Cherry crown formation. Pruning cherries: agricultural techniques for beginners

Pruning fruit trees allows you to properly form the crown, which increases crop yields. All must be pruned garden trees, including cherries, which can be pruned according to the pattern in spring and autumn. The article will be illustrated with colorful photos and videos, which will help even inexperienced beginners to properly prune a cherry orchard.

Why do you need to prune cherry trees?

Many gardeners believe that it is better not to prune stone fruit trees, especially cherries and cherries, allowing the trees to grow naturally.

Agreeing with this is not quite the right thing to do. Formative pruning of stone fruits allows you to improve the health of the tree crown (dried twigs and branches are cut out, which serve as additional gates for the penetration of harmful infections and pests into the wood). When pruning, removing branches growing inside the crown allows air to enter; this operation can significantly reduce the risk of developing pathological fungal infections.

When pruning, a strong skeleton of the tree is formed, the height of the trunk is reduced, which makes harvesting easier, and simplifies the work on treating the garden from pests.

Advice! A strong healthy tree is the key bountiful harvest, regular pruning helps stimulate fruiting.

Types of cherry pruning

In gardening, three types of pruning of cherry trees are used:

Schemes for pruning trees in a cherry orchard

The classic scheme for the formation of cherries is sparsely layered. On one tree there are ultimately 8 branches of the main skeleton, arranged in three tiers. The lower tier consists of 3-4 main branches, which should be directed towards different sides(branches overhanging each other is not allowed).
The second tier rises 60 cm above the first, and the gaps between the branches of the second tier are up to half a meter.

First year (pruning when planting seedlings)

One-year cherry seedling planted in the garden on permanent place, is already subject to pruning. For the correct formation of the crown, certain rules are followed:

1. In the southern regions of Russia, it is customary to leave a trunk of up to 60 cm; the further you go to the north, the smaller the height of the trunk - in the northern and black earth regions, a cherry tree is formed on a trunk of 30-40 cm.
2. To carry out pruning, use a sharp, clean knife; you should prepare compounds in advance to protect the cut site: oil paint, garden varnish, special protective mastics. The sections are sealed to prevent the possibility of infections penetrating through the wound surfaces.

Important! It should be remembered that about 6 buds are left at the top of a one-year-old cutting, from which the skeletal branches of the first tier will subsequently develop.

The first pruning is usually carried out in the spring months.

The second year of growing cherries: rules for pruning a two-year-old seedling

Pruning a two-year-old tree is carried out in the spring, and it is important not to delay the procedure. From the buds left in the first year, fairly strong branches developed, of which 3-4 are left. The remaining branches are cut out near the trunk; stumps are not allowed to be left.

The remaining branches should be harmoniously located around the trunk, without touching. It is necessary to cut off the branches of the first tier, leaving up to 50 cm in length. Simultaneously with pruning the branches of the first tier, in the second spring the main stem of the cherry tree is shortened. From the topmost branch of the 1st tier, 4 buds are counted and the upper part of the trunk is trimmed with a sharp knife. The cut areas are reliably covered with special means.

Third year: spring pruning of the cherry tree

The scheme for pruning a cherry tree in the third spring is carried out according to following rules: on the branches of the first tier, one is identified with the worst annual growth. This branch is not pruned, and the remaining first-order branches are pruned to the size of the weakest one.

Advice! At the same time, all branches growing deep into the crown are pruned.

In the second tier, skeletal branches of the second order are formed, and it is worth strictly ensuring that the branches grow outward and are approximately at an equal distance from the trunk.

Advice! The branches of the second order are shortened by about 10 cm more than the cherry branches of the 1st tier.

After pruning the branches, they proceed to the formation of the main trunk of the cherry tree, for which they retreat 50 cm from the second tier and leave 4 to 6 buds, which will give rise to branched branches of the 3rd order. The size of the future harvest depends on the angle of directional growth of the branches: the largest harvest is harvested from horizontally located branches.

