How to prune felt cherry trees in the fall?

Varietal characteristics

Garden felt cherry is a dwarf tree native to China. It reaches a height of up to 2 m, and the branches spread out to 1.5 m. The crop is grown for many reasons:

rapid growth and fruiting in all climatic zones with the exception of the Arctic;
abundant and colorful flowering, reminiscent of sakura;
compactness of the trunk and crown;
high yield - about 20 kg of berries are harvested from one plant;
early fruiting - berries ripen 2 years after planting;
early fruit formation - cherries appear in mid-summer and are easily picked from the bush;
resistance to diseases (coccomycosis, fungi), pests and frosts down to -30 degrees;
drought resistance, while practically no shoots are formed.

The disadvantages of the variety include a tendency to be affected by moniliosis and root rot during warming. However, the usefulness of fruits with a high content of vitamin C, PP, and carbohydrates makes the felt cherry a favorite of gardeners. The plant does not live long - about 10-15 years. But timely pruning of branches in the fall prolongs the activity of fruit formation to 20-25 years.

Basic types of branch deletion

Cherry pruning should be carried out taking into account the biological characteristics of its growth, crown shape, fruiting dynamics and branching. Depending on the direction, there are several types of pruning.

Thinning branches

The shoots are completely removed, due to which the crown becomes compact and the “tops” practically do not grow. It is used only on thickened fruit crops.

Non-selective removal

The branch is cut off above the bud in order to obtain young shoots. The material grows from buds located above the cut area. With this procedure, the volume of the crown is preserved, but the tree looks fluffy.

Selective circumcision

If you prune limbs this way, remove them selectively. Make a cut line above the side shoot for wide branches, and remove thin ones to the bud. This preserves the height and density of the crop.

Plant molding

Spring is a good time for crown formation. The work is carried out before the start of bud formation, in the second half of March. Skeletal and lateral shoots are cut from the tree. You can leave about 10 skeletal outgrowths, but every year they need to be shortened by a third. Try to keep the distance between the shoots 10-15 cm. When forming the crown, you can shorten the remaining branches a little - they will grow back quickly.

Sanitation procedures

During the spring, summer or autumn procedure, unhealthy, shrunken, broken and weakened elements are removed. Branches with growth defects must be cut out. If a cherry or sweet cherry is affected by a fungus, the shoots are immediately removed.

Anti-aging activities

Cherry pruning is carried out in the autumn after leaf fall, in September or early October. Since the plant bushes quickly, the procedure is carried out 7-8 years after planting. On annual shoots, fruits form faster, so sections of the crown older than 3 years are removed to the outer bud. Rejuvenating procedures are divided into weak - they get rid of growth in 2 years, medium - they remove branches formed over 4 years, strong - they cut out branches that have grown over 6 years. Depending on the type of work with cherry plantations, their age and variety, the sequence of cutting the material is selected.

Cherry pruning rules

The main goals of thinning are to form the correct crown and extend the fruiting period of the crop. The plant is considered early ripening, but the early onset of fruiting is not only an advantage, but also a disadvantage of the crop. Already 15 years after planting, it can completely stop bearing fruit, but this period can be extended by proper thinning.

First of all, you need to remove dry or damaged branches, as well as shoots damaged by diseases (Figure 1). In addition, it is necessary to thin out the crown annually so that the fruits are better illuminated by sunlight.

How to trim

Like other fruit trees, cherry pruning is carried out according to a certain pattern. There are two ways to do it: shortening and thinning.

Figure 1. Features of crop pruning

During shortening, only parts of the upper branches or side shoots are removed. This allows you to stimulate the growth of young shoots and makes the main branches stronger. During the thinning process, excess shoots are completely removed so that the crown receives more light and air.

