A question if I may: when you write that "the next winter select 3 or 4 scaffolds that are well placed and prune away all others" how long should those new scaffold branches be?
@dprzezdziecki There is no set rule. Best information I can offer here is to choose the branches that are in the proper locations and seem to be the strongest. Look for good flat crotch angles and branches that ascend the trunk in a spiral fashion bisecting a circle by quarters or thirds from a birds eye view. Short answer, the best and strongest branches so they might also be the longest ones. The length of the branches is determined by the pruning you do in the following years.
I see several internet sites say to prune cherry trees after fruit bearing and which would be in month of june here in virginia. Have I gotten the correct info?
@igood2go There are many ways to prune fruit trees. What you describe sounds like a system of Summer pruning. It would keep the tree very compact. This method involves two pruning cuts during summer, June and August where the current seasons growth is reduced in length by 50%. Then in the dormant seaso you would thin the regrowth so the tree isn't so thick with branches. This is a fine method, Dave Wilson Nursery has some videos on the subject. I usually just prune the tree once in winter.
@CookenWithKilla Pruning a newly planted cherry tree is a good idea. I usually give the new trees an "orchard" cut. I remove any existing limbs because the angle is usually to acute on the first set of branches. The second set will grow at a lower, flatter, angle. Then I cut the main trunk off between 2 and 3 feet above the ground. This will cause all your scaffold limbs to form low. The next winter select 3 or 4 scaffolds that are well placed and prune away all others.
Hi, I was watching all the videos on cherry tree pruning with gisela root stock and they all show pruning for a central leader. Yours is open center type of shape. I have 5 year old trees that I haven't really touched at all. They have a central leader but now have other competing branches with very narrow angles from the main leader. They are about the same diameter too. Isn't that where canker can set in so should I plan on slowly stubbing those back and eventually remove to one central?
@tmc200527 The tree I show in the video is grown on Gisela rootstock too. The only possible reason someone would prune cherries to a central leader is they don't care to pick the fruit in time. Dwarf rootstocks are early baring but they don't stop growing. Eventually the plant will be to large to work. Canker is mostly spread by mechanical injury and pruning. Prune in dry weather and clean your tools to avoid spreading it. Your tree will fruit inside and outside if you open the center.
Hi, I was wondering if you could help me. I have an ornamental cherry tree and one of the main branches is dead and not producing any flowers on it. Is it safe to prune a main branch? Should I put anything on the stump once cut to avoid insects? Thanks in advance:)
@copybillie There is never any harm in removing dead wood, it is like cutting finger nails. The base of the branch should be cut as close to the main trunk as possible and the angle of the cut nearly vertical. Generally insects don't eat dead wood unless it is decomposing and then termites might enter. You can use a pruning sealer on the cut to keep it water proof but be sure to remove and replace the sealer annually. It can lift as growth occurs and trap water.
I have a cherry tree that is, maybe 5 or 6 years old...it is about 10 feet tall. It's growing right underneath some power lines and I want to move it. How big can I expect the root ball to be?
@amusingisthedawn General rule of thumb is that root balls are wider by 1/3 than the tree canopy and about 1/2 as deep as the canopy is tall. This varies depending on how the tree was being pruned, the type of tree and the soil conditions it is growing under. I the issue isn't how big the root it is how much soil can you y move. Soil is heavy so you are limited to one or two bushels. Cut the roots to a 3' ball this spring then move the tree when dormant. Planting a new tree is a lot easier
well i have a cherry tree thats about 25 years old and has never been pruned or properly been cut. it needs to be cut way back and it produces awesome cherries. i just didnt want to ruin it.
@TheBostic2000 I usually approach old overgrown trees in gradual fashion. I don't believe it is good to try and recover the work in one year. Make a plan for how the tree should be shaped and implement it over the course of several years rather than one massive pruning.
@TheBostic2000 Too much of anything is not good. In theory, as longs as the tree isn't cut below the graft line it should be possible to salvage it. Trees are usually capable of recovering from the worst pruning jobs as long as the person guiding the regrowth is skilled enough to correct issues that might develop. Brooms, or excessive shoot development, and the loss of fruit for a number of years are the worst things that happen from over pruning. Poorly made cuts can rot the tree.
