Pruning cherries: agricultural techniques for beginners. When and how to prune cherries in the fall

After harvesting, gardeners prepare everything fruit and berry plants by winter, performing a number of culturally significant works. Cherry pruning in the fall is carried out in accordance with a certain scheme and in strict compliance with the recommended deadlines.

When to prune cherries: spring or autumn

Cherry is a heat-loving plant, and the cuts need to be left before frost, otherwise the branch will dry out

Correct and timely pruning fruit plantings is the key to abundant and long-term fruiting in the next season, and also allows you to maintain health and aesthetics appearance plants. Depending on the goals, the procedure can be performed in different time and according to different schemes.

Table of pros and cons of seasonal work

Autumn pruning is performed less frequently than spring, since the damage caused by removing shoots can make the plant too sensitive to frost.

No matter how much they assure you otherwise, know that stone fruit trees, including cherries and cherries, equally need both spring and autumn pruning.

What a novice gardener needs for proper pruning

Preference should be given to tools made of high-strength steel and equipped with comfortable, non-slip handles, which will ensure maximum safety when pruning.

Usage quality instrument, produced by a trusted and well-established manufacturer, is a guarantee of effective pruning that does not injure garden crops. For this purpose, experienced gardeners recommend purchasing the following set of equipment:

pruner - the main auxiliary tool for trimming fairly thin branches or young growth;
hacksaw (garden saw) - a device that allows you to easily remove old branches or too thick shoots;
lopper - garden tools, designed for cutting shoots in the most inconvenient or hard-to-reach areas.

All tools must be well sharpened and disinfected; jagged edges are not allowed. Processing of cuts is carried out using traditional garden varnish or ready-made and home-made compounds.

Don't forget to wear thick gardening gloves - they will protect your hands from damage and prevent the tool from slipping.

Table of work deadlines

For the best effect, autumn pruning of cherries is recommended once every 3 years.

Cherries are heat-loving garden plants, which are quite poorly tolerated winter frosts, so the time for pruning is thought out in advance. Event dates vary depending on climatic features in a certain region.

Cherry seedlings planted for the first time autumn period It is not recommended to prune, since fragile young trees often freeze out in cut areas. With active growth and development, autumn pruning of cherries becomes necessary for sanitary purposes, followed by burning of diseased, dried or damaged branches.

How to prune cherry trees in the fall: step-by-step instructions with diagrams

Depending on age, crown appearance and varietal characteristics, as well as the health of the plant, the pruning scheme can vary markedly.

Young trees

The main principle is the formation of a productive crown without the need to remove dry or diseased branches. The thinning procedure prevents thickening and forms a good skeleton. During the planting process, you need to cultivate the branches, leaving only 5–6 most developed shoots. Pruning is carried out according to the standard scheme.

It is advisable that the branches left be directed towards different sides and located at a distance of at least 10 cm from each other

The pruning areas are processed, and correctly directed shoots will easily ensure the formation of a fairly spreading and productive crown.

Rejuvenating pruning of old trees

Flower buds on tree-like plants are located on bouquet branches or annual growths. When cultivating old trees, the main task of the gardener is to remove diseased and dry branches that stop the development of young shoots. Such a simple event prevents the appearance of diseases and preserves the health of cherries for many years.

If the old cherry tree has grown to 3 m or more, cut out the central conductor

In tree-like cherry varieties, annual shoots are shortened annually, which helps stimulate the development of branches and lateral branches for active fruit formation. After a couple of years, further growth processes are necessarily limited. Intertwining branches and the strongest growths located on the lower and inner surfaces of large branches require special attention.

When rejuvenating pruning, you do not need to trim more than 1 m of shoots, as this can cause disease and death of the tree.

Felt cherry

A dwarf tree up to 2 m high is distinguished by its rapid growth, compact crown and trunk, early formation of fruits, drought resistance and rare formation of shoots, so this plant requires special pruning.

Cherry pruning should be carried out taking into account biological features its growth, crown shape, fruiting dynamics and branching

With a timely procedure, the activity of fruit formation on the plant is prolonged for up to a quarter of a century. Molding and sanitary renewal contributes to the formation of large berries, the removal of diseased and thickening branches, as well as old branches that do not produce growth and yield.