Cherry orchard age and pruning

Felt cherry is a bush crop whose branches are shortened by ½ or 1/3 the size. Stone fruit fruiting occurs only on last year's branches. Therefore, semi-skeletal and skeletal shoots are cut to the level of lateral branches in order to accelerate their growth and upward direction. During spring work, it is permissible to shorten the elements at the level of the dormant bud. To better tolerate the cherry procedure, sections of skeletal and semi-skeletal material are alternated every other year. Annual branches are not touched; only long ones (about 50 cm) are removed.

How to work with young cultures?

Stone fruit varieties differ in the speed of crown development, so there is no need to delay pruning. Every year, before budding begins or in the fall, branches are removed. When performing gardening activities, you need to consider the following nuances:

annual plants will freeze if shoots are removed before wintering;
young plantings are pruned later than others;
work only with a saw or a sharp knife, removing loose elements under the ring;
damaged areas are coated with garden varnish;
knots should be located at a distance of 10-13 cm from each other.

Crown formation is possible only for seedlings over 2 years old. Forming is combined with thinning, removing branches more than 50 cm in length. The work follows the following scheme:

Select 6 main shoots, 8-15 cm apart from each other.
Cut out the rest of the vegetation, giving the crown a ring shape.
Branches facing the trunk are removed.
Leave one parallel element at an acute angle.

This gives a mature cherry tree approximately 15 main branches. They expand without limitation, but for convenient collection of fruits they are periodically thinned out.

Rules for pruning fruiting crops

Felt cherry loses crown volume with age. At the bases of large knots, shoots called “tops” appear. In order to improve the quality of the harvest, the cherry orchard is rejuvenated by removing no more than 1-2 meters of the crown. Exceeding the norm will lead to death or disease of the tree. The cut is made above the branches with fruits, in several stages, if the work has not been carried out for several years.

Features of rejuvenation of old plants

On old trees, dried, non-fruitful and diseased twigs are removed. Sections are made to the level of healthy material. The inclined crown is also removed.

Nuances of the procedure: time, tools

The season for agricultural work depends on the varietal variety of the tree. Shaping pruning of cherries is relevant in the spring before the start of sap flow and bud formation. It is important to remove only the skeletal and side branches. Sanitary and rejuvenating measures are carried out in the fall, after harvesting the fruits and falling leaves. During a sanitary cut, it is necessary to completely remove the diseased, damaged material directed towards the trunk. During the summer growing season, they work with cherries affected by diseases. It is recommended to rejuvenate stone fruits after 8 years in early spring or mid-autumn.

What tool can you use?

The quality of agricultural procedures depends on the use of tools. You will need:

pruner;
sharp saw;
knife;
hacksaw;
scissors.

Tools must be treated with antiseptics to prevent plants from being affected by fungal or infectious diseases. The cut areas should be coated with garden varnish.

How to make a garden varnish?

A special plant putty is needed to treat open cuts, damaged wood or burns. Beginning gardeners can purchase Petrolatum, but experienced agronomists recommend making the following compositions for healing tissue yourself:

nigrolovy. You will need 1 kg of paraffin, nigrol and rosin, which are heated separately. Carefully pour rosin and paraffin into the hot nigrol and mix thoroughly. Before use, you can fill in the ash of tree bark and be sure to improve the putty;
on wood alcohol. They work with garden varnish in the cold season. To prepare, mix melted lard and fine rosin in proportions of 1:16. The liquid is heated, brought to a homogeneous state and combined with 8 parts of alcohol;
on beeswax. To make the solution, prepare beeswax, rosin or resin, and linseed oil in a ratio of 4:20:1. First, beeswax is melted, and then rosin is added to it. After mixing, add flax oil. After boiling, you need to add 2 parts of charcoal to the mixture;
in lard. You need to melt 1 part of lard, add 2 parts of wax to it and bring to a homogeneous state. Then 4 parts of fine rosin are added to the mixture and boiled for 30 minutes. The mass should be poured into cold water and kneaded.

For high-quality healing of cuts, you can add heteroauxin to the garden varnish at the rate of 1 tablet per 1 liter. The solution can be used at any time of the year.

