Pruning stone fruit plants is largely similar to pruning pome fruit.
When shaping and pruning cherry trees, it is important to consider the growth and fruiting characteristics of both bush and tree varieties. Since the trunk of the cherry tree often suffers from sunburn and frost cracks, it is recommended to form the trees with a low trunk (30-40 cm).
In the crown, leave 7-8 skeletal branches for bush varieties and 5-6 for tree varieties; the distance between branches should be 8-15 cm. During the shaping process, skeletal branches are only shortened to ensure subordination. The central leader should be 15-20 cm above the ends of all skeletal branches. Branches directed upwards should be pruned so that they are directed towards the periphery.
When pruning, try to minimize the number of wounds on the central leader and skeletal branches. To do this, some of the branches are not removed at the ring but are shortened to one of the lower lateral branches. It is recommended to limit the height of the trees to 2-2.5 m.
Leave a comment