Felt cherry is also called Chinese cherry.

Bush species

Bush cherries lay vegetative buds exclusively on annual growths, which, naturally, cannot be removed, which will prevent premature drying of the branches or complete death of the plant.

If you leave everything to chance, after 2 years the branches will intertwine so that it will be very difficult to deal with them

For bush cherries the best option is the formation of the so-called tiered crown. This method of formation involves a single arrangement of branches on the central conductor. The first pruning after planting is carried out in early spring and is supplemented by thinning. The starting main branch is laid at a height of 30–40 cm, and approximately 5–6 additional ones are left above it. New shoots are gradually added to them. The strongest branches growing deep into the crown must be cut out entirely.

Bush cherries can be planted even in the cold regions of the Urals and Siberia, where other plant varieties cannot withstand harsh winters.

How to care for a trimmed tree

Garden varnish for processing cuts can be bought ready-made or made by yourself

Special putty for garden crops used when processing open sections of cuts. Beginners most often prefer garden varnish or Petrolatum, but agronomists advise making a composition for regenerating plant tissue after pruning yourself:

Nigrolic agent. Carefully pour 0.5 kg of rosin and the same amount of paraffin into 0.5 kg of hot nigrol, after which the mass is thoroughly mixed. Before use ready-made composition The putty must be heated to a warm state.
Wood alcohol product. You need to mix fine rosin and melted lard in a ratio of 16:1. The resulting liquid is thoroughly heated and brought to a homogeneous state, after which 8 parts of alcohol are added to it.
Composition based on beeswax. Melt beeswax, rosin or resin and linseed oil in a ratio of 4:20:1. The resulting mixture is brought to a boil, after which 2 parts of crushed charcoal are added.
Product with lard. Melt 1 part of lard, after which 2 parts of wax are added. Ready mix brought to a homogeneous consistency, add 4 parts of crushed rosin. The product is boiled for half an hour and kneaded with cold water.

Some experienced gardeners add a small amount of heteroauxin to the usual garden varnish to ensure maximum effective healing of cuts. It is recommended to use 1 tablet of growth stimulator per liter of product.

Simple rules for pruning cherries: video

At low temperatures at night, which is not at all uncommon in the autumn, cuts on cherries take quite a long time to heal. It is for this reason that you need to be careful when choosing the timing and optimal scheme garden crop trimmings.

As a rule, all living creatures begin to prepare for winter. People, like many animals, stock up on food, close canned food, and insulate their home. Trees and plants have a hard time in this situation; they cannot take care of their carefree winter on their own. Therefore, a person should help them in this matter. Moreover, it is difficult to find an even more interested person in ensuring that the tree survives the winter safely and gives next year good harvest.

Autumn care for fruit trees is mandatory and includes many procedures. One of the main ones is pruning. The presence of cherries in the garden will not surprise anyone; jam and compote are prepared from ripe berries. Many harvest from year to year and at the same time do not pay due attention to the tree and let its growth take its course.

Is autumn pruning really that important for cherry trees?

Many gardeners consider it unnecessary to spend time on cherries in the fall, and pay considerable attention to other fruit trees (apple, pear). At the same time, you need to understand that cherries, like any other stone fruit tree, need care. If it regularly produces a harvest from year to year, this does not mean at all that pruning can have a negative impact in the future. It's exactly the opposite. Annual pruning increases the yield, prolongs the life of the tree and is effective way to combat possible diseases. Following this simple procedure will help you avoid unnecessary hassle in the future.

How to properly perform autumn pruning?

Before you begin autumn pruning of cherries, you should pay due attention to theoretical preparation. It's not just about reading special material and receiving important advice from experienced gardeners. In a great way self-study will be a special thematic video training. After watching this video, you can clearly see the entire not entirely familiar process, carried out in accordance with the rules established based on many years of plant observations.

