When is the best time to prune a cherry tree?

Pruning of cherry trees

For cherry trees, you can cut off useless new shoots to reduce nutrient consumption, allow the remaining branches to develop fully, and make the flower buds and leaf buds full. Pruning dense branches, overgrown branches, and diseased and insect-infested branches can improve the lighting conditions of the crown and increase cherry yields.

Cherry tree pruning time

The cherry tree is pruned three times in spring, summer and autumn. It grows relatively fast and needs to be pruned well, usually three times a year.

How to prune a cherry tree

Cherry trees are mainly pruned in summer and winter. Summer pruning can reduce the excessive growth of new shoots, increase the amount of branches and leaves, improve ventilation and light conditions, form the tree shape faster, and bloom and bear fruit earlier. The main pruning methods include opening angle, pinching, twisting, bud removal, ring barking, and ring cutting.

In winter, cherry trees can be pruned after entering winter dormancy. The main methods include: shortening, slow release, pinching back, thinning branches, etc., which can reduce the loss of nutrients, allowing them to survive the winter smoothly and also benefit their growth in the coming year.

Tips for pruning cherry trees

Big cherry trees can be pruned at any time during the pruning period, but the later the better. Generally, it is appropriate to prune when the buds are close to sprouting. In addition, when pruning fruiting branches, the cut buds should not be left on the flower buds, but should be left on the 2-3 leaf buds above the flower buds. After pruning, they are susceptible to infection by pathogens, leading to gum flow or disease, and need to be sprayed with disinfectants. In addition, the ring barking technique should be used with caution on cherry trees.