaches 3-4 meters by transferring the main conductor and skeletal branches to a well-developed side branch.
  
  Age characteristics of pruning
  
  Young tree
  
  Since cherries and other stone fruits grow very quickly in the garden, their pruning should be annual and start at a young age. The scheme for pruning a young cherry is to remove the branches before the buds appear, so that it has time to get stronger during the growing season.
  
  After planting, the seedling is left with a few of the strongest, most developed branches, while the rest are removed under the ring without leaving a stump. The place of the cut is treated with garden pitch. Moreover, the remaining branches should be directed in different directions, located 10-13 cm relative to each other. This is how the first pruning is carried out after planting, which allows not to spray the growth force from the main branches.
  
  In a two-year-old young tree, pruning consists in forming a crown, preventing excessive thickening of the bush. Why are the growing branches inside the crown removed, and the shoots growing on the trunk break off in the summer, when they are still green, or they are cut off the next year. So that the cherry is not too tall, in tree-like varieties, the branches growing upwards are shortened. On bushy varieties, shoots are cut that have reached a length of at least 50 cm.
  
  As the cherry grows further, new skeletal branches should be left on the trunk in the amount of 13-17 pieces, this will allow the crown to form symmetrically and correctly. Dried, damaged branches should be removed in a timely manner. The video clip shows all the nuances of pruning a young cherry.
  
  Fruit-bearing tree
  
  In an old tree, due to the death of the main branches, the volume of the crown is significantly reduced, and top shoots are formed at the base of large branches. With a slight systematic rejuvenation, this is not so pronounced, the tree continues to bear fruit abundantly.
  Learn more