When is the sour cherry cut?
In contrast to other fruit trees, the sour cherry is cut at a different time. The best time for the thinning is in the summer after the harvest. This is usually the case between early and mid-August.
also read
- The harvest time of the sour cherry - when is it time?
- Sour cherry and sweet cherry - what are the differences?
- Masterly slicing sour cherries - tutorial for cutting
Cutting depending on the variety
Depending on the variety, sour cherries develop different growth. While some develop whip-like long shoots and show an overhanging growth pattern, others show a short fruit wood and strive upright.
Overhanging varieties
Varieties such as 'Gerema', 'Schattenmorelle' and 'Morellenfeuer' develop a strongly overhanging habit if they are not regularly restrained by a cut. Their whip-like shoots become extremely long and they fruit on the annual wood. With these varieties you have to shorten all long side shoots by two thirds. In addition, a clearing cut is advisable, in which old wood is cut out.
Varieties such as 'Ludwigs Früh', 'Dimitzer' and 'Schwäbische Weichsel' also grow overhanging. In contrast to the varieties already mentioned, their growth is weaker. They also need to be shortened considerably, albeit less.
Upright growing varieties
The following varieties develop a different habit: 'Saphir', 'Favorit', 'Heimanns Rubin Weichsel', 'Karneol', 'Koröser Weichsel' and 'Morina'. They grow upright, bear fruit on annual and old wood and do not bald. Here it is sufficient to remove or shorten the weak and inwardly growing shoots.
Basic information on how to cut the sour cherry
If you don't know which variety it is or if you want to choose the easiest way, you should proceed in a similar way to conventional fruit tree pruning. A sharp tool such as pruning shears should generally be used when cutting.
How to proceed:
- Prune all branches that have borne fruit
- do not cut young branches
- clear once a year to loosen the crown
- remove sick, dead and old wood
- Remove downward or drooping branches
- where to cut: at the start of a new shoot