Fourth year: pruning cherries in spring

The central trunk of the tree should be pruned to the weakest side shoot; such an operation will help limit the growth of the cherry tree in height. All side shoots pruned, leaving no more than 80 cm on the shoots of the 2nd and 3rd tiers, the branches of the first tier are pruned more strongly - up to half a meter of shoot length is left.

In the fourth year, not only the branches of the main skeleton are pruned, but also strong shoots on the skeletal branches are shortened. At the same time, they strictly monitor the direction of growth of the branches - all shoots directed into the crown are mercilessly removed. One of the two intersecting shoots is also removed.

In the fifth, sixth and subsequent years, pruning of cherries is carried out similarly to the 4-year scheme, with shoots on skeletal branches being removed: weak, underdeveloped, broken, with the direction of growth inside the crown tent. The central trunk and main skeletal branches are shortened by no more than half a meter.

Spring pruning of cherries: video

Cherry pruning: photo

Formation of cherries according to the type of Spanish bush All gardeners, without exception, know that cherries, as well as cherry-cherry hybrids - dukes, have a tendency to grow wildly and, first of all, in height. If a seedling is left without proper pruning, it forms a sparse, elongated pyramidal and unproductive crown, reaching a height of about 5-6 meters in the first ten years. As a result, we get a high crown that is very inconvenient for harvesting. But this problem has long been resolved in the system of tree formation using the “Spanish Bush” method. This system was first introduced into industrial plantings of cherries in Spain. The structure of the crown of the formed tree resembles a bush, consisting of a short trunk and 4-5 skeletal branches, which is why the name of the entire system arose. The trees limit their height to 2.5 meters, which allows you to harvest the entire crop without stairs, standing on the ground. The system is perfect for small areas where free space is “worth its weight in gold” and compaction of plantings is essential. Trees are planted with a distance of only 3 meters and 4.5 between the rows themselves. In addition to convenience and tangible space savings, the fruits reach their best taste qualities due to the free, well-lit and wide central part of the crown.

Planting Two-year-old seedlings are planted in planting holes 60x60x60 cm, which are prepared in advance, preferably in the fall if planting will be done in the spring. When digging a hole, the upper black layer of earth is separated from the lower reddish one. If the soils are moisture-absorbing, a drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the hole. Then the top layer of soil mixed with compost or humus is lowered into the hole, forming a hill. The roots of the seedling are evenly distributed over the surface of the hill and covered with the remaining soil from the lower layers of the hole, also mixed with organic fertilizers, compacting it several times. After all the soil is in the hole, the root collar should be flush with the ground. Then the soil around the trunk is once again compacted well and generously shed with water. The first year after planting In the spring, during the period of bud break, planted trees are cut at a height of 30-75 cm (Fig. 1). The height of the cut depends on the distance from the ground we want to get the main powerful branches, as well as on the presence of buds on the central conductor. The shoots growing from the buds (most often four) are retracted in order to obtain large divergence angles. At good care shoots quickly reach a length of 50-60 cm (Fig. 2). In summer they are shortened by cutting them 15 cm above the cut of the central conductor. This is the last operation carried out in the first year after planting. It should be remembered that all emerging shoots are cut off at the same height from the soil level.

By autumn, shoots of the second order should reach 50-60 cm. At this time, two trellises are stretched along the rows, running parallel and on both sides of the trunk near the ground (Fig. 3). Second-order shoots are tied to them to further obtain a uniform arrangement of branches and an open crown. The branches should be tied to the trellis until the end of the trees' second year. This procedure is especially necessary for varieties prone to the formation of tall, pressed shoots.

