When is the best time to prune a cherry tree? A detailed guide to pruning times and methods
Cherries are a fruit that is currently very expensive on the market but sells very well. Cherries on the market today generally cost more than thirty yuan per jin, and some even sell for over ninety or one hundred yuan per jin. So in the process of growing cherries, if you want high yield and high quality, pruning the fruit trees is indeed a very important matter. Below, let's take a look at how cherry trees are pruned.
I. Pruning young trees
The main purpose of pruning young cherry trees is to promote the growth of their branches and trunk and form a complete tree shape. For newly planted cherry trees, we generally prune some of the excess side branches, messy branches and water sprouts on the main trunk. At the very beginning, we keep only the first-level main trunk to promote the growth of the first-level trunk; when they have grown to a certain extent, we then pinch the tips and remove the growing points to promote the growth of the second-level trunk, and then gradually cultivate the lower-level trunks. Finally, the canopy can be pruned into a natural open-center shape, free spindle shape, small-canopy stratified shape or slender spindle shape.
II. Pruning fruit-bearing trees
1. Spring pruning
Spring pruning of cherry trees is mainly about removing the newly sprouted branches, leaves and flower buds, keeping only a small number of thick, strong new buds to cultivate into new fruiting mother branches or backup branches. Secondly, cherries generally ripen in spring, so to reduce nutrient consumption, we need to pinch the tips reasonably. Also, precisely because cherries ripen in this season, we should not only thin flowers and fruits reasonably, but also try to prune lightly, otherwise it will damage the cherry tree and affect its fruit yield.
2. Summer pruning
Generally by summer, the cherries have basically all been harvested, so we need to carry out a new round of pruning and orchard cleanup. At this stage, we mainly twist the newly grown shoots of the cherry tree, which can effectively use space, increase the number of fruiting mother branches, and will not affect the airiness of the canopy. In addition, we need to thin branches reasonably, removing the branches and leaves that are too densely grown on the fruiting mother branches, and effectively control the number of new shoots. We also need to scientifically shorten branches, cutting back some of the branches on the main and side scaffold branches of the cherry tree and cultivating them into small and medium-sized fruiting branches.
3. Autumn pruning
After cherry trees enter September, the growth rate of new shoots slows down, but the young leaves at the top of the cherry tree keep growing, so to avoid nutrient consumption, we need to prune off the young leaves of the current year's branches and leaves. This can reduce nutrient consumption and promote the growth of fruiting mother branches and flower bud differentiation. Secondly, we also need to thin out branches and leaves that are growing too densely to enhance the airiness of the canopy. Finally, remember that after pruning it is best to take preventive measures and spray agents that promote healing, so as to avoid infection.
4. Winter pruning
By winter, we first need to shorten some of the branches and leaves of the cherry tree, which can enhance the growth capacity of new branches. Secondly, the strong fruiting mother branches also need appropriate light shortening and pruning, which can increase the number of fruiting branches and also control the growth of new branches. In addition, the one-year-old cherry tree branches should be cut back to a medium length, mainly pruning the extension shoots of the third-level trunk. Finally, when necessary, heavy cutting back and renewal pruning should be carried out, which is very beneficial to the cherry tree and can prevent it from aging.
The above is the complete introduction to cherry tree pruning methods. If you want to learn more detailed pruning techniques, you can leave a message below to consult the editor.