Cherry pruning scheme and tree formation, when is it better and how to do it right
Proper and timely maintenance of the garden is essential for a high yield. All gardeners know that cherries, the pruning of which allows their constant growth and correct crown formation, can be a decoration of any summer cottage. Knowing the basic rules for pruning and the requirements for this process, the gardener will achieve a stable harvest and normal development of the tree.
Advantages and disadvantages of the procedure
By pruning a tree, several goals are achieved simultaneously:
- the crown is thinned out - excess branches growing inside the trunk are removed, which leads to an increase in air access. This is a necessary preventive measure against the development of fungal diseases;
- in order to have a good harvest, the branches of old trees are rejuvenated, which serves to improve development and increase fruiting;
- dry and diseased shoots are removed;
- the overall growth of sweet cherries decreases, and therefore it becomes more convenient to harvest;
- the taste of berries improves;
- the resistance of the tree to frost in the winter season increases.
But if the pruning is done incorrectly and at the wrong time, it will harm the tree and cause the development of diseases, as a result, a drop in yield.
Optimal timing
Gardeners disagree on the correct timing of pruning. Some think it should be held in the spring, others in the fall. But, according to qualified specialists, pruning should be done at least three times a year.
Spring
There are two opinions about the time of the beginning of spring pruning: in early spring, before the start of sap flow, or later, when the tree has already woken up after winter - both options are suitable. In the first case, it is easier to consider the peculiarities of crown formation, in the second, the wound healing process improves. This allows you to painlessly thin out the skeletal branches and remove the apex.
But the main condition in determining the timing is to wait until a stable above-zero temperature is established, when no night frosts will happen. The exact timing depends on the climatic characteristics of the region. In the north of Russia, the procedure is performed in early April, in the south - at the end of winter, in temperate latitudes - closer to mid-March.
Summer
In summer, cherries are pruned twice:
- the first time - in early June, after the formation of the ovary. The ends of the shoots of this year are removed, which stimulates the growth of lateral ones;
- the second - in July, when the crop has already been harvested.If a long spring has come out or the tree belongs to species with late ripening varieties, pruning is carried out in August. During this period, extra branches are removed, and the shoots that have grown after the first treatment are shortened by ten centimeters.
Such a choice of timing allows the tree, even in the short summer of the northern regions, to recover and stock up on nutrients.
To increase yields, the following methods are used:
- remove shoots parallel to the trunk. The most fruiting branches are located horizontally, after the procedure, the supply of nutrients to them increases;
- bending branches with ropes. This reduces the need for trimming and sets the desired direction for the skeletons. The ropes are attached with pegs, and after a while, when the crown takes a given shape, they are removed.
By combining these methods, you can achieve a significant increase in yield.
Autumn
Most gardeners know that after fruiting and harvesting, as well as subsequent pruning in the summer, the need for this procedure arises in the fall.
This is due to the need to achieve the following tasks:
- thin out the crown, remove damaged and diseased branches growing at the wrong angle;
- shorten the shoots by a third.
The procedure begins after the foliage has fallen off, so that a detailed view of the tree becomes possible. The timing of the end depends on the region, but the pruning must be completed much earlier than the onset of cold weather, so that the damaged sites can be overgrown, since at cold temperatures this process is much slower.
The need for winter pruning
Winter pruning is carried out on old trees in order to rejuvenate the crown. Works are carried out towards the end of winter, in the most favorable and warm weather. With this treatment, not only old branches are removed, the procedure is necessary so that the cherry is not tall. Branches growing upward are removed, which facilitates access when picking berries.
The main types of cherry pruning
Depending on the purpose, the following types of trimming are distinguished:
- shaping - produced for young trees in the spring season;
- sanitary - most often performed in the fall. The infected and damaged branches are removed, followed by immediate burning, to exclude the development of the disease. In the spring, for this purpose, shoots damaged by frost are removed;
- rejuvenating - carried out in autumn or winter. Allows you to remove old branches that stop bearing fruit, at the same time the tree is thinned out, damaged shoots are cut off;
- when fruiting, branches that have broken off from the load of ripening fruits are removed, with an excessively plentiful harvest.