The first question that may arise is, what is the right time to perform this procedure? It is impossible to unequivocally advise everyone on a specific date. Many people live in different areas, respectively, with different climates; different times will be favorable for each. This is approximately from mid-September to the end of November. The main thing is to remember that you can trim branches only when the tree is at rest. This time should be before the onset of cold and frost. After the leaves have fallen, stone fruit trees can only be pruned in the southern regions.

The purpose of annual pruning varies. Starting with crown thinning, it is often found that branches grow in an undesirable direction, while rubbing against each other, crossing and directed under acute angle. For mature cherries, thinning is very necessary. Large branches growing inward darken the bush, thereby preventing the fruits from ripening well. If there are a lot of branches, you should not remove them at once; it is better to leave half for next year. Otherwise, the cherry will spend all its energy on its restoration.

Sanitary pruning also needs to be done in the autumn months. At the same time, the work will not end with just pruning the branches; upon completion, it is necessary to burn all damaged and diseased branches or remove them from the garden. This will prevent pests from breeding. The cut site must be covered with a special garden varnish; it ensures rapid healing.

It is not recommended to prune young seedlings in the first autumn after planting. A tree that is not yet completely strong and rooted may freeze due to cuts. As the cherry grows, you need to gradually shorten the branches, otherwise fruiting will occur. young bush will slow down a lot.

Important aspects to consider when pruning:

When thinning the crown, it is important to know which type of cherry tree is growing in your garden. Depending on this, the procedure has some differences, since the shape of the crown is different.
In tree-like varieties, you need to monitor annual shoots and shorten them annually. This will promote the development of side branches, which will bear fruit in the future. In addition, there will come a period in the future when, for a certain period of time, growth will no longer be the main aspect. Special attention will need to be given to intertwining branches and abundant growth.
On bushy varieties, annual growths do not need to be removed, since there is a possibility that the entire branch may dry out completely. Nevertheless, this type is prone to strong thickening, and pruning needs to be done more carefully and in detail. It is better to remove one large branch instead of several thin and small branches. If there are shoots growing downward (on the branches of the first tier), they are removed first. It is best to carry out pruning with a sharpened saw or garden knife; pruning shears should not be used, as they damage the ends of the branches.
It is imperative to monitor growth and make adjustments. For example, if you want a tree to have a large and strong skeleton, you need to remove branches that pretend to be the top. And if the branches of the lower tier extend from the trunk at an angle of more than forty degrees, there is a possibility that the cherry tree may soon break.

If you have any questions or some details are unclear, be sure to watch the video course again, with the training part and practical advice. And most importantly, take the time to care for your cherries. The pruning process itself is not long and complicated, especially the result in the form good harvest, will not make you regret spending a couple of hours.

Many gardeners note that a tree that produces tasty juicy berries, very capricious and quite fragile. Therefore, in the fall it is a very important, but troublesome task. A correctly carried out procedure will significantly increase the volume of the future harvest and extend the overall life of the tree.

If you need a large, fleshy cherry - planting and care, pruning - these are the main milestones in growing the plant. Usually the removal of excess and dead branches occurs in the spring, but experienced summer residents They carry it out even in late autumn, so that the tree is already in winter “sleep” mode. But it should be noted that most gardeners still believe that at the end of the year it is worth pruning only dry, infected or broken branches. Also, the reason for an urgent autumn procedure may be an unreasonably thick crown, which prevents numerous red berries from ripening. Thus, the timing of pruning cherries can fall in spring, autumn, and in some cases even in early winter.

It must be remembered that the bark of this tree is extremely thin, so severe frosts can destroy fresh wounds. is becoming the most popular option due to moderate temperatures and the stability of the internal processes of wood. The method for removing excess branches is chosen according to the plant variety. Usually there are two most common types of cherries: tree and bush. The first varieties include the popular Lotovka and the noble, tart English early. Bush cherries include many tasty, small, but abundantly fruiting species that begin to produce crops as early as the 2nd or 3rd year. However, after just 12 years, the plant practically stops producing berries, which will now ripen only on young shoots.

