Cherry Tree Pruning: A Guide for Beginners
Introduction
Cherry trees are beautiful and rewarding trees to grow, but they require regular pruning to produce the best fruit and maintain a healthy shape. Pruning involves removing certain branches and stems to improve the tree’s structure, promote fruit production, and prevent disease.
Why Prune Cherry Trees?
Pruning cherry trees is important for several reasons:
- Sunlight exposure: Pruning allows more sunlight to reach the tree’s branches and leaves, which is essential for fruit production.
- Air circulation: Pruning improves air circulation within the tree, which helps to prevent disease and promotes healthy growth.
- Fruit quality: Pruning helps to remove weak or diseased branches, which can improve the quality and size of the fruit.
- Tree shape: Pruning can be used to shape the tree and make it more manageable and aesthetically pleasing.
When to Prune Cherry Trees
The best time to prune cherry trees is during the dormant season, which is typically late fall or early winter. However, sweet cherry trees are an exception to this rule and should be pruned in the late summer.
How to Prune Cherry Trees
Tools you will need:
- Hand pruners
- Long-handled lopping shears
- Pruning saw
Before you start:
- Sterilize your pruning tools to prevent the spread of disease. You can wipe them down with rubbing alcohol or a bleach solution.
Pruning young cherry trees:
- Cut off any suckers (small shoots that grow from the trunk or branches).
- Remove any branches that are pointing towards the trunk or are weak or diseased.
- Head the tree in the fall or winter by cutting off the top of the leader (central trunk) to encourage growth of the lateral branches.
- Create a scaffold whorl by selecting four sturdy, evenly spaced branches and pruning out the others.
Pruning mature cherry trees:
- Remove any new vertical limbs that are growing upwards.
- Cut off any dead or diseased branches and dead fruit.
- Remove any suckers at the base of the tree.
- Remove any crossed branches.
- Cover all cuts with a tree sealant to prevent disease.
Tips for Pruning Cherry Trees:
- When pruning, try to envision how the tree will look when it’s leafed out in the summer.
- Remove any shoots that seem too closely spaced.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help from a professional arborist if you’re not sure how to prune your cherry tree properly.
Conclusion
Pruning cherry trees is an important part of maintaining their health and productivity. By following the tips outlined in this article, you can help your cherry tree thrive and produce an abundance of delicious fruit for years to come.
