How Should We Prune our Cherries?
April 23, 2008 by fruitforum
Can anyone help with recommended pruning for closely planted Gisela 5 rootstock cherries. Distance is approx 2m and we are considering between bush (are our spacings too close) and pyramid.
Liz Dentith
Cherry trees on Gisela 5 rootstock can be shaped a number of ways, it depends on the application. Small fruit farmers who operate ‘PYO ‘ facilities often grow in bush form in polytunnels. This is a convenient form because the tunnel containing the ripe fruit can have the door opened for the pickers to go in, without netting having to be removed. Large growers also grow in bush form, often in double rows to enable a structure for overhead netting support to be economically built.
Amateurs frequently grow them as fan trees (and some of the cherry trees at RHS Wisley Gardens are grown this way, although the sophistication and cost of the setup used might well put people off.). Protection from birds is essential in gardens, because the quantity of fruit produced is relatively small and so quickly devoured.
I grow them as fan trees 3m. apart, this spacing is ample in my garden and it is simple to put netting over them. If an unplanted wall or wooden fence is available, it is a very good place to plant your trees along. Training wires are simple to erect, no posts are required and netting only has to cover the open side. Preformed cherry trees are costly, but if you are in no hurry, a simple 1 year old tree with some side branches on it (called well feathered in the trade) can be formed over a couple of years into satisfactory fan trees and are far cheaper.