Rules and technology for autumn pruning

Dwarf felt cherry tolerates autumn pruning best. This is how its branches remain viable after a long winter. The period of work completion depends on the gardener’s region of residence and the period when sap flow stops. In the southern regions, the procedure can be carried out at the end of September or October, and in the north - at the beginning of September. It is important to control the timing of the event so that the wounds heal quickly and the shoots do not dry out.

Features of the procedure

Gardeners advise how to prune a plant so that it retains its vitality and fruiting quality. So, you need:

remove large non-skeletal knots that make the crown excessively thick;
cut off elements located at right angles;
leave only skeletal crown-forming branches;
small shoots need to be cut off in the spring;
do not leave branches growing from the trunk at an acute angle.

Check the location of the branches. In order for stone fruit varieties to rejuvenate, you need to know which shoot will bear fruit. Be sure to treat the cutting areas.

Choosing a Trimming Pattern

The correct pattern of cutting branches guarantees abundant fruiting of cherry trees. Gardeners recommend following the standard procedure when thickening and shaping the crown:

When decorating, you need to leave 10 skeletal branches. The rest of the material should be removed or trimmed by 1/3. This increases the crop yield and prevents overgrowth of the bush.
Thickened varieties are cut out almost completely. You need to leave no more than 5-6 shoots 2 years old, and remove the rest at the root. The technique is used to restore the quality of fruiting of an old orchard and rejuvenate it.

The cut areas are treated with varnish and special frost protection agents.

How to trim a tree correctly

Haircut ensures that a sufficient amount of sun enters the crown and normal air circulation. It is important to do it correctly so as not to damage the tree.

Required materials and tools

For pruning you will need:

pruning shears for thin branches;
lopper for branches with a diameter of up to 2.5 cm, which are located deep in the crown;
garden saw.

All tools are disinfected in advance to prevent infection from entering the plant. They are calcined over a fire or wiped with a cloth moistened with alcohol.

Additionally, prepare garden varnish or oil paint for processing the cuts.

Trimming schemes

In summer, drying and damaged branches that can harm the tree are removed.

Attention! Particular attention is paid to diseased shoots: they are not simply cut off, but burned to kill the infection.

After fruiting, the young shoots of the felt cherry are partially removed so that new ovaries and buds appear next year. This is done only in regions with a warm climate. In the north of the country they limit themselves to sanitary pruning. The formative one is transferred from summer to spring.

In the summer, shoots that have not yet become woody are pinched. Young branches are removed at a very early stage. If this is not done in time, you will have to remove woody shoots, and this is worse for the tree.

Step-by-step instruction

Pruning felt cherry trees in summer consists of several steps:

The crown is inspected and thinned out every year. Remove all thickening and damaged branches.
The buds are located along the entire length of the shoots, so they are cut off completely.
Branches growing upward are cut by 1/3 to prevent the cherry from growing too tall.
About a third of the side branches are cut off, and the rest are shortened by 3 buds.

All cut areas are treated with garden varnish or other wound healing agent.

Why is pruning needed?

Felt cherry, like many other fruit trees, comes from China. It has many undoubted advantages:

grows and bears fruit in all regions of the country, except the Arctic zone;
blooms profusely and colorfully, its blossoms can be compared to the blossoms of sakura or Louisiana;
compact dimensions 1.5–3 m high;
generous harvest of up to 20 kg from an adult bush;
very precocious, fruiting begins in the 2nd year;
cherries are productive for 12–15 years;
the crop is easy to harvest due to the small size of the bush;
the berries hang on the bushes for a long time after ripening;
earlier fruiting, already in mid-July;
resistant to the main cherry disease - coccomycosis;
almost does not suffer from fungal diseases, suffers little from pests;
frost-resistant, can withstand temperatures of -30 degrees;
drought-resistant;
does not produce shoots;
easily propagated by seeds.

