How to prune a cherry tree

Which type of cherry tree do I have?

There are three groups of cherries, based on different species, and it is important to know which you have, as established trees are pruned differently.

Sweet cherries, derived from the European wild cherry Prunus avium, are most common. 'Bigarreau Napoleon', 'Celeste', 'Early Rivers', 'Lapins' ('Cherokee'), 'Merton Glory', 'Stella', 'Summer Sun', 'Sunburst' and 'Sweetheart' are all sweet cherries.

Duke cherries, such as 'May Duke', derived from P. x gondouinii, are pruned in the same way.

Acid cherries such as 'Morello' have been developed from the dwarf cherry from south-east Asia, Prunus cerasus, and are pruned quite differently once mature.

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When should I prune my cherry tree?

All cherry pruning should be carried out in the growing season. This reduces the risk of silver leaf disease which is most widespread in winter. Initial pruning and training of young trees is best carried out in spring, just as the buds are breaking. Other pruning to correct problems and encourage fruiting should be carried out in summer – more details below.

Initial pruning and training is the same for all types of cherry. You can train them either as a free-standing small tree (usually known as a bush), or as a fan tied on to wires spaced 30cm or less apart. The wires can be supported on a wall – which has the added benefits of providing shelter plus storing and radiating warmth – or on a fence or between free-standing posts.

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How do I train a sweet or acid cherry as a bush?

1. First spring after planting: A year old cherry tree will normally have several sidebranches. Select a group of four that are evenly spaced, the lowest at least 50cm above the ground. Then remove any branches below these back to the trunk, shorten the main shoot to just above the top branch and shorten the four chosen branches by two-thirds. Cut back to a bud pointing in the way you want the new branch to develop.
2. Second spring: Remove any shoots growing into the centre, and cut back to the trunk any shoots below the lowest main branch. Shorten all the main branches by about a third. Choose one or two sideshoots on each main branch and shorten these by about a third. Remove any spindly or badly placed side-shoots, and shorten any that remain to about four buds.
3. Third spring: Shorten new growth on all major shoots by about two-thirds. Remove any spindly, badly placed or damaged shoots. Leave any remaining shoots of 23cm or less unpruned, and shorten remaining longer shoots to about four buds.

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How do I prune a mature acid cherry trained as a bush?

Acid cherries fruit predominantly on the previous year’s growth, so pruning needs to be much heavier than for sweet cherries in order to encourage lots of new growth. Prune once fruit has been picked.

1. First, remove any dead, damaged or diseased branches. Then remove any that are very weak, badly placed, crossing through the centre of the bush or rubbing on other branches.
2. Remove about a quarter of the remaining older wood, cutting back to a main branch or younger side-shoot.
3. Leave young shoots that are less than 30cm long unpruned. Shorten longer ones, plus any vigorous new extension growth on main branches, by a third to encourage branching.

How do I prune a mature acid cherry trained as a fan?

1. Acid cherries fruit predominantly on the previous year’s growth, so you prune to remove whole shoots to reduce overcrowding and encourage growth.
2. In early summer, work along each rib of the fan, cutting out crowded and crossing shoots so that the remaining ones are spaced 5-10cm apart.
3. Concentrate on retaining those new shoots that are developing at the base of shoots carrying this year’s fruit.
4. Loosely tie in the shoots you have retained onto nearby canes or wires.
5. After the fruit has been picked, cut back any unhealthy, damaged or badly placed shoots back to a lower branch.
6. Cut all the shoots that have fruited back to one of the new side-shoots. Re-tie the new shoots you have retained to fill the space evenly.

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How do I prune a mature sweet cherry trained as a bush?

Sweet cherries fruit on one- and two-year old wood, and on spurs of older wood. Overall, they require only light pruning once established. Prune once the fruit has been picked.

1. First, remove any dead, damaged or diseased branches. Then remove any that are very weak, badly placed, crossing through the centre of the bush or rubbing on other branches.
2. Shorten the tips of the remaining branches by about a third of their new growth to help encourage the development of fruit buds.
3. Cut out any side-shoots that are over 30cm long, and thin out very crowded shoots. Leave side-shoots that are less than 15cm long, and shorten others to five or six buds.

How do I prune a mature sweet cherry trained as a fan?

Sweet cherries fruit on one and two-year old wood, and on spurs of older wood, so pruning concentrates on shortening new shoots to encourage new spur production.

1. In early summer, select new side-shoots to fill in any gaps in the fan and tie them in.
2. Shorten all other side-shoots to five or six leaves.
3. After the fruit has been picked, remove any unhealthy, damaged or badly placed shoots back to a lower branch. This includes any shoots growing directly towards or directly away from the wall.
4. Prune back all the side-shoots you have already shortened to three leaves, or one leaf at the top of the fan.