Grow Your Own Magazine

Does anyone know if it is ok to prune flowering cherry trees and by how much. We recently moved to the house and the tree has some branches touching the ground and I am worried it will get into trouble
Any ideas gratefully received. Thanks.

Sounds like it needs major surgery rather than a prune Dilly!

You can cut them back but I think you'd need to seal the wounds with something like Aborex compound to stop infection getting in. As to when, thats a toughy as you'll be cutting some pretty thick branches so it could "bleed" if you did it now or early spring (when sap is flowing).

Best I dea would be to get some electrical insulation tape & look at it now. Any dead or diseased branches mark with tape & and then do it in winter & take these out first. Then any branches that are damages (where they've rubbed together) & then any that are growing inwards. this should give you a nice open shape with loads of airflow. to help reduce disease. Don't forget to paint the cut surfaces with a sealant though otherwise disease wikk enter through the wounds.

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Thanks for the info - I'll give this some thought.