Remove about a quarter of the remaining older wood, cutting back to a main branch or younger side-shoot.If you have an established acid cherry tree, as well as removing dead, damaged or diseased branches, as above: If you have an established sour or acid cherry tree, however, it will need much heavier pruning that a sweet cherry, as the fruit is mainly produced on the previous year's growth. These will never produce viable fruit,' says Nikki McAteer. Additionally, you can prune back any suckers at the base of the tree. 'During dormancy, in winter, the deciduous cherries will be leafless and you will have the best view of the branch structure. Shorten the tips of the remaining branches by about a third of new growth to encourage the development of fruit buds.Remove any crossing, weak, dead, damaged or diseased branches.Shorten any strong vertical growing shoots crowding the center to allow the free flow of air.Overall, sweet cherry trees require only light pruning once established. (Image credit: Getty Images / Jacky Parker) How do I prune an old cherry tree? It is best to avoid pruning cherry trees in early winter as the tree will not have the stored energy to heal wounds caused by pruning. It is also easier to see the structure of the tree in winter, to help determine which branches to prune. If you live in a cold climate, pruning cherry trees in late winter, when the tree is dormant, with no leaves or fruit, will encourage more rapid growth.
'Great candidates for spring or summer pruning include cherry trees, which, if left alone, can grow up to three stories tall,' explains Susan Poizner of Orchard People (opens in new tab), who provide education and consulting on fruit tree care. In addition, it encourages slower growth of the tree. Those who prune a cherry tree in late summer believe this is the best way to avoid the tree developing disease.
Opinion is a little divided and there are those that prefer to prune cherry trees in winter, others are spring pruners and some are summer pruners. (Image credit: Getty Images / Igor Stevanovic) When should a cherry tree be pruned?
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