Second year after planting When new shoots reach a length of 50-60 cm, in the spring they are pruned to 25 cm from their base (Fig. 4). This procedure is best performed when the trees are flowering. If the trees grow weakly, you need to wait until the branches reach the desired length, and only then should you shorten them. Here the principle of shortening used in the first year is retained - the shoots are shortened at the same height (in this case by 25 cm) (a). In late autumn, third-order shoots should be about 60 cm long (Fig. 5). They need to be shortened at the same height as the 2nd order branches - about 25 cm from their base. This rule does not apply to all shoots: branches growing vertically in the center of the crown, as well as horizontal shoots, are not shortened. By performing these procedures step by step, we obtain the appearance of the crown characteristic of the “Spanish Bush”. Those branches that were left without shortening will soon begin to bear fruit. They begin to deal with them after the trees bear fruit. The main process of crown formation according to the “Spanish bush” type is completed. Shortening shoots of the 3rd order is especially important for varieties that form tall, poorly branching crowns, for example, Bingo, Lapins, as well as for trees grafted on vigorous rootstocks. In varieties prone to good branching (Switheif, Merton Premier, Kordia), as well as low-growing varieties (Sylvia) or varieties grafted on low-growing rootstocks (Gisela 5), ​​the last shortening can be omitted. Sometimes, already in the second year after planting, it is necessary to cut out several branches (b) to improve the illumination of the crown. Strong shoots growing vertically are removed first, and weak shoots growing horizontally are left. Before the trees begin to bear fruit, the dose of fertilizers for them is limited. The signal for resumption of fertilization is also the length of annual growths - when young growths are shorter than 60 cm, fertilizing is required.

Cherry – fruit tree, which needs to be formed from the very first week of planting. If you bought an annual cherry seedling with a height of 70-80 cm, then it needs to be trimmed to 40 cm. Traditional way tree formation - tiered pruning. With this method of formation, two tiers of skeletal branches are left. The first tier is laid 15-20 cm above the grafting. The second is 20-25 cm above the first tier of skeletal branches.

Some gardeners cut annual seedlings to 60 cm and leave three tiers of skeletal branches. There are disadvantages to such tiered pruning. A cherry tree with two tiers of branches grows up to 5 m in height by 10 years of age, and if you leave three tiers, then by this time the tree will reach sizes up to 8 m in height, and it will be difficult to harvest from the upper tier. In addition, if you leave three tiers of skeletal branches, the cherries will bear less fruit.

When does a tree begin to bear fruit?

As a rule, cherries begin to bear fruit at the age of four, but the entry of cherries into fruiting can be accelerated by mulching trunk circle tree and pruning it correctly.

It will begin to bear fruit earlier if it is planted in the spring in a well-prepared planting hole, filling it with humus. It must be added to the soil when planting and mineral fertilizers. Cherries are particularly susceptible to potassium deficiency.

Correct tier formation

Tiered crown formation is carried out in the spring. It is easier to form the crown of a young seedling, since its branches bend well and can be directed in any direction. If young branches grow at too sharp an angle, then they do not need to be trimmed - using ordinary clothespins you can direct the branch horizontally. A clothespin is hung on the trunk, which prevents the branch from returning to its original position.

Cherry pruning

In the first two years after planting, cherries must be pruned. All shoots coming from the rootstock are removed, since the cultivated variety is grafted onto the “wild” one. If shoots come from the rootstock, it will take over everything nutrients, and the scion may die. All cherry shoots located between the tiers of skeletal branches are trimmed. Also, in the first year after planting, all young shoots on skeletal branches are removed.

It often happens that seedlings are sold without a clearly defined central shoot. In this case, you need to create it yourself. To do this, you need to shorten the tallest shoot by 2-3 cm, and the side shoots by three buds.

Cherry occupies a special place in the garden experienced gardener, and those who decided to plant it for the first time, because both adults and children like the characteristic sweetish taste.

In order for the quality fruits of the beautiful cherry to delight us, the tree needs proper care.

And this is not only watering and digging, but also timely pruning, which should not harm, but also help increase the yield and longevity of the plant.

This article focuses specifically on the important stage when caring for cherries - pruning. In order not to destroy trees, you need to have basic knowledge for removing branches and shoots. It would be a good idea to start by considering what types of cherry pruning there are.

What you need to know before you start pruning cherries

Types of pruning

1) Formative pruning. It is carried out in the first year of planting cherries and is the very first pruning of the tree. From the name it is clear that we need to form the skeleton of the tree, a strong foundation, because the branches in the crown will be equally located on it, and also create optimal conditions for ripening cherry fruits. It is carried out early spring, when the cherry is still in the sleep stage.

