Cherry, like any stone fruit tree, needs pruning in the fall. Thanks to this procedure, a beautiful crown is formed, productivity increases, frosts are more easily tolerated, and the risk of developing diseases is reduced.
Why cut a cherry in the fall?
In autumn, pruning is carried out with the aim of thinning and rehabilitation. Are subject to removal:
- diseased, old, dry branches;
- vegetation at the base of the trunk;
- shoots that grow inside the crown;
- dense, interlaced processes.
Together with the affected branches and debris, bacteria, insects, fungal spores are removed from the leaves. This eliminates the possibility of wintering for pests.
After sanitization, the tree and the trunk circle are sprayed with a 5% urea solution. This fertilizer destroys pests, fungal and infectious pathogens.
Overgrown trees are thinned out to form a regular crown, unhindered penetration of sunlight and air.
In the fall, cherries are at rest, so pruning is easier. In the spring, active sap flow begins, the buds open. Any interference with this process may cause gum disease.
Favorable pruning time
Each region has its own procedure:
- in the middle zone of Russia, the Volga region, Moscow, Leningrad regions - this is September-mid-October;
- for the Urals and Siberia - no later than the end of September;
- in the south of the country, pruning is carried out in November.
Cutting cherry trees along with leaves is possible only in warm regions. In other areas, the procedure is performed before dropping the foliage.
The main condition is not to wait for severe frosts, otherwise the winter hardiness of the plant will decrease. Branches are cut in dry weather, before the onset of cold weather.
Inventory
Garden tools should be of high quality and safe to use. To carry out work on pruning trees, use:
- secateurs, to remove branches with a diameter of up to 3 cm and young shoots;
- delimbers, for working in hard-to-reach places and on top of trees;
- a hacksaw or a garden saw, for cutting branches more than 5 cm;
- a step-ladder for work on high grades of cherries.
Gardening supplies should be kept clean after work, this will reduce the likelihood of transmission of the disease from the infected tree to a healthy one. Another important condition is that the tools must be sharp in order to cut branches carefully and without chipping.
Working with garden gloves will protect your hands from damage. It is advisable to use latex, tarpaulin or leather gloves.
How to crop?
The shape, age, grade of a tree affects the methods and goals of pruning in the autumn, but there are universal rules common to all types:
- The first tier of the branches should not deviate from the trunk by more than 40 degrees so that the tree does not break.
- Old and thick shoots are removed by the cut-to-ring method. At the base of the branch, ring-shaped bursts are visible, which are trimmed carefully along the upper edge, without leaving stumps and injuries.
You can not cut along with the ring, this will lead to cracking of the wood, suppuration of the bark, the appearance of a hollow. - Pruning "on the kidney" is carried out to form the correct crown. For thickening, the tree is cut to the inner bud, and for thinning to the outer. The slice is performed with an inclination, departing from the kidney 5 mm.
- Dry and diseased parts of the tree are burned after removal. Disposal will save cherries from re-infection by pests.
How to prune cherry in the fall, see the video below:
Cropping by age
The goals and pruning methods for young, old, fruit-bearing trees are different. Consider the features of the procedure, depending on age.
Young
A young tree is only gaining strength, therefore, adhere to the following recommendations:
- In the first autumn, seedlings are not pruned. They can die from frost.
- In young trees, extra shoots are removed to develop the correct crown. Strong branches (4-5) are left at a distance of 10 cm from each other, growing in different directions.
- The grown trees are shortened from above, the extra branches directed inside the crown are removed.
- Skeletal and main branches in young plants are not pruned.
The fruiting during the whole life of the tree will depend on how the pruning of young cherries was carried out.
Old
In age cherries, in order to rejuvenate and increase productivity, extra branches are removed. The shoots are shortened by 1/3 of the total length, thinned out, the skeletal processes are cut to the level of developed lateral branches. Annual shoots do not touch.
In autumn, the tree is cleaned of dry, sick, overgrown branches.
Bearing fruit
During active fruiting, annual shoots weaken, and skeletal branches are exposed. In order to have more berries, a third of the main branches are cut off per meter from the tree. Developed annual shoots cut off minimally.
In the fall, branches of the crown of fruiting trees are cut off, which interfere with each other due to growth in the wrong directions.
Adult cherries are cut every 2-3 years. Pruning of young trees is carried out annually until the correct crown is formed.
Trimming according to the shape of the tree
There are two types of cherry trees: treelike and bushy. The formation of the crown and the location of the fruit occurs in different ways, and therefore care has its own nuances.
In bush varieties, flower buds are located only on annual growths, and in tree-like ones - on growths of past years, bouquet branches, annual shoots.
Bush cherry
Varieties of bushy cherries grow in the summer. In autumn, the crown is carefully thinned out. Also shoots shoots, dry and diseased branches are removed. In order for the plant not to lose strength and productivity, the following conditions are observed:
- young shoots do not cut (the branch may dry);
- branches of the crown are directed outward;
- bushes up to 50 cm long are left untouched;
- the bare ends of the branches are cut by 30-50 percent of the total length;
If the growth of bush cherries is less than 20 cm per year, intensive cleaning is carried out.
Tree cherry
The height of such a tree can reach 5 meters due to strong skeleton-forming branches, therefore, in addition to thinning, it is shortened even at a young age.
In contrast to bushy cherries, annual shoots are pruned from tree-shaped cherries. This stimulates the development of lateral branches. Gardeners prefer a combined or sparse-tier system when caring for tree varieties.
Do I need to cut the branches of felt cherry?
One of the differences between felt cherries and other varieties is the absence of thickening growth, which simplifies the pruning process, but does not cancel it.
The crown of felt cherries is thinned out annually, leaving no more than 10-12 bush shoots. Annual branches do not touch, as berries are formed on them. The exception is half-meter branches, they are cut by 1/3.
Compliance with pruning conditions increases the life expectancy of felt cherries.
How to take care of a cherry after pruning?
Cut places are treated with garden varieties, pasta or putty. They do this in order to:
- prevent bacteria and insects from entering;
- trees did not lose a lot of fluid (moisture comes out of the wound in the first hours).
To activate the protective forces of the tree, after trimming, the Novosil biostimulator is sometimes used (per 10 liters of water per ml of the drug).
Before glossing the sections, gently cut off irregularities. The composition is applied to a dry surface with a wooden spatula or spatula.
Notes, Tips, and Tips
Those who are just starting to prune cherry trees will find it useful to heed the recommendations of experienced gardeners:
- Before forming the crown, file the top of the trunk to the optimum height and only then clear the crown of excess shoots.
- If in doubt, which branches to trim, then look at the kidneys. Branches with less kidneys are cut.
- An excess of unnecessary branches in one tree is removed in several seasons.
- Young cherries do not cut much, otherwise the fruit will become smaller.
- The branches of a biennial tree, which grew more than 60 cm, are shortened by a third.
- Horizontal branches give a good harvest of berries. It is necessary to ensure that they grow up.
- The shoots of the first tier, growing down, cut off.
- To increase productivity, tree growth is limited to 3 m. At the same time, it is observed that the central stem is 20 cm higher than the upper branches.
Some summer residents are guided by the lunar calendar, before trimming. The days when the moon is waning and before the new moon are considered favorable.
It is useful for beginner gardeners to study the structure of the cherry tree, to learn to distinguish between growths, vegetative and bouquet branches. Proper pruning helps cherry trees tolerate winter cold more easily and increases longevity.