Pruning Cherries

Categories: Fruit Growing

I have cherry trees in their third season which have been given the

usual winter pruning. The trees are putting forth a great many more

branches than are required, and naturally many of the branches are

growing across the tree. In cutting these extra branches, I am informed

that there is a way to trim them so that they will eventually form fruit

spurs. I had an idea that in order to do this it would be well to cut

abou one inch from the main branch. Some one has told me that this

would merely cause the little branch to sprout again.



Cherry shoots which are not required or desired for branch-forming can

be transferred into fruit spurs, if the tree is of bearing age, by

shortening them in. Do not, however, cut at an arbitrary distance of one

inch from the starting point, but rather save one or two buds at

whatever distance from the starting point these may be growing. If the

tree is too young to bear, only growth shoots may appear from these

buds, but they are likely to be short and will support fruit spurs

later. This practice should not be carried to excess or you will have

too many small shoots which will not get light enough to bear good

fruit, even if fruit spurs should appear.