Is now a good time to prune a large Tibetan cherry?

[MikeEdStan]

Hi, Back in February, I got some great advice here on a post called:

"Helping a large cherry tree that's bleeding sap"

 

I'm pleased to confirm the Cherry is looking healthy, although it does still have sap on the trunk. It has very little fruit (and had very little blossom), however I hope this isn't really a problem - it's clearly old and I'm just pleased to see healthy looking leaves and a few cherry's forming.

 

I'm not 100% on what type cherry it is, however I now think it's a Tibetan Cherry...the tree surgeon doesn't know for sure either. It has a red colour bark, and small fruits as seen in the photo, and is about 10m high and 7m across.  

 

I have been advised to get the tree pruned asap this summer. This is to remove the watershoots all over (you can see there are a lot of them in the photos), and also to trim back 1.5m off multiple branches to shape the tree (especially those hanging over the neighbours garden fence, which can be seen on the left of the first photo). Having read up online, there seems to be conflicting advice on when and whether to prune cherries, therefore I'm coming back to this forum with a few questions:

• is this a Tibetan cherry?
• Is it advised to remove all watershoots in summer (now)
• Should we have the branches pruned? The tree is a nice shape, so the only reason for doing it would be to try to help it (I don't believe there are any dead branches)

 

Thank you in advance for any feedback.

 

Mike

 

Edited July 6, 2023 by MikeEdStan
more accurate info

[Dan Maynard]

Broadly, removing leaves takes away food and shade from the tree so isn't helping it.

 

If you need to keep it away from the neighbours then summer is the time to prune, otherwise I'd leave it be to get as much food as possible this year.

[MikeEdStan]

Thanks for the feedback. would you take the upright watershoots off now?

[Dan Maynard]

Personally, I wouldn't. It's had a tough time, hard winter and dry summer, I'd leave it be a year or two until you are confident it's healthy.