Pruning cherries in the fall is usually typical for tree-like varieties, since their lifespan is clearly longer and without removing excess branches, the harvest will simply be inconvenient to harvest. When planning to start forming the crown, it is worth remembering that best shape for such trees it is considered sparsely layered. When pruning, they try to arrange the branches in a spiral around the trunk - this will ensure reliable air conduction and access of light to all parts of the plant. Bush varieties prefer tierless forms, that is, you just need to leave 7-9 main branches with their young shoots. If everything is done carefully and quickly, you can expect to get a bountiful harvest next season.

Tree varieties are formed once every 3-4 years, only removing excess dry or broken branches on which nothing will grow. Pruning cherries in the fall significantly rejuvenates the plant, and the need for another procedure is determined by the reduction in the annual natural growth of branches. Bush varieties require intensive thinning, thus achieving significant rejuvenation of the entire tree and an increase in yield. If cherries are the family’s favorite fruit, then you need to take care of the plants and successful canning methods. The best option for bush-like varieties there will be a release of juice, and tree-like varieties produce good berries “for food”.

Autumn pruning is a very important healing process, although many summer residents claim that they do not need cleaning. But in fact, these are precisely the actions that promote health. The benefits of pruning are very great.

Among the positive consequences it is worth highlighting:

Correct crown formation.
Protection, a way to eliminate painful branches.
Rejuvenation.
Increased yield.
Preventing thickening of the bark.

We can conclude that the cleaning process in the autumn significantly affects not only the health, but also the appearance of the plant.

By clearing the cherry of excess branches, gardeners enable it to grow faster and subsequently produce a higher percentage of yield.

Timing for pruning cherries

It is believed that autumn is best period for sanitary pruning, because it is then that dry, damaged branches are cleaned. By cleaning a tree in the fall, gardeners help it prepare for the winter season.

Cherries are trees that love warmth and do not tolerate winter frosts well, so the time needs to be thought out in advance. Timing depends on climate zone a certain region.

In warm regions, the cleaning procedure can be carried out at the end of November, but in colder regions, cleaning is carried out already in mid-September.

Gardeners not only need to navigate the climate, but also monitor the growing season of the plant. So pruning is done at the end of the growing season before the onset of frost.

The main thing to consider is that when carrying out the procedure, the plant must already be at rest.

Trimming scheme

To begin the process of caring for a fruit tree, you need to know for what purpose the procedure is being carried out.

Depending on the goals of gardeners, there are several types of pruning:

Thinning. Consists in complete removal branches and shoots. Using this procedure, you can achieve an improvement in light conditions and also prevent thickening of the crown.
Shortening. With this type, the tops of the fruits or branches are partially removed. The use of such an operation stimulates shoot growth or accelerated bud development.

When performing the operation, it is important to adhere to a scheme that includes the main points of care:

Trimming the tops.
Removal of dry, pest-infested branches.
Pruning branches without buds.
Preventing the crown thickening process.
Carrying out the procedure every year.

Following a schematic order of care will help not only improve your health fruit plant, but will also make the gardener’s work easier.

How to prune cherries correctly

In order to trim a cherry tree, you need to know the basic rules, otherwise the likelihood of causing harm will be quite high.

Among the basic rules of cutting technique, it is worth highlighting the following points:

The height should not exceed 2.5 m. To do this, gardeners cut down the tops to a height that will be convenient for harvesting fruits. The cut is made over a thick branch. All cuts must be lubricated with varnish to protect them from damage.
Removing excess branches. Those branches that intersect with others are removed, thereby interfering with their growth.
Removing branches with a small number of buds. The operation should be carried out at the base. If you want to leave a branch, you can cut off only a part, but also leave about half of the buds.
Pruning branches to thicken the crown. The presence of such branches adds load and also does not allow sunlight go inside.

The ability to carry out quality cleaning guarantees an increase in yield. Proper care– deposit successful flowering and cherry growth.

1. Tree cherry pruning

In this species, shoots and bouquet branches are formed a year after the formation of buds. It is the bouquet branches that bring the main harvest. Due to the bouquet branches, the tree cherry is less prone to bare branches, since it has more branches.

