The Dirt Gardener's Column for January 9

Q. I'd like to know if I should prune my Stella Cherry tree. I've seen lots of articles about pruning fruit trees but I don't remember reading anything about cherry trees.

A. Cherry trees are no different from any other type of fruit trees as they’re pruned annually. Once the canopy is established, the pruning is minimal to control the size of the tree. Cherry trees produce long, whip like branches each year. This growth should be trimmed back or removed completely when spaced too close together. A dense canopy can affect the cherry crop because there is in sufficient light. You should be able to slip three to four fingers between branches. Establishing the scaffolding and secondary branches are the primary pruning purpose with young trees. These limbs are the foundation on which the rest of the canopy develops. Early on, the biggest decision is to choose the location of the lowest scaffolding branches. The lower to the ground these branches are located the easier it is to pick the fruit and prune the tree. The negative to this is that these lower branches affect your ability to walk under the tree. A common misconception is that the vertical space between the closest limb or branch to the ground, will increase as the tree grows taller. This distance never changes as the limb only get thicker. It’s important to establish them at the right point from the beginning. With young trees, you can change your mind but once they mature, it’s too late. I’m guessing you bought a semi-dwarf cherry tree. Unfortunately, the name is misleading, as they are not short, compact trees. The typical semi-dwarf tree grows fifteen to twenty feet high. A standard fruit tree grows much larger; hence, the dwarf designation. The fruit is the same size regardless of the type of tree. Pruning allows you to keep this tree within your expectations. Over all, you would remove annually about ten percent of the growth each year. It’s helpful to know how to distinguish between the vegetative buds and fruiting spurs. The vegetative buds on cherry trees are the single buds located on the new growth. The new wood is a light tan color while the mature growth is a dark color. Fruiting spurs are located on the old wood and found in clusters of three or more. The fruiting spurs are visible in the fall and increase in size until flowering.

And some final thoughts, Stella Cherry is a self-fertile variety and is a type of Bing cherry. So, it doesn’t require a second variety for pollination. Honeybees are the primary pollinator for cherries as well as all other types of fruit trees. Pollination is significantly impacted by wet, damp, rainy and cold during the flowering period, as honeybees don’t work in these conditions. January is the month that many garden centers have hands on pruning demonstrations. This may help clear up some of the fuzzy points of pruning.

by Buzz Bertolero, CCNP