2) Pruning during fruiting period- this is a type of pruning when, during the ripening of fruits, they get rid of broken, infected and those that densely cover the crown of the shoots. Be sure to slow down the growth of the central conductor and skeletal branches; this action is carried out in order to transfer growth to the weakest lateral shoots. This is especially true for the highest tier of the crown.

3) Anti-aging pruning- This is a type of pruning that is carried out when fruiting dies out. To extend the fruiting time and increase the amount of berries harvested, you need to shorten the branches of all orders.

Trim time

When is it better to prune cherries, in spring, summer, or in autumn? If we form the correct crown of the tree, then spring, namely March, before the buds swell, is best suited. After all, when we prune, the tree sap will not flow out, and the wound on the branches will quickly heal.

Sanitary pruning, and this removal of diseased and unnecessary branches is best done in the fall. Getting rid of dry, non-fruiting shoots will remove excess load from the cherry and prepare it for winter.

Some agronomists also perform summer pruning to get rid of shoots, especially those growing inside the crown, and diseased and broken branches.

Pruning and crown formation For cherries it is necessary to carry out annually. Its shoots grow very quickly, they need to be restrained in growth and directed into a certain shape. When the cherry begins to delight us with fruits, we need to remove the conductor, which is located in the center.

This will slightly stop its growth and transfer it to the lateral branches, which will subsequently provide the potential for the development of new fruit formations. Always remove branches that extend into the crown and prevent the development of sharp forks.

Trimming scheme

To date, a universal scheme for pruning cherry trees has not been invented. But uniform pruning rules can safely be considered control over the growth of the tree and its direction.

In one of European countries, gardeners have invented an interesting method, thanks to which you can easily pick fruits, for example, while standing, without the use of stairs. It is interesting because they try to direct the tree branches in a horizontal rather than vertical direction, as many are accustomed to, cutting off only the top of the center shoot.

This pruning pattern is called cupped, i.e. pruning is done so that the branches grow at an angle of 45 degrees. Her negative side is that the tree needs to support the branches, since they can break under the weight.

Trimming Features

Sweet cherries bear fruit on annual shoots and bouquet branches. The tree is characterized by weak branching and powerful shoot growth at the same time, and it is difficult to form a crown on it.

To form a correct, compact crown filled with branches to the maximum, begin pruning the tree from the first year of planting.

Pruning is carried out before the beginning of the growing season. When pruning cherries recommended thin out the crown more and cut the length of the branches less.

Cherry branches those that have not yet bear fruit, those growing at an acute angle, are separated with a weight or tied to the lower branch, because if this is not done, the branch with cherries may break. And those branches that deviate from the crown are tried to be pulled up to give it a certain shape.

Weakened growths, the length of which is 20 cm, are rejuvenated. When pruning, 2-year-old branches are removed. Anti-aging pruning performed every three to four years. And when spiny shoots appear, they should be immediately removed and transferred to growing branches.

Crown formation

Necessarily we need to shape the crown; if we don’t do this, we will end up with a very tall tree with very sparse branches. How to harvest from such cherries?

The best height for it is considered to be from 3.5 to 4 m, and the crown should be round or flat-round, this will help to collect high yield, and will make care easy. Let's look at what there are main types of cherry tree crowns.

Sparsely tiered crown. This type of crown formation is considered the best for cherries. Trees of this shape have a trunk 60 - 70 cm high, followed by a trunk on which there is a lower tier of first-order branches.

These are 3-4 main branches that are located on different sides of the conductor, and not above each other. The next skeletal branches are located 60-80 cm above the first tier along the trunk and at a distance of 40-50 cm from each other, and most importantly, they are not located above the lower branches, but in the spaces between them when looking at them from above.

In the first year, when the tree has just been planted, you need to measure the height of the trunk, approximately 60–70 cm, then count from 4 to 6 buds (skeletal branches will be formed from them) and cut off above the top bud.

