Classic shape of pruning stone fruit trees is the 'cup' form, leaving only branches growing outwards and completely removing all but the topmost inwards growing branches. In cherries the new shoots should be left intact on non self pollinating varieties or cut down by a third to a half on self pollinating varieties (to lower fruit load and increase fruit size).

Over here cherry trees are traditionally pruned during their winter dormancy in late winter (February).

You can get an idea of the shape here and here

If you can get a look at this book (photo attached) I think it will be very helpful to you. A reasoned look at fruit tree pruning, both new trees and established, with some reasoned science behind it. Latest pruning now tends to summer time, and this book says why. Hope it helps!

cheerio

claire

http://orchardpeople.com/when-to-prune-fruit-trees/

Stone fruit are normally summer pruned here as they are terribly prone to damp bourne fungal diseases - I have in fact just chopped down an ornamental cherry which had died of a fungal disease. It quite obviously gained entry where I'd had to prune a broken branch off last autumn. So I'd prune sooner than later. Otherwise I can't advise, although my grandad used to say that you should pick a rootstock for the size of cherry tree you want because trying to control them for size in pruning was akin to maintaining the Augean stable.

Thanks for the input, folks. I'm leaning toward pruning this month, as most sources say that cherries specifically should be pruned in summer, and it's finally cool enough that I won't die of heat stroke if I attempt some work outdoors.

This cherry was already here when we bought the property, so we weren't responsible for its size. There's nothing dwarf about it. I think most people locally graft on the common wild cherry, P. avium. I'm inclined to stick with my first idea, namely, to prune out a portion of the water sprouts--which are now fairly substantial branches--and continue next year, so as not to shock the tree unduly. I hope.