Wild cherry trees gone too tall

gigglybits · 16-12-2024 01:43PM #1

I have a line of about 14 wild cherry trees at the back of my garden. They are there years (before I bought the house), approx 60 years. They have gone too tall and are blocking all the south westerly light now from the afternoon and the apple trees in front of them are suffering as a result. Is it possible to reduce them by half without killing them? Imagine 4 stories to about 2 stories high.

standardg60 · 16-12-2024 05:26PM

A pic would help to see what is feasible but it's never a good idea to prune cherries in winter for risk of silver leaf disease, summer pruning only.

The Continental Op · 16-12-2024 06:25PM

The old saying is "Prunus don't Prune us". Cherries take really badly to major pruning at any time of year.

looksee · 16-12-2024 08:46PM

Could you thin the other way and maybe take out every second one? I know its a pity to take out mature trees, but you have to live there too.

gigglybits · 18-12-2024 04:26PM

thanks for your replies. The apple trees are in the foreground. Wild cherries all at the back. They are large. There is a laurel hedge growing at the bottom of the trees that is about 7 foot high. I wouldn’t tackle until summer as I’ve heard cherries don’t like winter pruning. I really want the sun without killing the trees - might not be possible.

The Continental Op · 18-12-2024 04:36PM

Take a good hard look at them and see which ones are the worst shape. If you are lucky there will be a couple that aren't that great and you could make a start by removing them completely?

standardg60 · 18-12-2024 05:50PM

Agreed I'd be looking to take a couple out completely rather than butchering the lot.

looksee · 18-12-2024 05:51PM

As TCO says, cherries are not pruning friendly, and doing the kind of topping you are talking about could kill them. To have any useful effect you would have to take over half the height off them, leaving them looking stunted but without improving the shade situation very much. Much better to selectively remove some of them - its pretty clear that in summer that would be a pretty solid block of shade, maybe only leave every third tree.

Also you could cut the laurel down - right down to a couple of feet and let it re-sprout into a low hedge. It will need to be trimmed frequently to keep it down but I think you would give yourself a lot of light in the area if you lowered it.

The Continental Op · 18-12-2024 06:09PM

Or look at the trees in a slightly different way and pick the two best ones shape and health wise and remove the rest.

Agree on the laurel it will grow again from very hard pruning.

magicbastarder · 20-12-2024 06:37PM

if you're taking some out completely it might be worth contacting local woodturners who might be able to use the wood.

Wild cherry trees gone too tall

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