How to prune a cherry tree

How much do you know about cherry tree pruning? If you don't know how to prune a cherry tree, please read the following content.

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Cherry tree pruning

The best time to prune a cherry tree during its dormant period is when it is close to budding. Pruning too early can easily cause water loss in the wound, leading to branch death and gum flow. Pruning after budding can help the wound heal faster. Therefore, pruning of outdoor cherry trees should be done when the buds are budding, while pruning of cherry trees in protected areas can be done when the temperature starts to rise.

How to prune a cherry tree

1. Shorten

① Light pruning, cut off 1/5 to 1/4 of the cherry branches. Light pruning has the effect of weakening the apical dominance of the branches, which is beneficial to improve the germination rate, increase the amount of short branches, and form more bouquet-shaped fruiting branches. Therefore, light pruning of horizontal branches and oblique branches on young trees can increase the amount of short branches and help early fruiting. ② Medium pruning, cut off 1/3 to 1/2 of the branches. During the shaping and pruning of cherry trees, medium pruning is usually performed on the backbone branches and the developmental branches with growth space on the periphery, which can generally promote 3 to 5 medium and long branches, which is beneficial to expand the crown. ③ Heavy pruning, cut off 2/3 of the branches. This method is mostly used to balance the tree potential of young trees, such as heavy pruning of one-year-old strong branches of vigorous branches, which can reduce the growth potential of vigorous branches. It can also be used to cultivate fruiting branch groups, such as heavy pruning of the branches on the back of the backbone branches to lower the branching position, and then slowly release the branches that have emerged in the second year to cultivate fruiting branch groups. ④ Extremely heavy pruning, leaving only 4 to 5 buds at the base. This method is mostly used to control competing branches and overly vigorous branches. If there are axillary flower buds at the base of the branches to be thinned out, you can first do an extremely heavy pruning, retain the flower buds at the base, and then thin them out after the fruiting.

2. Thinning branches

Thinning mainly involves removing overcrowded branches, crossed branches, and overlapping branches, which can reduce nutrient consumption and improve light conditions. However, pruning and thinning of protected cherry trees during the dormant period should not be too much, and the main purpose is to adjust the tree shape after the fruit is harvested. And the wounds should be protected well, and lead oil can be used to apply to the wounds to prevent gum flow or cracking of the wounds.

3. Retraction

Pruning can reduce the fruiting parts, save nutrients, and enhance growth potential. It is mostly used for the renewal and rejuvenation of fruiting branches. For example, pruning drooping branches to upper branches and pruning weak branches to strong branches. For cherry trees in the peak fruit-bearing period, the growth of new shoots is weakened, some branches droop, and the middle and lower parts of the crown are bare. In order to improve light, reduce the number of small branches on large branches, and concentrate nutrients and water on the remaining branches, pruning can renew and rejuvenate the fruiting branches. After the large branches are retracted, several sprouts can generally be drawn out at the retracted part. Choose one with strong growth and suitable orientation as the renewal branch, and adjust the angle in time. Excess sprouts should be erased to promote the growth of renewal branches.

4. Slow down

Not pruning one-year-old branches is called slow release. Generally speaking, the growth potential of slow release branches decreases year by year, the number of medium and long branches decreases, and the number of short branches and bouquet-shaped fruit branches increases, which is conducive to fruiting. However, it is not advisable to slow release strong branches, especially upright strong branches. Even if slow release is done, it must be pressed down before slow release. For young sweet cherry trees and early fruiting trees, some medium-growing flat and oblique branches can be slowed to promote more bouquet-shaped fruit branches and early fruiting.