Cherry trees are some of the most beautiful trees, and no matter if you are looking at them when the flowers begin to bloom, or if you are picking up the fruits and enjoying them, you have to appreciate these trees. Just like any other vegetation, these trees need care and they need to be properly grown if you want them to be healthy and to give you a lot of fruits every year.
Pruning the tree is one of the most important parts of the care since this process will allow the branches to grow, it will keep the tree healthy, and ultimately, it will keep your garden looking better. If you don’t know when you should prune the cherries, or if you don’t know how to do that, you’ve come to the right place. In this 2024 beginners guide, we will give you some easy tips and tricks on how and when to finish this process, and you will ensure that your vegetation is healthy and protected all year round.
When to prune them?
The first thing we are going to talk about is when is the right time to prune your trees. Well, it mainly depends on the type of cherries you have. If you have sweet cherries, you should know that they are the most susceptible to diseases and fungus, and you should be extra careful when you are doing this process.
When it comes to sweet cherries, you should only prune them in the late summer months. Note that when you cut the branches of any tree, that reduces their energy, so you need to be extra careful. Because of this, experts suggest that you do some thinning cuts that will help the vegetation to grow.
The most common types of cherry trees usually don’t need as much care and delicacy when it comes to this process, so experts suggest that you should do the pruning process when they are dormant. They are dormant during the cold months in the winter, so you have a lot of time to pick when you want to finish this task.
Note that the dormant process is the best one, because, as we said, when you cut branches off, that takes away the energy of the cherries. However, when you do that in winter, their energy will be left unchanged. It is said that you should do it as late as possible, and you should do this, so it does not cause any harm to your cherries.
The last timetable we are going to talk about is when you should cut the branches of the young trees. The winter months are great when it comes to larger and older vegetation, and when it comes to young and fragile cherries, you need to pay attention to the time as well.
As you can see on websites like thoughthub.com.au, the young trees should be pruned only in early spring, and you should always wait for the weather to get at least a little bit warm so that you don’t injure the cherries.
How to do this?
The first thing we are going to talk about is to explain what thinning cuts are. By definition, this process is when you remove the entire branch of the cherries and that should end to the point of the origin or where the branch is growing. Note that you are aiming to open up the canopy.
When it comes to mature trees, then you should start by removing any parts of the vegetation that are not vital and that only prevent the tree from growing and getting all the nutrients it needs. You should remove any branches that look dead, that are injured, or that have any type of disease on them.
Sometimes this will mean that you will need to cut away many branches, but at the end of the day, it is better to let your cherries grow strong than to risk letting diseased parts harm the whole tree. See if there are any weak branches that are going to potentially fall down after a while, and see if there are any branches that are resting on others, touching them, or just crossing them. You should remove all of them so that you let the vegetation breathe and have enough room to grow.
The next thing you should do is start cutting the parts that are healthy and that you want to grow faster and stronger. Experts suggest that you should cut the older branches to the main one, or when it comes to younger parts, you should not cut further than the side shoot. By doing this, you will promote healthy growth, and any parts that were becoming weaker will now grow stronger.
The last thing you should pay attention to is how long should the branches be. It is said that you should never cut branches that are less than 12 inches long because this will just harm them and it may make them dry out. You should shorten branches that are longer, but once again, you should pay attention of the side shoot is old or young. In case it is young, you need to be much more delicate and careful about the process. You should cut down any side shoots that look like they are going to come over other branches, and pay attention to their overall growth.
These are some of the things that you should know about pruning cherry trees. In case you don’t know how to do it, or if you don’t feel comfortable doing it on your own, you can always consult with an expert and hire a service to do this process for you. Note that in case you are doing it on your own, you should always use the right tools, you should never forget to sharpen your tools before the process, and you should always sterilize the sheers before you start cutting. The best thing you can do is carry a measurement tape with you, so you don’t make any mistakes or miscalculations during the process.