The disadvantages of the culture are severe damage by moniliosis and pre-heating of the root collar during thaws. It is impossible to fight fungal diseases with the help of chemicals; cherries react negatively to them even in small doses.

During fruiting, a perennial multi-stemmed shrub is densely covered with pale pink or dark red berries. Their taste is sweet and sour, the flesh is juicy and tender. The berries of felt cherries do not taste like the fruits of ordinary cherries. Cherry is closer to their taste. The transportability of the berries is low due to the delicate skin, so you won’t find felt cherries on sale.

The plant is fast-growing due to its short lifespan. The shrub will live in the garden for only 10–12 years, then it must be replaced with a young plant.

The short-living shrub has a characteristic feature - it produces a large number of stems every year. Felt cherry is prone to thickening. As a result, the bush quickly overgrows and the yield decreases.

When the crop is overloaded, which happens quite often, the berries become smaller. Therefore, when shaping the bush and pruning old branches, the size of the berries increases. Berries on felt cherries grow mainly on annual shoots.

The formation of a neat and light bush, obtained through proper pruning, helps extend the life of the berry plant to 20 years.

Dates

Not all gardeners know how to properly trim felt cherries. For beginners, it is difficult to find information on how to trim cherries and when it should be done.

Annual formative, sanitary and rejuvenating pruning for cherry bushes is mandatory. Felt cherry trees are pruned twice a year.

The purpose of pruning is to form a strong and healthy bush with regular and abundant fruiting.

Formative pruning

Usually carried out in early spring, before the buds swell. The best time is the second half of March. At the same time, excess skeletal branches and lateral processes are removed.

It is recommended to leave no more than 10 skeletal shoots in the bush, shortening them by 1/3 of their length annually.

The skeletal branches should be strong and grow at a distance of 10–15 cm from each other. In addition to the skeletal shoots, the branches should be shortened to stimulate the growth of new ones.

Sanitary pruning

It is held in autumn, spring and sometimes in summer. Its goal is to remove dry, broken, weak and diseased branches. Incorrectly growing branches are cut out. When a fungal disease appears, branches with it are immediately cut off, even in summer.

Anti-aging pruning

It is carried out annually in the fall after the leaves fall, in September-October. Due to the rapid overgrowth of the bush, rejuvenating pruning begins at 7–8 years, removing 1–2 old branches. Fruiting mainly occurs on one-year-old shoots, so crown branches older than 3 years must be removed.

Pruning of any branch, unless it is cut to the base, is done on the outer bud.

Rules for pruning

To properly trim, it is important to choose the right time, know the cutting technology and use a sharp tool.

Deadlines

The timing of pruning depends on your goals:

The first formative pruning is carried out immediately after planting, in the 2nd–4th year - from mid-March to early April, before the start of sap flow. The air temperature should not be lower than -5°C;
It is advisable to carry out sanitary pruning in the fall, from mid-September to early October, after sap flow has stopped. The air temperature should be -5–8°C;
Anti-aging pruning can be carried out both in spring and autumn at the same time and at the same temperature as other types of pruning.

Making slices

When removing thick old shoots, a “ring” cut is used. Take a closer look at the branch and you will notice ring-shaped nodules at its base. You need to cut the branch along the upper edge of the ring. Do not leave the stumps and do not make a cut along with the ring - this risks the appearance of a hollow, cracking of the wood and rotting of the bark.

It is necessary to make the cut correctly so as not to injure the tree

If you need to make a cut to an external bud (for example, to avoid thickening the crown and direct the branch outward), then make an oblique cut (at about 45o) at a distance of 0.5 cm from the outward-facing bud.

When cut correctly, it is at the same level as the kidney

Tools

For pruning you will need:

pruning shears (they are convenient for cutting thin branches);
lopper (capable of coping with branches with a diameter of up to 2.7 cm located deep in the crown);
garden saw, especially when carrying out anti-aging pruning.