The statement about not pruning cherry trees very much after a few years is plain wrong. To produce large cherries you need young wood and for that to happen you need to cut the old wood out so you get nice young shoots to replace the old stuff. And the statement about young shoots not producing any cherries is wrong also. With Lapins anyway you have a few buds at the base of the 1 year old shoots that produce the largest cherries. So it's desirable to keep them and cut them back a little.
@lucancherby Cutting back by 20% each year is the figure from the University of Oregon. That is less than most fruit trees except citrus. I didn't intend to give the impression that they aren't pruned at all. My mistake, as I up date this video I will be sure to correct this.
Always a pleasure to work with a sharp saw that makes clean cuts. I really loathe cherry trees, they always grow way too big and there is not enough dwarfing rootstocks available to the general public and people plant them in their yards without consideration for their neighbours and the cherry trees grow over 25 feet tall often times growing into neighbouring yards...shading nearby yards and disallowing peoples vegetable gardens to grow.
nice work!!! do you think the rot is partially to due to sun damage as well as borers and peckers?? I''m growing 4 cherry trees and this is the most informative vid out there. - pleasanton, ca
@knucker14 Sunscald is caused by sap running on the SW side of the tree during winter thaws. The cambrium freezes and dies as the night temperatures drop far enough below freezing to crystalize water in the cells that have broken dormancy. It is more of a freezing problem than a sun problem. We don't see it in coastal CA because our winters are mild. Dead trunks in this area are mostly from canker disease or borers. Paint your trunk with white latex if you are having trouble with sunscald.
A question if I may: when you write that "the next winter select 3 or 4 scaffolds that are well placed and prune away all others" how long should those new scaffold branches be?
dprzezdziecki 8 months ago
@dprzezdziecki There is no set rule. Best information I can offer here is to choose the branches that are in the proper locations and seem to be the strongest. Look for good flat crotch angles and branches that ascend the trunk in a spiral fashion bisecting a circle by quarters or thirds from a birds eye view. Short answer, the best and strongest branches so they might also be the longest ones. The length of the branches is determined by the pruning you do in the following years.
GreenGardenGuy1 8 months ago
I see several internet sites say to prune cherry trees after fruit bearing and which would be in month of june here in virginia. Have I gotten the correct info?
igood2go 8 months ago
@igood2go There are many ways to prune fruit trees. What you describe sounds like a system of Summer pruning. It would keep the tree very compact. This method involves two pruning cuts during summer, June and August where the current seasons growth is reduced in length by 50%. Then in the dormant seaso you would thin the regrowth so the tree isn't so thick with branches. This is a fine method, Dave Wilson Nursery has some videos on the subject. I usually just prune the tree once in winter.
GreenGardenGuy1 8 months ago
@CookenWithKilla Pruning a newly planted cherry tree is a good idea. I usually give the new trees an "orchard" cut. I remove any existing limbs because the angle is usually to acute on the first set of branches. The second set will grow at a lower, flatter, angle. Then I cut the main trunk off between 2 and 3 feet above the ground. This will cause all your scaffold limbs to form low. The next winter select 3 or 4 scaffolds that are well placed and prune away all others.
GreenGardenGuy1 10 months ago
Hi, I was watching all the videos on cherry tree pruning with gisela root stock and they all show pruning for a central leader. Yours is open center type of shape. I have 5 year old trees that I haven't really touched at all. They have a central leader but now have other competing branches with very narrow angles from the main leader. They are about the same diameter too. Isn't that where canker can set in so should I plan on slowly stubbing those back and eventually remove to one central?
tmc200527 10 months ago
@tmc200527 The tree I show in the video is grown on Gisela rootstock too. The only possible reason someone would prune cherries to a central leader is they don't care to pick the fruit in time. Dwarf rootstocks are early baring but they don't stop growing. Eventually the plant will be to large to work. Canker is mostly spread by mechanical injury and pruning. Prune in dry weather and clean your tools to avoid spreading it. Your tree will fruit inside and outside if you open the center.
