The cherry trees can get quite old. The thickest bird cherry in Germany is in Blofeld (Hesse) and is estimated to be around 160-200 years old. Proper rejuvenation pruning can increase the life expectancy of old cherry trees.
How can I preserve and care for an old cherry tree?
To preserve old cherry trees, you should remove dead wood, rejuvenate the tree after flowering or harvest, and give fertilizer after pruning. This promotes the growth of new shoots and extends the lifespan of the tree.
How old do cherry trees get
The larger and slower the tree, the older it can get. The sour cherry trees (Prunus cerasus) grow quickly, remain relatively small and live on average 15-25 years. The slower and taller growing sweet cherry (Prunus avium) can live an average of around 45-55 years.
But how do you know how old a cherry tree is if you didn't plant it yourself, but took over the orchard from the previous owner? Just if the yields are declining does not mean that the tree is getting old. Fungal or pest infestation can also be the cause of yield fatigue.
On the Internet you can find various tables and sometimes quite adventurous instructions on how you can calculate the age of a living tree yourself based on the circumference of the trunk, the number of leading branches, etc. The result determined in this way can only be assumed as an estimate. Determining the age appears to be more reliable using a core drilling sample that a garden professional carries out with a special drill.
Rejuvenate old cherry tree
We speak of a rejuvenation cut when the crown needs to be completely renewed. By radically pruning the scaffold branches and lengthening the trunk, an old tree is stimulated to form new shoots. Pruning should be done after flowering or after harvest. Winter pruning is unfavorable for the cherries as it promotes water shoots. In addition, cuts heal more slowly in winter, especially on an old tree.
Perform the taper cut as follows:
- remove the dead and brittle branches, leaving enough young leafy branches,
- shorten the trunk extension and the guests by about a quarter,
- cut two- and three-year-old branches back to the next fruit base,
- cut so that an outward-pointing side branch remains immediately at the end,
- keep the wounds small and protect the edges with wound closure agent (€24.00 on Amazon).
Tips & Tricks
After the renewal cut, give lime in late autumn and mineral fertilizer in early spring to increase shoots.