Do not forget to lubricate the pruning areas with garden varnish or drying oil-based paint, and also disinfect the tools to avoid infection in the tree. To do this, they can be heated over a fire, wiped with a rag moistened with alcohol or a 5% solution of copper sulfate.

How and with what pruning is done

Formative pruning is carried out already in the second year of the seedling’s life. In early spring, it is necessary to cut off all shoots at a height of 40 cm for tillering of the bush.

In the third year, again in the spring, all branches are cut to 1/3 of their length.
After waiting for fruiting, 8–10 strong skeletal shoots are left in the bush. The rest are cut at ground level.
The pruning pattern is much simpler than that of other shrubs. Cherry bushes are not treated on ceremony because of their enormous growth energy. Even improperly pruned bushes recover quickly.

Over the course of a year, a cherry branch should grow by 30–50 cm. On annual shoots longer than 50 cm, only vegetative buds are formed. To stimulate the formation of fruit buds, they are pruned to 30–40 cm. This procedure is performed not only during spring, but also during summer pruning.

All branches in the crown should be directed outward. By pinching and pruning, incorrectly growing branches can be redirected in the desired direction. In addition, shortening summer annual shoots by pinching allows them to form a larger number of flower buds.

Pinching is easier for the plant to tolerate than pruning. Therefore, in the summer it is worth using this particular regulation technique.

Old and neglected bushes have a large volume of green mass and single fruits on the tops of the shoots. If the new growth of branches is less than 20 cm, the bush must be renewed. In this case, the cherry tree is radically pruned in the spring. 5–6 two-year-old shoots are left, the rest is removed at the root.

Branches are pruned using pruning shears; felt cherry branches are thin. The stems are cut out with a saw or hacksaw. Cuts with a diameter greater than 1 cm are covered with garden pitch.

Before using instruments, they are disinfected in a dark solution of potassium permanganate to prevent the transfer of fungal infection. Pruning bush felt cherries in the spring is the most necessary operation in caring for this crop.

Gardeners in the middle zone are persistently trying to grow peaches and grapes on their plots. The queues for seedlings of pawpaw plants are scheduled for a year in advance. But the completely unpretentious and very productive felt cherry, as well as large-fruited blackthorn and bird cherry, is not particularly popular.

Perhaps these crops need more advertising to increase their spread. Or for novice gardeners there is simply not enough knowledge on the proper care of this excellent and fruitful plant.

Felt cherry is one of the few stone fruit crops that literally grows on its own. There are no industrial plantations, it does not pamper with a huge harvest, and it was named so because the leaves of the felt cherry are not as rough as those of the ordinary one, but soft, like felt. Felt cherry often freezes and remains without a harvest; mainly its flowers die due to returning spring frosts, during which the felt cherry blooms. But if there are no such frosts, then the cherries will please you with a harvest, and, although the fruits will be small and the stone in them will be noticeable, it is still pleasant and healthy to eat them.

Today, let's talk about pruning felt cherries, because either no one, or very few people, do this, which is why the cherry crown turns into some kind of ball - the center is exposed, the harvest is concentrated on the periphery of the crown, and naturally, it is seriously reduced. To prevent this from happening, we will give a series of useful tips.

Trimming scheme

The classic scheme, which will be understandable for novice gardeners, involves leaving 10 skeletal main branches on the tree. All other shoots on the tree to be pruned must be removed or shortened by one-third of the length. It is wrong to ignore this stage in caring for cherry trees - they have a tendency to thicken. And this inevitably affects productivity, unfortunately, not in the most favorable way.

If thickening does occur, you need to carry out large-scale pruning and leave only 6 two-year-old shoots, and remove everything else almost to the root. Such pruning rules are most often applied to old trees, which have an impressively developed green mass, but are “lame” in terms of productivity.

General features of pruning felt cherry

Although the felt cherry is a shrub, it can easily grow one and a half or even two meters and will look more like a small tree, so all types of pruning can be applied to it as for a regular cherry.

