Winter is the dormant period for cherry trees. Nature has planned this break for the trees so that they sprout again in spring and delight us with their flowering and in autumn with a rich harvest.
Winter time is not just a time of rest
For the trees in the garden and even more so for the gardener, it's not just about resting in winter. In December/January the scions are cut, dying, diseased or severely damaged trees are felled and the winter pruning is carried out. Winter pruning is not expressly recommended for cherry trees, but it is definitely possible and useful, especially in mild winters.
The leafless cherry tree offers the best view of the crown at this time of year. However, in areas where there is a risk of frost, pruning should be limited to clearing out larger branches. The cutting of the shoots and the pruning of the freshly planted cherry trees should only be done at the end of winter.
Winter pruning should not be carried out at temperatures below -5°C and in such a way that the cut wounds heal quickly and completely, because every wound endangers the health of the tree. A cut heals better and faster the smaller it is and the smoother its cut surface is.
winter protection
Particularly low winter temperatures with a lack of snow cover can damage the roots of the shallow-rooted cherry trees. Therefore, a tree disc made of leaves or mulch (€239.00) to protect the roots is useful and recommended. To avoid frost damage, it is also advisable to wrap columnar cherries and young trees with suitable winter protection material.
tips and tricks
"But in the garden someone says: I can wait.
Is someone, you hardly know him again, he's become so thin: the cherry tree.
Isn't he sleeping? Trust the gnome!
This afternoon at one o'clock there was a sample of sunshine:
In it - I saw that clearly -
the old boy fingered his buds,
a little cautious and prim, like tasting bath water.
And a smile spread across his wrinkles.”
- A poem by Ferdinand Ernst Albert Avenarius -