How and when to prune a Cherry Tree

shane_ctr · 11-11-2019, 01:55 PM

I am after some advice on how to prune/trim back a cherry tree in my garden. When i moved in just under 5 years ago it was very small but has now grown rather large and i would like to trim it back a little but unsure how and when is best to do this.

The pictures where taken early October so the leaves are now yellow and are starting to drop off the tree.

Thanks in advance.

fred-the-red · 11-11-2019, 07:35 PM

Google is your friend.

The rule of thumb when pruning fruit trees is to do so when the tree is dormant during the winter. Cutting back sweet cherries is an exception to this rule. Sweet cherries are more susceptible to fungal and bacterial diseases, especially on recently cut limbs, so it is best to prune them in the late summer.

Marve · 12-11-2019, 09:24 AM

I have a very old apple tree and we were advised that now, so beginning of the cold weather, is the time to trim it back and reshape it and then the beginning of Spring is the time to thin it out.

We tried to do this last year and although we ended up doing much more trimming back and reshaping in the spring as well, the tree responded brilliantly and we had a much better harvest of apples than the year before.

11-11-2019, 01:55 PM	#1
shane_ctr OCD Sufferer (Obsessive Car Detailer) Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Woodbridge Posts: 2,435 Thanks: 1,197 Thanked 333 Times in 263 Posts	How and when to prune a Cherry Tree I am after some advice on how to prune/trim back a cherry tree in my garden. When i moved in just under 5 years ago it was very small but has now grown rather large and i would like to trim it back a little but unsure how and when is best to do this. The pictures where taken early October so the leaves are now yellow and are starting to drop off the tree. Thanks in advance.

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11-11-2019, 07:35 PM	#2
fred-the-red Sponge Jockey Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 45 Thanks: 30 Thanked 21 Times in 17 Posts	Google is your friend. The rule of thumb when pruning fruit trees is to do so when the tree is dormant during the winter. Cutting back sweet cherries is an exception to this rule. Sweet cherries are more susceptible to fungal and bacterial diseases, especially on recently cut limbs, so it is best to prune them in the late summer.

12-11-2019, 09:24 AM	#3
Marve PC Perfectionist Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 421 Thanks: 156 Thanked 280 Times in 162 Posts	I have a very old apple tree and we were advised that now, so beginning of the cold weather, is the time to trim it back and reshape it and then the beginning of Spring is the time to thin it out. We tried to do this last year and although we ended up doing much more trimming back and reshaping in the spring as well, the tree responded brilliantly and we had a much better harvest of apples than the year before.

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