GreenGardenGuy1 10 months ago
Hi, I was wondering if you could help me. I have an ornamental cherry tree and one of the main branches is dead and not producing any flowers on it. Is it safe to prune a main branch? Should I put anything on the stump once cut to avoid insects? Thanks in advance:)
copybillie 10 months ago
@copybillie There is never any harm in removing dead wood, it is like cutting finger nails. The base of the branch should be cut as close to the main trunk as possible and the angle of the cut nearly vertical. Generally insects don't eat dead wood unless it is decomposing and then termites might enter. You can use a pruning sealer on the cut to keep it water proof but be sure to remove and replace the sealer annually. It can lift as growth occurs and trap water.
GreenGardenGuy1 10 months ago
I have a cherry tree that is, maybe 5 or 6 years old...it is about 10 feet tall. It's growing right underneath some power lines and I want to move it. How big can I expect the root ball to be?
amusingisthedawn 11 months ago
@amusingisthedawn General rule of thumb is that root balls are wider by 1/3 than the tree canopy and about 1/2 as deep as the canopy is tall. This varies depending on how the tree was being pruned, the type of tree and the soil conditions it is growing under. I the issue isn't how big the root it is how much soil can you y move. Soil is heavy so you are limited to one or two bushels. Cut the roots to a 3' ball this spring then move the tree when dormant. Planting a new tree is a lot easier
GreenGardenGuy1 11 months ago
well i have a cherry tree thats about 25 years old and has never been pruned or properly been cut. it needs to be cut way back and it produces awesome cherries. i just didnt want to ruin it.
TheBostic2000 1 year ago
@TheBostic2000 I usually approach old overgrown trees in gradual fashion. I don't believe it is good to try and recover the work in one year. Make a plan for how the tree should be shaped and implement it over the course of several years rather than one massive pruning.
GreenGardenGuy1 1 year ago
is it possible to over pune a cherry tree and ruin it?
TheBostic2000 1 year ago
@TheBostic2000 Too much of anything is not good. In theory, as longs as the tree isn't cut below the graft line it should be possible to salvage it. Trees are usually capable of recovering from the worst pruning jobs as long as the person guiding the regrowth is skilled enough to correct issues that might develop. Brooms, or excessive shoot development, and the loss of fruit for a number of years are the worst things that happen from over pruning. Poorly made cuts can rot the tree.
GreenGardenGuy1 1 year ago
The statement about not pruning cherry trees very much after a few years is plain wrong. To produce large cherries you need young wood and for that to happen you need to cut the old wood out so you get nice young shoots to replace the old stuff. And the statement about young shoots not producing any cherries is wrong also. With Lapins anyway you have a few buds at the base of the 1 year old shoots that produce the largest cherries. So it's desirable to keep them and cut them back a little.
lucancherby 1 year ago
@lucancherby Cutting back by 20% each year is the figure from the University of Oregon. That is less than most fruit trees except citrus. I didn't intend to give the impression that they aren't pruned at all. My mistake, as I up date this video I will be sure to correct this.
GreenGardenGuy1 1 year ago
Many Thanks,
I found your video very informative,I like the guitar too!
Thanks dude
Phiezer 1 year ago
Always a pleasure to work with a sharp saw that makes clean cuts. I really loathe cherry trees, they always grow way too big and there is not enough dwarfing rootstocks available to the general public and people plant them in their yards without consideration for their neighbours and the cherry trees grow over 25 feet tall often times growing into neighbouring yards...shading nearby yards and disallowing peoples vegetable gardens to grow.
agrotis79 1 year ago
nice work!!! do you think the rot is partially to due to sun damage as well as borers and peckers?? I''m growing 4 cherry trees and this is the most informative vid out there. - pleasanton, ca
knucker14 1 year ago
@knucker14 Sunscald is caused by sap running on the SW side of the tree during winter thaws. The cambrium freezes and dies as the night temperatures drop far enough below freezing to crystalize water in the cells that have broken dormancy. It is more of a freezing problem than a sun problem. We don't see it in coastal CA because our winters are mild. Dead trunks in this area are mostly from canker disease or borers. Paint your trunk with white latex if you are having trouble with sunscald.
GreenGardenGuy1 1 year ago