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A good harvest and health of a cherry orchard is directly dependent on the annual pruning of branches and the formation of tree tops. A scientific approach to such a procedure will achieve high results and stimulate the flow of important nutrients clearly at fruit ripening. Recall that cherry pruning in the spring affects only healthy trees that can withstand this procedure. Weak or diseased plants after major surgery can simply dry out. Therefore, during the warm season, before pruning the branches, it is necessary to provide the garden with good feeding and watering.
When to prune
If throughout the winter the air temperature did not fall below 30 degrees, then cherry branches can be cut already in early spring in the month of March.
The main thing is that on this day there should be no precipitation in the form of rain or sleet, which can harm the rapid healing of wounds.
If the winter was very frosty and the air temperature dropped below 30 degrees, then in this case you need a recommendation from a specialist who can completely prohibit pruning this spring or transfer it to the beginning of sap flow.
How to prune a fruit tree
Mature trees are pruned first, because fruit-bearing stone plants release their inflorescences before vegetative buds, and here it is necessary to carry out the necessary formation of branches in time. It is not scary if such a procedure drags on until the kidneys swell. The main thing is that cherry pruning does not start with the appearance of greenery on the cone, which will certainly weaken the entire fruitful tree. Delay in the procedure will lead to the loss of nutrient reserves, as well as the shortening of new shoots.
How to prune a young tree
Young cherry trees that have not yet fruited are pruned in the spring later than mature plants, gradually forming the future garden. Pruning is carried out from seedlings, leaving only the five strongest branches. Such rules of fruit growing help to avoid further thickening of the crown, which inexperienced gardeners often sin. For example, you can watch video tutorials that will help you deal with the nuances of caring for fruit trees.
General rules and advice
Pruning of branches and fruitful crowns excludes:
- crown thickening;
- one-sidedness of tree growth;
- decrease in yield.
It is important to remember:
- when cutting the center conductor, do not leave foam on it. Their drying out can lead to an additional risk of infection of the plant with a fatal infection;
- when forming branches and moving from one tree to another, it is necessary to disinfect the instrument, excluding the spread of all kinds of wood diseases;
- each operation to remove branches should end with the decontamination of the wound with a garden solution, thereby helping the tree to quickly heal damaged areas of the bark.
All garden care activities are based solely on the characteristics of their fruiting, as well as on varieties.
In the spring, before pruning the cherry orchard, you need to find out what kind of cherry is planted: bush or tree. Bush cherry should not have branches longer than 50 cm, hence the formation of the future bush. When forming a young tree, it is necessary to carefully remove young branches, because the future of the cherry and its fertility depend on it.
Tree cherry also needs a crown, but here it is important not to overdo it with pruning young branches. Do not injure the tree and cut off many shoots at once. High varieties of trees, tree-like over time, need to be limited in growth and gradually form a crown up to 3 m. If the cherry grows quickly, increasing by 40 cm per year, then only thinning of the branches is carried out during pruning, eventually reaching the required planned height. With an average growth rate of branches up to 20 cm, the first lateral branch is shortened on the shoots of the previous year. In the event that even in spring the growth of a tree has slowed down or the renewal of shoots has completely stopped, serious pruning is applied to those places where there has been no branching since previous years.
What pruning gives:
- the correct shape of the tree;
- increases productivity;
- removes old branches;
- stimulates plant immunity;
- increases the “youth” of the tree.
Pruning cherries in the spring will give a good push to the formation of a large number of fruits on the trees and maintain high yields throughout the life of the plants. If pruned on time, then the young shoot will have time to accumulate enough nutrients to fill the fruits with taste and healthy color.
The fruit type of plants requires constant attention, and if such a tree is left without care, the yield will drop significantly next year. A good large cherry will delight the gardener if you follow all the recommendations of experts exactly. Competent pruning will not only form a beautiful crown, but will improve the immunity of the tree, preventing fungal infections and all kinds of wood diseases.
Video “Pruning cherries”
Cherry pruning rules and features in the video below.