Our goal is to show the rejuvenation of felt cherries, which will certainly lead to an improvement in the appearance of the tree and to an increase in yield if everything is done correctly.

Usually the scheme is very clear: this is the removal of old branches, pruning the middle-aged branches by about a third, removing all the old skeletal branches to the area where the buds or side shoots of the branch begin to grow.

If the felt cherry tree is very old and its center begins to dry out or has already dried out, then you can safely cut out all the shoots that are located on the side branches, but be very careful with the annual growths, since these are the vital forces of our future felt tree and it is better not to have them at all touch.

If you happen to have an area with very neglected felt cherry trees, then do not grab a saw and pruning shears to immediately put the area in order in one season, do it gradually. Bring about one third of the plants into proper condition in one season, otherwise the felt cherries may die from excessive pruning, that is, you will not make it better, but will harm the plants.

We inhibit the growth of felt cherry

As you know, felt cherry is not characterized by very active growth, however, it is better to restrain it slightly so that the crown does not thicken too much and does not become overgrown with unnecessary shoots. Every year, usually at the end of February or beginning of March - the timing considered optimal for pruning felt cherries, you need to trim each shoot by about five centimeters and cover each cut with garden varnish or garden paint.

Types of pruning

Felt cherry grows up to 2-3 m in height and resembles a small tree.

Therefore, all types of pruning are applied to it, as for ordinary cherries:

Formative. Crown formation schemes are universal and applicable to any type of cherry and growing region. The peculiarity of this method is fruiting on bouquet branches. They produce crops for 5 years, but only if their length is more than 30 cm.
Regulatory. They carry out this every year by removing thickening branches.
Restorative. Performed after an unsuccessful winter, when many branches were damaged by frost. They are completely removed.
Rejuvenating. The first time is carried out when the tree is 8-9 years old. The need for the procedure is indicated by a decrease in the length of annual growth to 20 cm and exposure of the ends of the shoots. Anti-aging pruning is not done at once, but over 2-3 years.

Opening the crown of the felt cherry

Although the crown of a felt cherry tree can be called a crown with great stretch, it still exists and, as a rule, it is pulled together and dumped to one side. To change the direction of shoot growth, usually from vertical to horizontal, you need to take new and clean twine, a piece of wooden stick, and also a hacksaw (in case the stick is too long). Next, all we have to do is fix the stick in the ground so that we can use twine to bend the branch we need in the right direction. This procedure can be carried out approximately until the second ten days of the last summer month, but not later.

Please note: it is easy to bend and give different directions to felt cherry shoots if they are young, but felt cherry shoots that are over three years old are usually very fragile and you need to be careful not to accidentally break them. Before carrying out such an operation, you need to water the tree well by pouring a couple of buckets of water under it and wait an hour for the plant to become saturated with moisture. For this operation, it is better to choose a cloudy day and evening or morning time, so the risk of breaking a fragile and moisture-deprived branch will be minimal.

Sometimes a branch on a bush is directed so poorly that it is easier to cut it into a ring than to torment the plant and suffer yourself, but do not forget that all cuts, cuts, incisions, and accidental wounds should be covered with garden varnish or garden paint.

Pruning very old felt cherry bushes

Sometimes you may get an area where felt cherry trees are so old that it is difficult to reach them. Usually these bushes are much more than five years old, but if you don’t want to uproot them, then you can help them too.

First of all, remove all vertical shoots of felt cherry and skeletal branches by cutting into a ring; they have already outlived their usefulness. The optimal time for this is from the end of March to the first days of April.

Pruning a tree that is still bearing fruit, but is already considered quite old, has an overgrown crown, dry and improperly growing shoots, can only be done in early spring - until the end of the first ten days of May. You need to start by removing all the shoots of felt cherry, which greatly thicken the crown, while leaving those branches that extend from the trunk at angles close to straight lines.

