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Yoshino Flowering Cherry pruning

10 years ago

So I have a Yoshino Flowering Cherry that I got from Lowe's last year, and it's a beautiful tree in good health. But I'm looking into what I have to prune as it gets older, and I realized that I may have to cut a large chunk as the tree grows. Marked with a red X is what I fear I may have to prune. Do I have to take that whole branch off? How to I make the cut? What will be the response of the tree once I take such a large branch off?

This post was edited by coaco98 on Tue, Aug 20, 13 at 10:36

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Comments (6)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
there is nothing to fear in pruning...

explain.. why you think that needs to be pruned???? ... we prune for a variety or reasons... even simply 'whim' ... but no tree ever really needs to be pruned ... so i dont understand what you read.. that makes you think that ' I may have to cut a large chunk as the tree grows.'

i am surprised that little tree holds up that full bird feeder.. how do you have that attached ....

ken
coaco98
Original Author
10 years ago
Well, the branch is about 3 feet high off the ground. As the tree gets older, I would like enough clearance to stand under the tree. So in order for that clearance, I would need to cut that branch off. The branch is an inch and a half wide at the collar. So should I prune it? As for the bird feeder, It's secured by a rope around a strong branch.
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It's possible that a frost may have gotten to it...but I feel it's more likely that A) it may not have enough sunlight...and B) it may have been over over fertilized...this would cause the greens to be very showy, the plant to grow tall and healthy fast, but not to flower...cut back on the fertilizer earlier in the fall, and if possible, move to a sunnier location while the tree is dormant (early spring or late fall).
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Wide-spreading habit. Not a small tree. R. Van Pelt, CHAMPION TREES OF WASHINGTON STATE (1996): 41' x 65' Seattle (1993) 46' x 48' Newhalem (1993) 52' x 35' Seattle (1987) "A mid-sized cherry tree, the largest may be in Maryland, 56' x 15 1/2' x 73' wide." --A.L. Jacobson, TREES OF SEATTLE - SECOND EDITION (2006) Not a suitable candidate for being lopped back to control size. Here is a link that might be useful: Tree Heights
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Follow Dan's advice. And I see some shade to the right of the tree and if that tree is too near that it can cause the growth to lean outwards like its doing. Can't tell from these pictures though. Also when you have a tree tied tightly to a stake its not unusual for it to grow out and away from the stake. In the late winter (preferably) I'd remove 2 out of the 4 leaders to keep them from over crowding. You can most likely remove the stake now, since you said it was planted last year. IF the whole thing gets to leaning to the side from being staked for so long then stake if with 2 or 3 stakes atleast a foot away from the trunk each. Tie a seperate barely taught continuous loop around both the trunk and each stake so it has less chance of girdling. Stake properly if you have to at all.
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The "looseness" of the roots suggests that perhaps roots were not sufficiently loosened at planting so that they remained in the planting mix rather than penetrating the surrounding soil. If the effected branches are last year's growth, that would usually mean winter kill - a combination of cold, wind and wood that is not fully ripened. The crisping leaves on a main branch suggest a problem at the roots - no moisture is getting to the branch. (If most of the roots are still in a peat based planting mix, root rot could have set in because of excessive moisture.) Cherries are prone to many maladies and conditions this year have been perfect for many diseases. Is it worth trying to save the tree? Sure. Prune back to live wood. If possible, dig up, prune off any rotted roots and replant, making sure that the planting hole is not a "bathtub" that retains excessive water.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
you can raise the canopy.. as high as you wish.. mine is at about 8 feet ....

but you still havent defined why it can not have two trunks.. at that height ...

i think mine bifurcates at about 5 feet ....

mine is going on 12 to 18 feet wide... it would make no difference if it had two trunks at that height .. i can still stand under it ....

can you favor me.. with a pic of the whole ...

but be clear.. you can prune your tree.. any way you want.. what i am trying to express.. apparently poorly.. is that we usually have a goal as to what we want to accomplish ...

and your goal.. SEEMS ... to be simply.. that you read it somewhere ...

why do you feel that branch has to be cut off???

ken
coaco98
Original Author
10 years ago
I do see your point now after much thought. The tree can have two trunks. I never thought of it like that. I saw this second trunk as just a lower branch. I do apologize for my apparent stupidity.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
I do apologize for my apparent stupidity.

==>>> naaaww ... come on..

trying to teach you here ... so dont take any of it personally ...

looking at your chair.. and where your head presumably would be... i would probably take the bottom two branches....

i would do it when i walked by with my tree saw ... others might have a favored time ...

one thing for sure... we could see structure better when its leafless ... and winter is probably a good time to prune ....

i would also check for any damaged or crossing branches .... and too much congestion in the center ....

ken
coaco98
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks man! You've been a big help!

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