Cherry Tree Pruning Methods and Key Technical Points

Cherries are currently a very expensive fruit on the market, yet their sales are remarkably good. Cherries on the market today generally cost more than thirty yuan per jin, and some even sell for over ninety or a hundred-plus yuan per jin. So in the process of growing cherries, if you want high yield and high quality, pruning the fruit tree is truly a very important matter. Below, let us take a look at how cherry trees are pruned.

I. Pruning of Young Trees

When pruning young cherry trees, our main goal 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 leggy branches on their main trunk. At the very beginning, we keep only the primary main trunk to promote the growth of the primary trunk; when they have grown to a certain extent, we then pinch the tips and top them to promote the growth of secondary trunks, 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 layered shape, or slender spindle shape.

II. Pruning of Fruiting Trees

1. Spring Pruning

Spring pruning of cherry trees mainly involves removing the newly sprouted branches, leaves, and flower buds of the cherry tree, keeping only a small portion of thick, strong new shoots to cultivate into new fruiting mother branches or reserve 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 must not only thin flowers and fruits reasonably but also, in terms of pruning, mainly use light pruning; otherwise it will harm 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 and light penetration of the canopy. There is also the need to thin branches reasonably, removing branches and leaves that are too densely grown on the fruiting mother branches, effectively controlling the number of new shoots. In addition, scientific shortening is needed: shorten the branches on some of the main and side scaffold branches of the cherry tree and cultivate them into small and medium-sized fruiting branches.

3. Autumn Pruning

After cherry trees enter September, the growth rate of new shoots will decline, while the tender leaves at the top of the cherry tree will keep growing. So to avoid nutrient consumption, we need to prune off the tender leaves of the current year's branches and leaves, which 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 too densely grown to enhance the airiness and light penetration of the canopy. Finally, remember that after pruning, it is best to take preventive measures and spray agents that promote healing 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 ability of new branches. Secondly, appropriate light shortening and pruning should also be carried out on strong fruiting mother branches, which can increase the number of fruiting branches and also control the growth of new branches. There is also medium shortening of one-year-old cherry tree branches, mainly pruning the extension branches of the tertiary trunk. Finally, when necessary, heavy shortening and renewal pruning should be carried out; these are all very beneficial to the cherry tree and can prevent the cherry tree 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.