The next step is to cut out all the crooked shoots, of which there are quite a few of felt cherries. Such shoots are usually formed due to a thickened crown, when literally every branch competes for a ray of sun. The next stage is the removal of all competing shoots: identifying pairs of competing shoots is very simple - they grow in one direction.

It remains to shorten the central conductor of the felt cherry, making it such that it rises above the other branches to a height of 14-17 cm and no more.

What should not be touched are annual shoots and shoots without lateral branches, but with live buds on them.

Formative pruning of cherries

Spring is the only suitable time for formative pruning. The crown of the crop can be formed into a tree-like or bush-like form, and at the initial stage these forms are practically the same. After planting, the central conductor is slightly shortened so that its height does not exceed 50 cm.

Figure 5. Proper pruning of cherries in summer

Subsequently, only a certain number of branches are left on the central conductor: 8-10 for tree-like varieties and 10-15 for bushy varieties.

Formative pruning of tree varieties is carried out as follows (Figure 6):

The skeletal branches of the second order are shortened so that they are approximately the same length, but several centimeters below the central conductor;
All branches extending from the trunk at an acute angle are cut off. The same is done with shoots growing inside the crown;
Annual shoots whose length exceeds 50 cm are shortened.

Under no circumstances should branches be shortened to 20 cm in length. If you do this, the shoot will stop developing and dry out. When formative pruning, it is advisable to do so that all side branches are approximately the same length. This way the tree will not only look beautiful, but also be highly productive.

You will find more useful tips on pruning in the video.

When is the best time to prune felted cherry trees?

The optimal time for pruning felt cherries is the end of March–early April, when serious negative temperatures are no longer expected, but this time may shift. The main thing is that the pruning of felt cherries must be completely completed before flowering begins - this is very important.

Pruning felt cherry in summer, is it necessary?

Many gardeners still argue about the need for summer pruning of felt cherries. Let's put an end to this issue - you can prune felt cherries in the summer, but only in July and if there is an extreme need for it. Typically, summer pruning of felt cherries is carried out only if the tree has broken shoots or if the shoots are affected by one or another disease. It is clear that after pruning such shoots must be taken out of the site and destroyed.

Sometimes, in especially warm and humid years, and even when the gardener has gone too far with nitrogen, felt cherries can literally shoot out young shoots. With a high degree of probability, they will not have time to ripen by winter and will simply die (freeze). In this case, you also need to carry out summer pruning.

Pruning, depending on the crown of the felt cherry

Felt cherry can grow in the form of a real bush or in the form of a tree from one and a half to two meters high, less often - higher, so gardeners divide felt cherry into bush-type and tree-type plants, in this regard, slightly adjusting the pruning rules.

Pruning bushy felt cherry

Such cherries very actively increase the vegetative mass literally from the first season after planting in the garden, which (planting), by the way, should be carried out exclusively in the spring. You can tell that a tree is already old and needs pruning by looking at the shoots that are starting to become bare. Such shoots can be safely cut off by one third, carrying out this operation at the end of February or at the beginning of March.

If there are too many growths of the felt cherry and the cherry looks like a hedgehog, it is necessary to prune the shoots not in one season, but at least two or three, otherwise you will greatly weaken the plant, and it may even die.

At the end of such thinning, every year in early spring, be sure to thin out the crown, removing all the shoots that thicken it, or use a formation specially designed for bush felt cherries, which is called “slender spindle.” Its essence lies in the fact that it is necessary to periodically remove shoots that are one or two years old, cutting out shoots that bear fruit.

Tree felt cherry pruning

It can stretch one and a half or two meters; here it is important to reduce its growth by shortening all shoots by 20-25 centimeters at the end of February or beginning of March. Such shortening will actively stimulate the formation of bouquet branches and create a compact and low crown.

Naturally, it is necessary to remove all those shoots that have managed to grow during the season and are directed to the center of the crown, creating ballast that is unnecessary for the tree. Pay attention to dry shoots; they should also be removed.

All shoots that are a year old and longer than the length of a simple pencil can be safely cut off by five centimeters.