Cherry tree pruning is a necessary operation to create the right conditions for the tree to produce its delicious fruit year after year. Young cherry trees should be pruned to give them a vase-like shape to allow light and air to circulate between the foliage and branches. In subsequent years, dry branches and diseased parts must be removed to keep the tree healthy and strong. Read on to learn how to prune the cherry tree at each stage of its life.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Give the Tree a Direction
Step 1. Sterilize and sharpen the shears
If they are dirty and blunt you risk making the tree susceptible to disease. To sterilize the shears, prepare a solution of 1 part bleach and 9 part water, soak the shears in the solution, then rinse them with warm water and dry them with a clean cloth.
- It certainly takes a few more minutes, but it's worth making sure the tree doesn't get damaged in the process.
- Make sure they are sharp so you don't damage the wood when you cut.
- Sterilize the shears every time you use them.
Step 2. Measure the cherry tree
Before pruning it, measure the tree to see if it is tall enough. If the sapling has grown a little longer, wait until it is at least 75 cm tall. Waiting for the tree to have stabilized will avoid weakening it.
Step 3. Cut the top off in the fall or winter when the tree is still dormant
Trim the top 60-90cm by holding the blades at 45 ° to make the tree less prone to disease and rot. It is important to do this within the first or second year of planting the cherry tree so that you can manage its shape as it grows.
- If you wait until spring, it will have developed buds and it will be late.
- If you prune the tree when the buds have formed, the energy the tree has devoted to flowering will be wasted.
Method 2 of 3: Create a Climbed Structure
Step 1. Wait a year, then create a cone-shaped scaled structure
This is given by the set of 4 lateral branches that extend from the central trunk and which guarantee a stable structure while maintaining the shape of the tree well balanced. The winter following the cutting of the top, when the tree goes dormant again, create the first climbed structure by choosing four sturdy and equidistant branches.
Step 2. Choose 4-5 branches that are about 20cm apart
Look for branches that grow at a 45 or 60 degree angle to the trunk. They are the most suitable.
Step 3. Cut each of the four branches, leaving them at a length of approximately 60 cm
Make the cuts in the corners about 1 cm above the buds; a new growth will form where you cut off.
Step 4. Leave two secondary branches on each main branch
Choose two sturdy and well spaced. Cut the remaining ones flush with the base. This will help the tree focus its energy on the remaining branches and produce a greater concentration of fruit.
Step 5. Cut off the other branches completely
Make sharp cuts flush on the main trunk, so that only the branches that are part of the climbed structure remain.
Step 6. Create a second structure climbed the following winter
After another growing season, the tree will be taller and with more branches. Examine it and evaluate which branches you want to keep to create a second structure about 60 cm beyond the first.
Choose those branches that do not fall directly on top of the previous ones. Again create a cone shape so that sunlight can reach all branches of the tree
Method 3 of 3: Prune a Mature Tree
Step 1. Continue to encourage outward growth
After the third year of growth, it is no longer necessary to create new conical structures. Instead, you need to promote outward growth and cut the branches that grow vertically. Those that grow outward produce more fruit than those that grow vertically. To get the maximum amount of fruit possible, consider tying a rope to the branches and pinning it into the ground during the growing season.
Now that the tree has grown a little more, you will need to equip yourself with bigger tools. Loppers and pruning saws are suitable tools for trees that have become too large to be pruned with shears. Make sure your tools are sharp and clean before using them
Step 2. Cut off dead parts during the dormant phase of the tree
No matter how old the tree is, you must always prune it in the winter, when it rests. Remove dead or dry branches, leaves and dead fruit. Throw them in the compost pile or throw them away in some other way.
Remember to always sterilize the equipment before using it, even if you just have to cut dry branches
Step 3. Cut the new shoots and seedlings
If you notice that there are sprouts at the base of the cherry tree, you need to cut them. Pull out the seedlings as well, so the cherry tree roots don't have to compete with a new tree.
Step 4. Maintain the shape of the tree
Each season, step away from the cherry tree and observe it to see if it is taking on a correct shape. Prune new branches that do not fit into the climbed structure, as well as those that cross each other. Remember that the goal is to create an open shape, so that sunlight and air can also reach the center of the tree and thus facilitate the formation of fruits.
- If you see branches crossing over, choose one to remove.
- Non-fruiting branches can be cut flush with the main trunk.
Step 5. Clean the soil of all cut branches and pruning debris
Cherry trees are quite prone to disease, so it's best to remove all cuttings once the process is done, especially if you have cut any deadwood.
Step 6. Do emergency pruning if needed
A branch could get sick or die during the spring or summer, the least suitable time to prune the cherry tree. If this happens, however, you must cut the branch, even if the tree is not dormant. The disease could spread to other parts if you don't eliminate the source right away.
If you are working on a diseased tree, you need to clean the equipment with each cut. Soak the tools in a bleach solution, wash them with hot water and dry them before proceeding
Advice
- When learning how to prune a cherry tree, you need to keep in mind that it is a sensitive and disease-prone tree. Therefore, it is important to prune it in the right conditions, at the right time and using the right tools.
- You need to know the type of cherry you have before you prune it. If you cut a cherry tree at the wrong time of the year, or remove the fruit-producing buds, you can ruin the harvest season or even permanently damage the tree's ability to produce it. Bing, black, flowering, and Japanese are some of the different cherry varieties.
- If you are pruning diseased cherry trees, be sure to clean the shears with disinfectant after each cut. This will help prevent the spread of fungal diseases or infections.
- Although most fruit trees are pruned in the winter when they are in the dormant stage, it is best to prune the cherry tree in the summer if you want to prevent a disease called silver leaf, which causes leaf discoloration and death.
- You can seal all pruned branches with healing putty to prevent germs, bacteria and fungi from spreading between the branches.
Warnings
- Do not prune the cherry tree when the weather is humid. This tree is prone to diseases caused by fungal infections, and is more likely to suffer from them when the branches are cut and exposed to humid environments.
- Do not prune it until it has produced the fruits of the season, otherwise you cannot have the cherries until the following year.
- Don't cut it if you don't have healing putty. Without this product, newly pruned sensitive branches are prone to diseases and fungi.
