How to Prune Sweet Cherries

There are two common problems with sweet cherry trees that makes their pruning unique to other fruiting trees. For basic fruit tree pruning information, please take our free fruit tree pruning course.

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First, If you look at an un-pruned cherry tree, you will see a simple pattern in the branching habit. Each branch will extend three or four feet, and then fork in every direction. Those branches will again extend three or four feet and fork. This pattern continues from the base of the trunk to the tips of the highest branches. Because of this natural branching pattern, sweet cherries will grow fast, and quickly get out of control. It is not uncommon for sweet cherry trees to get so big that only the birds can reach the fruit.

Second, Cherry trees are slow to seal off pruning cuts. This makes them susceptible to disease like Cytospora, wood boring insects, and heart wood rot.

So how do you prune cherry trees to avoid these two problems? The solution is simple and applies to both problems. Prune aggressively and prune often.

When you first plant you sweet cherry tree, tip back each and every branch. This will stimulate your tree to put on lateral growth closer together. The more lateral growth will generate more fruiting wood and will interrupt the cycle of long branches with forks far apart from each other. Cherries will spur like apple and pear trees if they are receiving enough light to the center of the tree. Not too much light though, because they are susceptible to sun scald. Cherry Trees will do best with a modified leader instead of an open center.

By pruning your cherry tree aggressively every year, you are avoiding having to do corrective pruning and making large cuts, which will allow your tree to seal off those pruning cuts quickly. When making pruning cuts, avoid damaging the ridge and collar, this too will allow the tree to seal pruning cuts quickly.

Once your cherry tree has reached its maximum desired height, you can maintain that height by following last year's pruning cut back to the lowest one year old branch, and making a cut at that fork, and then tipping the new growth at the same height as last years pruning cut. See the diagram below. 

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Another benefit to aggressive annual pruning for cherry trees is that you can maintain a manageable height that will give you the option of blocking out birds and other critters with a net. Make sure you are using a bird free net, like the one below.

Thanks for Reading! If you would like to learn more about the care and pruning of fruit trees, please browse our 100+ fruit tree articles here, join our Backyard Fruit Growers Facebook Group, and take our free Fruit Tree Pruning Course. Also, please subscribe to our Fruit Pruning YouTube Channel.