Every gardener knows that high-quality and timely pruning of cherries provides abundant fruiting and health. But this plant, in comparison with the apple tree and other fruit trees, needs much more attention, since it is thermophilic and does not tolerate even the slightest frost.
Need to trim
Trimming is needed to provide:
- proper crown formation;
- growth control;
- rejuvenation;
- removal of dried branches;
- yield improvement;
- disease prevention;
- insect protection.
To perform the correct pruning, it is necessary to take into account the timing of flowering and fruiting, as well as to see the difference between generative (flowering) and vegetative (growth) branches, the emergence of young shoots comes from the latter. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the type of plant, since pruning of tree and bush cherries is performed differently.
Season selection
Cherry is cut in the spring only if there is no risk of frost at night. The most suitable time is considered to be the beginning of March.
In autumn, pruning of the fruit tree is carried out only after the end of the fruiting period. In different regions, the timing of the cessation of vegetation varies. In addition, the weather should be sunny and clear. The end of the growing season is related to temperature; in the south, the plant bears fruit much longer than in the north.
In summer, pruning is not carried out, with the exception of cases when the plant is affected by the disease.
Features of spring pruning
Spring pruning is considered the main for the formation of the plant. Since the cherry tree is thermophilic, the branches are shortened immediately after the swelling of the buds. For high-quality pruning in the spring, you must perform the procedure step by step:
- Tools are being prepared: secateurs, scissors.
- Branches that can thicken the crown are removed. And those that grow upwards are cut off under the base, leaving branches that are parallel to the ground.
- The trunk is freed from diseased and old branches - they pull out all the nutrients and juices from the plant, without any benefit.
- If the shoots are less than 30 cm long, then they do not move, only branches that interfere with the development of the others are removed. Next, you need to trim the trunk, its height above the frame should be about twenty centimeters.
The procedure is performed before the start of the growing season, otherwise the plant will become ill and will recover for a long time.
Much more time is devoted to pruning felt-type cherries. In the first year, the plant is shortened by half a meter, in the second year, approximately 25% of the lateral branches are removed. This type of cherry has a dense crown and it does not bear fruit, so you need to leave the skeletal branches and shorten them by only 10 centimeters, the remaining shoots are cut to the base.
Features of summer pruning
During the growing season, all damage to the shoots heal for a long time, so in the summer, pruning a cherry tree is necessary only if there are diseases.
It is allowed occasionally to slightly cut off the interfering shoots, but their removal can be done only if there are signs of the disease. Affected branches are immediately cut and burned, in order to avoid the transition of the disease to healthy ones.
Features of autumn pruning
Pruning a cherry tree in the fall allows her to get ready for winter faster. Timing is related to the climatic conditions of the region. In the south, branches are removed until November, and in the north (Siberia) - until the end of September.
At the same time, novice gardeners should know that autumn pruning should not be performed on young trees, as this provokes their weakening. As a result, cherries are not able to winter.
Tree pruning scheme in autumn:
- All branches that interfere with the development of other shoots are removed. Skeletal branches are left (first order, moving away from the tree trunk), which are responsible for the formation of the crown.
- Weak shoots remain intact, as it is recommended to remove them in the spring.
- Too powerful vertical shoot is reduced to the size of the side.
All sections of the sections are lubricated with a resinous substance, for their faster tightening. During the pruning of a plant in autumn, one should not miss the moment when the movement of juice is slowed down, and the cold has not yet arrived. If the pruned shoots are frozen, and the branches dry, the tree may become sick.
How to prune?
Features of pruning vary depending on the age and shape of the cherry.
Age differences
The basic principle for the cultivation of recently planted plants is the creation of the correct crown. Saplings are practically not affected by diseases, pruning in order to destroy the branches affected by the disease is not relevant.
During the cherry planting, the branches are cut off immediately, leaving only 5-6 of the strongest. It is preferable that the left branches look in opposite directions - this contributes to the formation of a spreading crown.
About 2 meters long branches are removed from seedlings at the age of 2 years. They can be shortened by a third, and then cut the shoots, inclined to the ground. In trees eighty centimeters high, the branches are shortened to the buds. It is recommended to use a tool with a sharpened blade.
During the fruiting of the plant, depletion and faster aging of the cherry occur, therefore, the branches undergo cultivation. Due to constant rehabilitation, the tree ceases to deplete itself.
When pruning old trees, the main task is to remove diseased and dried branches that prevent the formation of young shoots. These are mandatory actions that will prevent the occurrence of diseases and the death of cherries. If the trees have strongly bending and downward stretching branches, then they should also be removed.
Shape differences
When pruning a tree plant, branches placed below 70 centimeters above the soil are removed. Cut at an angle, getting rid of interwoven. The crown is given a vase shape. New shoots are shortened slightly to obtain young branches and lateral branches. The height of such a tree should be at least 3.5 meters.
If the plant is a shrub, then it must be carefully thinned. The branches located below the crown in relation to the trunk are at least 40 degrees, so that in the future there are no faults. Trimming branches that tend to compete with the main trunk will help create a powerful skeleton.
Treating a cherry tree is a difficult task. But, if you correctly perform spring and autumn pruning of the plant, you can avoid the development of various diseases, and accordingly, he will not need treatment.
Thanks to pruning, you can improve the tree, clean the crown, increase productivity and prevent infection by various pests.
