Slow release: The annual branches are not pruned. Since the nutrients are relatively dispersed, the tree vigor is eased, so it is called slow release. Slow release relatively increases the number of short and medium branches, which is conducive to the formation of flower buds.

Snipping: Stubbing can be divided into light stubbing, medium stubbing, heavy stubbing and extremely heavy stubbing.

Lightly short pruning

Lightly short pruning: cut off 1/4-1/3 of the front end of the branch, and prune lightly. Compared with other short cuts, light short cuts weaken the apical advantage, increase the number of short and medium branches, reduce the branching force, and moderate the growth potential of peripheral branches.

Medium short cut

Medium short cut: cut off about 1/2, leaving full buds under the cut. It can stimulate the growth of buds, especially the few buds at the lower end of the cut, which is beneficial to expanding the crown of the tree.

The main branch is extended and short-cut

Heavy short-cut

Heavy short-cut: cut off 2/3 to promote vigorous branches and increase the number of vegetative branches and Long fruit branches.

Examples of the effect of heavy pruning

Extremely heavy pruning: Generally, the pruning is within 5 cm, leaving only the deflated buds at the base. The deflated buds are poorly developed and the new shoots are weak in growth. , thereby achieving the purpose of controlling the crown and cultivating bouquet-shaped fruit branches. This method is commonly used when dealing with competing branches and promoting flourishing branches to bloom.

Extremely heavy pruning effect on competing branches

Thinning out competing branches

Thinning out branches: branches that are too prosperous, too dense, or disturb the shape of the tree are removed from the base , to facilitate ventilation and light transmission and prevent the inner chamber from closing. For thick perennial branches, they should be thinned out in stages to avoid causing wounds that are difficult to heal and affecting the growth and development of the tree. Wounds on cherry trees are not easy to heal, so large branches should not be thinned out in pairs.

Thinning off branches that disturb the shape of the tree and affect ventilation and light transmission

Retraction: Pruning off part of a perennial branch is called retraction. Retraction is mainly used to reduce bare fruiting branch groups and to rejuvenate old trees, weakened trees or main branches.

Retraction of auxiliary branches

Carve the bud 0.5 cm above the bud, with a depth of about 2 mm and a length of 1-2 cm.

Bud carving: During the bud expansion period, carving the upper part of the wound promotes the germination of the buds below the wound and the growth of the new shoots. Carved buds can weaken the apical dominance of branches and promote medium-length branches. After carving the buds, the wound heals well, flower buds can form that year, and can continue to bear fruit.

Blooming shape in the second year after carving buds

Fruiting shape after carving buds

Leave 5-8 leaves on the back branches for topping

Topping: Removing the tips of new shoots during the growing season is called topping. Topping can inhibit the extended growth of new shoots, increase new shoot branching, and promote thicker growth of new shoots. In order to increase branches, when the extended tips of the backbone branches (center trunk, main branch) grow to 60-80 cm, remove the tops of 15-20 cm from the tip, and top them 2-3 times throughout the year: in order to form fruiting branches, leave the new shoots of the current year. Repeat topping at 15-20 cm, thinning out or heavy topping on the back branches, and not topping on thin and long tips.

Angle opening

Stretching branches to open angles: Use rope pulling, stick support and other methods to increase the growth angle of branches to ease the growth momentum, weaken the top advantage, and promote the growth of lower branches and Bud growth and development. Pulling the branch angle can also adjust the branch layout, improve the ventilation and light transmission conditions inside the tree, and promote the development of branch buds inside the tree. Branch angle opening can be done all year round. Generally, in spring, toothpicks are used to open the base angle of new shoots. In August, after the growth of new shoots slows down, a rope is used to pull the middle and front part of the main branch to open the angle of the main branch.

The shape of the tree after the branches are opened into angles

Excerpted from "New Sweet Cherry Varieties and Supporting Cultivation Techniques", compiled and edited by Zhao Yongqiang of Tianguo Tree Research Institute.

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