Certainly, many gardeners have plenty of fruit trees that also require special care. For instance, cherries. With proper attention in the fall, they can reward you with such a bountiful harvest in the next season that you might find yourself selling the berries.
Pruning is essential for cherries and other stone fruit crops as it promotes healthy tree growth.
Firstly, the procedure helps rejuvenate the tree.
Secondly, pruning serves as a preventive measure against diseases.
Thirdly, thinning the crown and trimming weak and diseased shoots strengthens the tree before the frost. Overall, this procedure increases yield.
Timing
Depending on the climate and weather conditions, the timing may vary. Experienced gardeners begin pruning stone fruits after leaf fall. It is believed that at this time, the tree copes better with stress. However, there should be at least a week remaining before stable freezing weather sets in.
How to Prune
1. When pruning young trees, focus primarily on the shoots growing inward towards the crown, as well as on dry, diseased, and damaged branches.
2. For older trees, rejuvenating pruning is necessary, which involves cutting off old and inward-growing shoots. The main long branches are shortened by about one-third, while very old ones are cut back completely without leaving stubs.
3. You can also shorten the upper branches to restrict the tree's growth.
After completing the work, don’t forget to treat the cut areas with garden paste.