Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
When to Prune a Weeping Cherry
When to Prune a Weeping Cherry. Weeping cherry trees are popular because of their nice shape and style. Weeping cherry trees add a bit more color than some other weeping trees, such as the weeping willow. These branches however can be all over the place and leave you wondering how and when to safely prune them. Pruning is simple and best done...
Weeping cherry trees are popular because of their nice shape and style. Weeping cherry trees add a bit more color than some other weeping trees, such as the weeping willow. These branches however can be all over the place and leave you wondering how and when to safely prune them. Pruning is simple and best done during specific times.
When to Prune
Weeping cherry trees are best pruned in the late fall or early spring when the tree is dormant. The tree should be free from flowers or open leaves. However, if necessary, pruning can be done during other times of the year for things such as safety or damage to the tree. The reason to prune in the dormant season is to leave the tree exposed to less danger before new growth starts.
General Pruning
Use sharp pruning shears or clippers to cut any branches back that are touching or are close to touching the ground. You want at least a six-inch clearance between the branches and the ground.
Cut any diseased or dead branches back by pruning close, within a couple inches to the parent branch of each. Prune any branches that rub or cross each other.
Prune to get the shape you want. Again, prune close to the parent branches. The parent branch is the primary branch from which the other branch grows.
Grafted or Natural Tree?
A weeping cherry tree can either be natural or grafted. To tell if the tree is grafted, look for a graft knot on the trunk of the tree, usually within a foot of where the main branches begin under the crown. If you have a natural tree, there is nothing else to prune. However, if you have a grafted tree, there is some additional pruning that needs to be done.
Pruning Grafted Trees
Grafted trees often have a congestion of branches in the middle of the tree that can become damaged during high winds and in winter storms. In this congestion of branches, remove any branches that are growing straight up because they will not weep. As stated above, remove any branches that are rubbing or crossing one another, which is often the case in the center of a grafted tree. Remember to prune within a couple inches of the parent branches.
