A he althy, high-yielding cherry tree is characterized by a well-developed crown structure. Before the cherry tree begins to bear fruit, a viable crown structure must be built up over several years through properly carried out thinning cuts.
How and when should you thin out a cherry tree?
Thinning a cherry tree is done by removing older, strong branches to give the remaining ones more light and air and to structure the crown well. The ideal time for this is late August to early September. It is important to maintain the central branch and strong woody shoots.
Clearing incision as an important crown design measure
A thinning cut is a cutting measure used to design the crown. When thinning out, older, strong twigs and branches that have proven to be unnecessary or disruptive to the development of the crown, or that are dead or diseased, are removed. As a result, the remaining branches should receive more air and light and the crown framework should show a better structure.
Thinning is by no means a matter of “beauty care”, but regular use of pruning shears or saws contributes significantly to the he alth, flowering and productivity of the cherry tree. A dense, insufficiently ventilated and exposed crown is always a breeding ground for numerous diseases and pests. The quality of the fruit also deteriorates if there is no thinning cut.
Differences in the growth of sweet and sour cherries
Since the sweet cherry trees have a different growth pattern than the sour cherry trees, the pruning measures for these two types of cherry trees are different. While the sweet cherry naturally grows strongly and upwardly, the sour cherry likes to branch out and form strong long shoots. In addition, with most sour cherry varieties it is necessary to regularly remove the removed fruit wood, as these cherries only fruit on the annual shoot.
Practical execution
A thinning cut can be easily carried out on your own if you follow a few tips:
- Thinning out in late summer if possible, i.e. H. Make it at the end of August, beginning of September,
- the central branch and strong, upright growing woody shoots must be preserved,
- Branches that are too close should not only be cut off, but also removed right up to the point of attachment,
- Inwards shoots that interfere with each other should be removed at the base,
- The water shoots on bare parts of the branches must be removed, except for a few that serve to feed them.
Tips & Tricks
You often read about “cutting on display” in gardening guides. This involves cutting off the upright growing shoot at the level of the lowest, outward-facing bud.