There are several tips for pruning tree varieties:

The use of a rejuvenating pruning procedure in case of exposure of the bases of skeletal branches. This type of pruning is also used when the growth of branches has reached at least 15 cm.
The choice of rejuvenating pruning in case of removing dried branches in the middle of the bark. It is used on the lateral branches of the previous year's growths.
Trimming length. Excess length is removed when it is 45–50 cm.
Shortening shoots. To form the crown, as well as to stimulate the development of bouquet branches, experienced gardeners cut off 1/7 of the length of the shoots.

Properly performed technique ensures the production of bouquet branches that will begin to bear fruit over time.

2. Pruning bushy cherry

Some gardeners prefer to grow fruit-bearing bush-shaped trees. The peculiarity of such varieties is the placement of fruits on annual branches.

Bouquet branches appear on long branches (from 40 cm). When caring for a bushy variety, gardeners use various pruning actions according to their goals.

These include:

Cutting out intertwined old branches. Pruning is carried out to prevent thickening of the tree bark.
Shortening skeletal branches. It is used on the first lateral branch to stop exposure.
Heavily thickened branches are shortened over the course of two years. In the first year, gardeners thin out the branches inside the crown.

It is worth noting that it is impossible to shorten annual growths, because when pruning, fruit buds are removed. The result of incorrect actions can be a significant reduction in yield.

3. Pruning young cherries

When caring for a young tree, formative pruning is used. With its help, gardeners can make the tree the desired shape, which will be convenient when collecting fruits.

Caring for seedlings includes nuances that you need to pay attention to:

The first pruning is done after the buds appear. In this case, the tree will be able to strengthen before the period of active development.
Leave the seedling five strong branches. The location of the branches should be more than 10 cm from each other.
The cuts should be covered with a special garden varnish. It is used for healing and protection against pests.
To control growth, trim the top of the tree. In bushy types, a procedure is carried out to shorten the shoots.
Dried branches are removed completely.
In the second year, branches directed into the crown are pruned. Removing curled branches prevents thickening.
Leave skeletal branches on the tree trunk. The procedure is performed for the correct formation of the crown. Total main branches should not exceed 15 pieces.

Pruning young cherries should be approached as responsibly as possible, because it is during this period that active development. Incorrect actions can affect the fruiting of cherries.

4. Trimming old wood

Rejuvenation is the main purpose of pruning an old tree. This pruning is carried out gradually and can take gardeners more than one year. It is not recommended to remove many branches at once. It's better to do this in stages.

After partial removal of old branches, new branches always begin to grow, which should also be pruned. Main sign aging of a bushy tree - exposure of branches and their ends.

For rejuvenation use:

Shortening the branch by 1/3 of the length.
Removal of skeletal branches (at different periods).

Caring for an old tree plant consists of few other systematic actions. It is recommended to start rejuvenation when the skeletal branches are exposed at the base and the shoots grow up to 15 cm.

It is worth removing not only dried branches, but also shortening new shoots in order to increase the number of bouquet branches.

5. Trimming felt varieties

Peculiarity felt cherry is that it thickens quickly. Therefore, pruning must be done annually.

When caring for a tree felt varieties It is important to know some rules:

Shorten the shoot (up to 60 cm) by 1/3.
Leave up to 13 intact shoots.
Removing diseased, dry branches.

Processing begins when young shoots emerge from the (dormant) buds. In this case, the outdated crown must be removed.

By caring for cherries, regardless of their variety, gardeners not only improve the appearance of the tree, but also make it healthy.

To trim or not to trim? This issue is the most controversial among experienced gardeners or novice summer residents: the latter are afraid to remove branches from a tree for fear of harming the yield and health, and the former are perplexed how such an important procedure can be neglected. So, how to prune cherries correctly, and is it necessary to do it at all?

Caring for and growing garden cherries requires mandatory formative, sanitary pruning. Spring pruning of cherries is necessary, as this procedure has a beneficial effect on the condition of the fruit tree, and also has a positive effect on yield indicators. Moreover, if you do not prune the cherry tree in time, you may lose the tree altogether.