Cherry crown is formed in several ways:
- Australian bush - from the very beginning of the development of the seedling, excessive tree height is excluded. When the seedling is planted, the total length of the trunk is left no more than half a meter. Four lateral branches are left; with clothespins set the direction parallel to the ground. The next year, the crown is given the shape of a vase - shoots directed inward are removed;
- Spanish bush - the name comes from the country where this method was applied. Suitable for regions with warm climates where it is possible to prevent kidney damage in the event of frost rebound. The planted tree is cut to seventy centimeters, leaving four main branches. Then, in the fall, the maximum opening angle is set by the guy lines, and each season the growing shoots are successively shortened with regular thinning;
- method KGB - the abbreviation does not come from the state structure of the same name, but from the surname of the Australian gardener who proposed this method of forming the crown.The initial height of the seedling is left about half a meter, with a vigorous rootstock - a little higher. On the left four, the strongest, branches, as they grow, two shoots are left; the total is then adjusted to twenty in succession. The branches are periodically renewed and thinned out, while maintaining a stable number of processes.
The choice of the method of forming the crown depends on the preference of the gardener and the climatic characteristics of the region.
Instrument preparation
Cropping is done using the following tool:
- garden shears - they remove unlignified young shoots;
- secateurs - for thin branches;
- lopper - remove branches located in places with inconvenient access;
- garden saw - to remove thick and dry branches;
- garden knife - cut small shoots, also used in the case of vaccinations.
The tool must be pre-prepared, sharpened. The saw teeth must be set appropriately so that the blade does not jam when cutting.
A stepladder will provide access to the tree along its entire height. The choice of the size of the ladder depends on the height of the tree.
Step-by-step pruning instructions
Cherry pruning according to the system provides for the correct formation of the crown, with a decrease in the permissible tree height:
- skeletal branches (about four) directed in opposite directions are determined, the rest are removed;
- the formation of the next tiers is carried out in the same way;
- the desired height is marked on the trunk, all branches exceeding the required level are pruned.
At the next stage, they begin to adjust the height of the main trunk:
- when the central trunk approaches in height to the branches of the third tier, it is sawed off;
- after the appearance of several new leading shoots, they grow up to thirty centimeters and are cut off.
This procedure will allow the tree to direct its forces to fruiting as much as possible. All subsequent central shoots will not tend to the top too much, which will allow in the future, by adjusting the length of the side branches, to ensure the set height of the tree.
Nuances during the event
When pruning cherries, it is important to try to cause as little damage as possible to the tree. If the shoot is cut off next to the trunk, do not touch the bark near the pocket - the size of the wound will be too large. At the same time, it is necessary to try not to recede too far from the base so as not to leave a large twig. Thick branches are first sawed at the bottom - given the fragile nature of the cherry, there is a danger of involuntary breakage with peeling of the bark.
Formation of young seedlings
When forming a young seedling, it is important to correctly calculate the height of the stem. This is determined by the region:
- seventy centimeters in height of the central trunk - for the southern ones;
- up to sixty - in the Middle Lane;
- about forty in the north.
If the specified height is not reached by a one-year-old seedling, the event is postponed to a future period. In the first year of growth, the tree should reach two meters.
In the second year, the lower tier is formed according to the method described above. On the third, all the main processes are aligned at the level of the weakest skeletal branch, and the crown is thinned out - by removing the processes directed inward.
The fourth year is the final one for the formation of the crown. The second and third tiers are shortened to eighty centimeters, the first to half a meter. If the shoots are crossed, one is removed, directed to the most inconvenient side.
A tree over five years of age only needs sanitization and crown thinning.
Pruning old cherries
With age, the intensity of fruiting of cherries fades, so it is important to carry out anti-aging pruning. In trees older than three years, the branches are shortened with the removal of shoots.Damaged and dying shoots are removed at the same time. As a result, young shoots appear, and the tree gains a second youth.
Caring for the tree after pruning
When trimming, it is very important to disinfect the cuts and cuts. For this, a solution of copper sulfate and garden pitch are used. Wounds are treated immediately after surgery. It is also necessary to pre-disinfect the instrument.Having mastered the correct pruning techniques, the gardener will be able to achieve a high stable yield and correctly form the tree.
