Before all the leaves drop off your cherry trees, it might be wise to check the light penetration into the tree.
Light through the tree will assist in bud formation.
If sunlight penetration near the base of the tree is insufficient, then fruit bud formation—particularly lower in the tree—will be diminished or practically nonexistent.
Harvest is a major production cost and every step up a ladder decreases a workers productivity.
In countries with high labour costs, orchard managers must find ways to improve worker efficiency. Pedestrian orchards—where there is no need to use ladders—is one solution that is especially popular in Europe.
Whatever your orchard management system, prune to ensure that light can shine through the tree and that the ground below is not in total shade. Light should shine through the tree showing dappled patches of light and not full shadow on the ground.
When the tree is showing too much shade on the ground, act—prune so that the difference can be seen. Make some simple decisions about what type of wood is to be removed; thinning the top branches to one outward one, or removing some internal wood from the tree will make a difference.
Don’t put it off, do it now.
For more information, see Tree Fruit May 2013
