Spreading branches of flowering cherry are a charming decoration of any garden. A variety of varieties will delight even the most demanding gardener. This tree is also interesting in shape. It can be presented in the form of a stately tree or a bushy bush. In order for the cherry to please not only the form, but also the abundance of the crop, it should be carefully and carefully taken care of. Leaving mainly includes annual pruning.
Cherry tree pruning: why, how and when
The correct pruning of cherries in the spring is extremely important for the health and vitality of the plant. Photos of the process, posted later in the article, will demonstrate everything clearly. This procedure allows you to form the correct shape of the crown, inside of which air will circulate well and into which enough light will penetrate to ripen the fruit. The crown can begin to form in the fifth year after planting.
Being a heat-loving culture, cherries do not tolerate frosts and pruning, so it is better to start later, for example, in the second half of March, when the possibility of frost return is minimal. But the timing is variable depending on the climate zone. A prerequisite is the beginning of pruning before the start of the sap flow process.
First of all, dried-up, diseased branches that can infect the whole tree, and damaged, “drinking” nutritious juices are cut off. All sections should be covered with garden varnish or ointment for pruning, but not on a bitumen basis. The processing process largely depends on whether bushy or tree-like cherries grow in your garden.
Pruning cherry tree spring
The process of processing cherries is complex, painstaking and requires accuracy.
- The first level of branches begins at a distance of 70 cm - 1 m above the ground. The branches below are deleted.
- Cropping is done at an angle. All interwoven branches are deleted.
- Particular attention is paid to giving the crown a vase shape.
- Annual shoots are shortened slightly. This allows you to get a sufficient number of side branches and new bouquet branches.
- A trunk height of 3.5 meters or more requires vertical restriction.
Bush cherry pruning
Requires merciless thinning bush cherry. Spring pruning of trees of this variety has a number of features, since they are prone to thickening, which, in turn, leads to smaller fruits and lower yields.
- The lower branches should extend from the trunk at an angle of a maximum of 40 degrees, otherwise the tree may break with time.
- Creating a good powerful skeleton requires pruning branches competing with the main trunk.
- Two-year-old seedlings are pruned branches that have reached a length of half a meter. They can be shortened by a third.
- All shoots growing to the ground are removed.
- Semi-skeletal and skeletal shoots are shortened to sleeping buds.
- You can leave shoots only at a plant that has reached 80 cm in height.
- We work with a well-sharpened tool.
The specifics of pruning young cherry
Pruning cherries in spring during planting will ensure the formation of a strong, abundantly fruiting adult plant with a good crown and a strong root system. First of all:
- identify the leader branch. This will be the strongest vertical branch;
- leave 5 branches for the crown, located at a distance of 10 cm from each other and directed in different directions.
- cut branches growing at an angle or diagonally;
- shoots located on the base of the trunk, remove to enhance the nutrition of the whole tree;
- be sure to trim intersecting branches.
It should be remembered that bushy cherries, unlike tree-shaped cherries, bear fruit only on annual shoots, which means that pruning of cherries in spring should be more thorough. In general, pruning should be approached thoughtfully and carefully, since right now the plant is growing and bearing fruit. Mistakes in the process can be the main cause of low yields.
Rejuvenation of an old tree
A ripe process of rejuvenation requires a ripe cherry. Pruning in the spring will increase yield. There is one general rule for all cherries, both tree and bush: do not remove many branches at once.
The bare ends of bushy cherry branches indicate the need for pruning. The number of branches is reduced by shortening the shoot length by half or a third. Skeletal and semi-skeletal branches should be removed to the level of sleeping kidneys . They must be removed in different years, that is, in one year, skeletal branches are cut off, in another - half-skeletal branches. Otherwise, the plant does not have enough strength to bear fruit.
Trees are rejuvenated a little differently. Annual shoots are shortened quite a bit, because it is on them that the fruits will subsequently appear. The crown should be rejuvenated if the bases of the skeletal branches are bare, and their annual growth does not exceed 15 cm. In case of drying out of the branches in the middle of the crown, side branches should be cut on five-year-old wood.
The specifics of pruning felt varieties of cherries
Felt cherry has aromatic, juicy and delicate fruits. Fruiting begins the next year after planting. Productivity is high. All this is obtained with proper care and timely pruning. Pruning felt cherries in spring should be done annually and be strong, as the crown of the plant is very thickened. Crop is mainly formed on annual shoots, and a larger number will provide greater productivity. However, they should still be shortened by a third if the shoot length exceeds 60 cm. Pruning cherries in the spring means removing all old, diseased, damaged, cracked or dried branches, as well as those directed inward. On the old felt cherry, the side shoots are removed onto the ring, while the central part of the crown and peripheral skeletal branches should not be affected. After thinning, 12 strong shoots should remain.
If you want a beautiful fruit-bearing cherry to grow in your garden, pruning in the spring should be carried out taking into account the condition of the tree, its age and variety. A well-formed young trees will consistently receive a high yield of ripe and juicy berries.