Next spring, from the young shoots that have grown, we will form the first tier of the cherry crown. To do this, we select 3–4 branches, leaving them 50–65 cm long, the central conductor is cut at a height of 60–70 cm from the top branch of the first tier of the crown that we have already formed, while counting 4 buds, from which branches of the first order of the second will be formed tiers.

In the third year, it is important to thin out the crown, trimming shoots that are located at an acute angle to the conductor or grow inside the crown. Please note that the branches of the second order are not longer than the skeletal branches of the first order, or even better, shorter by 10–15 cm; cut them to the required length. We take a measurement on the central conductor from the second tier at 40–50 cm, count from 4 to 6 buds and cut off above the top bud, they will give us branches of the third tier.

In the fourth year, you need to prevent the central conductor from growing upward. To do this, trim the conductor above the weak side shoot at a level of 50 cm. We make the regrown branches of the third tier shorter than the central conductor by 20 cm. All extensions of the skeletal branches should be approximately 70–80 cm, and if they are shorter than this length, then they are not touch. Don't forget to do sanitary pruning as well.

For all subsequent years, the task is to control the height of the cherry tree and do the same pruning as in the fourth year, making sure that the side branches do not exceed 50 cm.

Flattened crown- considered the most popular among gardeners. After planting an annual seedling in the spring, pruning is done at a distance of 70–80 cm from the ground, and in June, a center conductor and two branches are isolated, which should grow on opposite sides, and all excess shoots are cut off.

Next spring, in March, we make sure that the overgrown lower branches lie at a distance of 40–50 cm from the base, and the main conductor should be approximately 20 cm above the side branches. In May, we measure 50–60 cm from the bottom tier upward and select the following two opposite branches. We remove the remaining shoots. In the third year, when the upper tier of the crown has already formed, you need to trim the key conductor where the weak lateral branch is located.

All gardeners, without exception, know that cherries, as well as cherry-cherry hybrids - dukes, have a tendency to grow wildly and, first of all, in height. If a seedling is left without proper pruning, it forms a sparse, elongated pyramidal and unproductive crown, reaching a height of about 5-6 meters in the first ten years. As a result, we get a high crown that is very inconvenient for harvesting. But this problem has long been resolved in the system of tree formation using the “Spanish Bush” method.

This system was first introduced into industrial plantings of cherries in Spain. The structure of the crown of the formed tree resembles a bush, consisting of a short trunk and 4-5 skeletal branches, which is why the name of the entire system arose.

The trees limit their height to 2.5 meters, which allows you to harvest the entire crop without stairs, standing on the ground.

The system is perfect for small areas where free space is “worth its weight in gold” and compaction of plantings is essential.

Trees are planted with a distance of only 3 meters and 4.5 between the rows themselves. In addition to convenience and tangible space savings, the fruits achieve their best taste due to the free, well-lit and wide central part of the crown.

cherry "Spanish bush"

“Spanish bush” - third year of life

LANDING

Two-year-old seedlings are planted in planting holes 60x60x60 cm, which are prepared in advance, preferably in the fall if planting will be done in the spring. When digging a hole, the upper black layer of earth is separated from the lower reddish one. If the soils are moisture-absorbing, a drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the hole. Then the top layer of soil mixed with compost or humus is lowered into the hole, forming a hill. The roots of the seedling are evenly distributed over the surface of the hill and covered with the remaining soil from the lower layers of the hole, also mixed with organic fertilizers, compacting it several times. After all the soil is in the hole, the root collar should be flush with the ground. Then the soil around the trunk is once again compacted well and generously shed with water.

FIRST YEAR OF FORMATION

In early spring, before the start of sap flow, at the end of March, the trunk is trimmed. When forming trees using the “Spanish Bush” system, the tree trunk is from 30 to 70 cm. The height of the trunk largely depends on the location of the buds. In the named interval, a site is selected with well-developed and evenly spaced buds in different directions, but not higher than 70 cm.

The upper part of the seedling is cut off above the last bud by 10-15

The buds, which are located at a distance of 10-15 cm, are carefully cut off with a sharp knife, which prevents their development. This section of the trunk is called a thorn; it will perform an auxiliary function throughout the first year of formation.