Proper pruning of cherries in spring allows you to achieve the following results:

form its crown correctly, so that the tree does not develop one-sidedly;
increase productivity indicators;
improve taste, increase fruit size;
rid Cherry tree from old, diseased or damaged branches, thereby reducing the risk of the disease spreading to the entire plant; This procedure rejuvenates the pruned cherry and prevents its premature aging.

And yet, when to prune a cherry bush so that you are pleased with the result? It is permissible to prune cherries at any time of the year, however, choosing the optimal time directly depends on what results you want to achieve. Pruning cherries in the fall is designed to prepare them for a long wintering period. It needs to be done after the leaves have fallen, but frost has not yet arrived - around October.

But the spring procedure, on the contrary, helps the plant recover after winter. This is done in early spring, before the buds begin to awaken. The exception is the situation when you suspect that your tree or bush cherry may have suffered from frost: then you need to cut out the frozen branches after the buds begin to bloom. As a rule, this happens at the end of March or beginning of April, only in northern regions pruning is possible in May.

Types of pruning

If pruning young cherries in the spring is intended to add to the plant vitality, then other types of procedures pursue slightly different goals. So, in the first three years of a fruit tree’s life, it needs to be pruned to form the correct crown. The second type - maintenance pruning - is performed in all subsequent years to maintain the plant in the productive phase. But the purpose of anti-aging pruning is to prolong the life of the crop and preserve its vitality.

Technology and features of cherry pruning

Before pruning cherries in the spring, you should carefully read the rules and features of the procedure. But no matter when and for what purpose the plant is pruned, it is very important to use only very sharp and perfectly disinfected tools. Let's take a closer look at what difficulties you will encounter when pruning a particular tree.

Young

The cherry pruning scheme, which is used for young seedlings, looks like this: you need to form the correct crown, and also help the tree to take root so that root system I was able to adapt immediately upon landing. In the spring, the top of the cherry tree is carefully trimmed so that no more than 5 main branches remain on the tree, which will grow in different directions. All excess needs to be cut off, and the cut areas should be treated with garden varnish or paint.

Do not forget to check from time to time that the tree does not develop incorrectly, but forms a neat crown. As the tree grows, you need to monitor the formation of new skeletal branches, remembering that in the end there should be no more than 15 of them left. It is recommended to trim all excess shoots of cherries.

When carrying out a procedure such as pruning cherry trees, it is important to remember how to do the procedure correctly and when, because a violation of the technology may well have a negative impact on the yield in the future.

Fruit bearing

Is it possible to prune a cherry tree that has entered the active stage of fruiting? Of course, it is possible, and even sometimes necessary. Pruning cherries a few years after planting, when the tree is already bearing fruit, can easily be done once a year, in the spring: if you do everything as needed, that will be quite enough. A tree-like garden cherry that has crossed the 5-year mark must undergo a pruning procedure in accordance with the following requirements:

all branches that thicken the crown are removed, except those that grow parallel to the ground;
all shoots that interfere with the development of its frame branches are cut off from the tree;
if the height of the trunk significantly exceeds the maximum height of the frame branches - more than 20 cm, it should also be shortened.

Old

The main difficulty in spring for novice gardeners is the question of pruning old trees: how and when is the best time to do this in order to effectively rejuvenate it? To increase the yield and restore the strength of the plant, it is necessary to significantly reduce the number of branches, as well as shorten their length by about a third.

But before pruning an old cherry tree, clearly plan the work: for an older tree, a one-time procedure is considered unacceptable; it is better to trim the branches and shoots in stages.

When carrying out the procedure in the spring, the pruning scheme can differ significantly not only depending on what goal you are pursuing, but also on what type of tree you have growing: tree or bush cherry. If in the first one annual growths and bouquet branches bear fruit, in the second only annual shoots are considered productive. Be sure to take this into account during the procedure.

Such a miracle as a juicy and fragrant cherry will definitely delight your garden, the main thing is to carefully follow the rules of care and pruning.

Video “Pruning cherry trees”

From this video you will learn how to properly prune cherry trees.