Pruning back a Weeping Cherry to maintain size?

11 years ago

Hello,

I have a Snow Fountains Weeping Cherry which will grow to about 12 feet wide; however, I'd like to put it in a slightly smaller space (10 feet or so). I'm unfamiliar with pruning these and worry about the risk of "messing" with a beautiful tree, but figured it must be possible nonetheless to prune it to size.

Is it possible to prune a Weeping Cherry to maintain size?

Thanks!

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Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
thru bonsai.. you could prune it to 6 inches ..

so yes.. EVERYTHING is prunable .. limited only by your knowledge of pruning ...

first you would have to learn about where it is grafted.. and not prune further back than that ...

and do understand.. that most size estimates are at 10 years.. so when you read it can grow to 12 feet.. that is in 10 years.. and it will keep growing after that.. so this spot.. or any other.. you will have to learn how to prune it ...

and lets get this idea out of your head.. that pruning is somehow bad for the tree .. or it hurts it ... properly done.. its no worse than clipping a hangnail .. ==>> it has to be done.. just learn how to do it .. [and dont chew it off and make a bigger problem.. lol]

ken
Embothrium
11 years ago
Cherries are prone to diseases so it is generally better not to be doing a lot of cutting on them. Theoretically in a sprayed commercial orchard situation the chemical use might offset this. But then in orchards (of various kinds of rose family trees) you also see them pulling the trees out and making burn piles after a time, as though the approach taken was ultimately a failure.
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If you are thinking that by 'sawing off the stumps' and 'sanding' (YIKES!) you can make the tree look like nothing ever happened - well, that's just a bad idea. The tree needs some of the branch collar (never, ever prune a branch flush with the main trunk) in order to heal over the wound. Let the poor thing be. It needs to heal as much as it can over your cuts. I bet when it leafs out it won't look quite so bad. Keep it well watered and hope for the best. Lesson learned, eh? (Oh, and a good rule of thumb to keep in mind in future: in pruning, never remove more than 1/3 of the plant in one growing season.)
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w/o the pic from the middle of the street.... i will have to guess ... if you google pix of this thing.. you will see that it has the potential to be about 20 feet wide ... so the basic problem is that it should NOT have been planted.. 3 feet from the sidewalk to the front door and in doing that.. the prior owner.. created a pruning nightmare ... and then did a poor job taking care of it.. and that is why it is unsalvagable ... IMHO .... again.. as i said.. out back.. sure.. play with it.. front door.. you can do better ... also .... IMHO.. its not worth the effort to move it.. at that size ... unless you simply need the exercise ... now.. all that said ... here is what you do.. go to town on it.. practicing your pruning.. see how it reacts ... and see if what you end up with pleases you ... and then in late summer.. or fall.. if you dont like it.. GET RID OF IT ... AND I MEAN REALLY GO TO TOWN ON IT .... none of this half-donkeyed .. i'm afraid to hurt this thing ... i mean take off everything the shoots upwards.... targeting a height that you like.. these thing usually fail.. when they have an owner.. who doesnt want to 'hurt' the darn thing.. and then lets them escape into a form they were never meant to be ... good luck ken
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The low graft just means it will never get to be a very large tree at all. And you don't want to do any pruning at this time. Let the tree establish and develop. You should remove any shoots that appear below the graft and any top shoots that are growing in an unusual, outward or non-weeping pattern. But leave the lower branches/shoots in place for the time being as they help with establishment and trunk development. After a few years in the ground, you can gradually remove them from the the lowest point up to where the canopy really starts to develop. Not to rain on your parade but you should be aware that weeping flowering cherries - in fact, most flowering cherries - tend to be problematic trees in the PNW. Our climate seems to generate a lot of disease issues and weeping cherries/flowering cherries tend to have the lion's share. Keep on top of any problems, watch for rootstock shoots and enjoy your little tree for as long as it looks good and remains in good health.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
he already has it ...

soooo.. plant it.. prune it.. and be done with it.. if it ever shows signs of disease.. just like the rest of us.. no tree is forever ...

if you see them in the hood.. then disease isnt rampant ... so dont worry about that ... learn about it.. but dont worry

ken
Embothrium
11 years ago
Another problem is that cherries tend to grow back at sharp angles from behind heading cuts. But it's also true introducer Lake County Nursery, Perry, OH has had photos of 'Snofozam' on their web site closely pruned and trained into a variety of shapes. It's another one of those situations where if you know how to get the desired effect and are willing to maintain it, then it is feasible. Otherwise, the planting may not work out. With questions like this there is an If you have to ask... aspect involved.
wisconsitom
11 years ago
How true^. In any case Matt, make nice neat, clean pruning cuts just beyond the point where a branchlet diverges from that portion of the branch you wish to cut back, Do not leave stubs. Normally, I advise to cut back to an outward-facing branchlet so as to not add to the congestion in the center area of the crown, but that might not apply in your case since you want to restrict lateral size. So make the cuts with that in mind and just realize you're starting down a road that really has no end-so long as you have this tree. It will always need re-doing. But what have ye to lose? If I'm understanding correctly, the tree is already in its somewhat-too-small spot.

On the other hand, if we had a picture to look at, other solutions might present themselves.

+oM

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Pruning back a Weeping Cherry to maintain size?

Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

Embothrium

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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