From the awakened buds in the upper part, 4-5 of the most developed and evenly located along the entire circumference of the shoot trunk are selected, the rest are broken out. These shoots will become the skeletal branches of the future crown.

The shoots need to be given correct angle deviation from the standard is 60 degrees. Cherry and duki produce shoots that have acute angle between the trunk, and the uppermost bud always tends to the position of the conductor and occupies strictly vertical position. The spike left at the end of the stem helps to achieve the slope we need. So, all young shoots are deflected from the trunk at an angle of 60 degrees using spacers, clothespins or garters with a rope. The easiest way is to place a clothespin over the shoot. When the shoots grow and bend, breaking the angle, their end is weighted with a weight that will maintain the given angle.

All young shoots are deflected from the trunk at an angle of 60 degrees using spacers, clothespins or garters with a rope.

After the shoots have overcome a length of 50 cm, they are cut at the same height using the same comb.

The upper shoots will naturally be shorter than the lower ones, the topmost shoot will be only 15-20 cm, and the lowest one will be the longest. The cut is made above the bud, which faces outward and not into the center of the crown. Thus, the crown will grow in breadth without thickening, providing all branches with optimal light conditions.

step 1

step 3

Second-order shoots will appear from the pruned branches, reaching a length of 50 cm by the end of the season. If fattening or competing shoots appear that clearly stand out in terms of their growth strength compared to others, they are cut out or transferred to future shoots. fruit branches. For this purpose, they are cut off above the fourth leaf, and a couple of weeks later, after the appearance of lateral branches, they are cut back to the lowest shoot, that is, the lowest branch is left, most often it is the most underdeveloped.

SECOND YEAR OF FORMATION

By the spring of the second year, we should have a trunk with shortened branches of the first order, each of which carries several long shoots of the second order. Formation should be continued until the buds open, when the shoots are still flexible and pliable. And at the same time, remove the thorn left on the stem, because we will no longer need it.
second year of formation

To begin with, two rigid wires are stretched parallel to each other at a distance of 1 meter, which lie or are slightly raised above the ground. The tree should remain strictly in the center between them.

On each skeletal branch of the first order, the lowest shoot is selected and, using a rope tied to one of the wires, pulled to a horizontal position. After this, the entire crown will open and become wider.

Further formation is resumed only after buds break, during possible flowering. All shoots that are not drawn back in spring are shortened to a length of 25 cm from their base. Such pruning is not easy to do psychologically, since sometimes the “lion’s share” of flowers is removed, but these measures significantly affect the quality of the crop and general condition tree. A cut is also made to the outer bud, leaving a 7-10 cm spike, which will give the last shoot the desired angle.

Further formation is resumed only after buds break, during possible flowering.

In mid-summer, when the emerging shoots grow to a height of 60 cm, pruning is repeated again as in spring: the lowest ones are pulled horizontally, and the upper ones are cut to a height of 30 cm.

This event ends the formation of the cherry crown. Then they just monitor the specified dimensions and balance of the entire tree.

CARE FROM THE THIRD YEAR OF THE TREE'S LIFE

Starting from the third year, the upper part of the tree begins to thicken. To do this, regulatory pruning is carried out, in which all branches of a branched shoot are cut out, leaving only the two lower ones. Branches are cut that exceed the height of the tree 2.5 meters and are in contact with the crowns of other trees.

Also, a quarter of not only all fruiting shoots, but also one skeletal branch is cut out annually. This ensures the constant youth of the tree and the appearance of new growth, which guarantees abundant fruiting. Such rejuvenation of the entire crown occurs every four years.

Every year, a quarter of not only all fruiting shoots, but also one skeletal branch is cut out.

Skeletal branches are cut off leaving a section 30-35 cm from the branch trunk, thereby moving onto the replacement branch.

Sweet cherry or cherry formed according to the “Spanish Bush” system, although it has a somewhat unusual appearance for us, but it provides such advantages as a neat and compact crown, large fruits and allows you to harvest without resorting to stairs.