top cherry tree - Ask Extension
Can I top a 30+ year old standard cherry tree (about 1/2 way up) without killing tree? Fruit too high to pick. Birds won't be happy but I will.
Knowledgebase
top cherry tree #819440
Asked January 30, 2023, 10:41 AM EST
Can I top a 30+ year old standard cherry tree (about 1/2 way up) without killing tree? Fruit too high to pick. Birds won't be happy but I will.
Jackson County Oregon
Expert Response
You can top most any deciduous tree, but it won't look very good and it might just cause a bunch of branchlets to come at a possible cost to the lower branches and fruit set. There are two publications that might throw more light on the subject: "Pruning to Restore an Old, Neglected Apple Tree" EC1005 which is available to download free from extension.oregonstate.edu/publications A a more general overview of pruning can be found in an OSU Extension publication, EC819 "Growing Tree Fruits and Nuts in the Home Garden". You can also contact Washington State University Extension Service which might have additional materials on cherries, which are a major crop in that state. So keep your saw in the garage until you have done some thinking about "out with the old" and "in with the new'. Starting fresh with a new cherry tree may be the best answer to your question.