Question:
I'd like to know how I should prune my Stella Cherry tree. I find information on Bing Cherries and other varieties, but nothing on Stella.Answer:
- Cherry trees, regardless of their variety, are pruned the same way each year.
- Stella is a Bing Cherry variety that doesn’t require a pollinator to produce fruit. It’s ideal for gardens that can only fit one cherry tree.
- The main goal when pruning a new, two- to three-year-old tree is to establish the scaffolding and secondary branches. These limbs form the foundation on which the rest of the canopy develops and remain for the life of the tree. Once established, they are only minimally pruned to shape the tree and control its size while maintaining a consistent yield.
- Early on, the most important decision is choosing the location of the lowest scaffolding branches. The lower these branches are to the ground, the easier it is to pick the fruit and prune the tree, but walking under the canopy will be limited.
- A common misconception with all types of trees is that the space between the ground and the lowest limb changes as the tree matures. These limbs will never move higher; they only grow thicker, so it's crucial to establish them correctly from the start.
- With young trees, you can change your mind, but once they mature, it's too late. Cherry trees produce long, whip-like branches that should be trimmed back and thinned out. If they’re too close together, you should be able to slip at least three to four fingers between branches for proper spacing.
- A dense canopy prevents sunlight from reaching the tree's center, potentially reducing the cherry crop. Overall, about ten percent of the growth should be removed each year. It's helpful to distinguish between vegetative buds and fruit spurs.
- Vegetative buds are single buds located on the previous year's growth or wood. The new wood is a light tan, whereas the mature wood is dark brown. Fruiting spurs are located on old wood and occur in clusters of three or more. The fruiting spurs are visible right now.
- If you're planting a new tree this year, you can just read on. Semi-dwarf fruit trees are the most common type sold today; however, it’s important to ask how dwarf really is. Unfortunately, the name semi-dwarf is misleading, as they aren’t short, compact trees. The typical semi-dwarf tree grows fifteen to eighteen feet, which is too tall for many yards. They’re smaller than standard fruit trees, hence the 'dwarf' label. Semi-dwarf trees can be kept shorter through pruning.
- Dwarf and Ultra-Dwarf varieties are naturally shorter because they use a different type of rootstock that limits growth. Regardless of the tree’s height, the size of the fruit remains the same.
- Another important question to ask is whether the variety is self-fertile; otherwise, you’ll need to buy two different cherries to cross-pollinate and produce cherries. Again, Stella Cherry is self-pollinating, so you’re all set.