Pruning Large Weeping Cherry Tree

[mharveytsc]

When I moved into my house a couple of years ago, the weeping cherry in my front yard was over 15' tall. Since then, it has grown some more. It is all the weeping cherry and not the rootstock. There are 3 branches coming from the original rootstock all about 3" in diameter, but they are growing up vs. weeping. If I cut these back to the original 5' height, will they sprout new branches? How should I cut it back? It is a beautiful tree, but it is getting pretty large.

Thanks for any help provided.

[pruninggal]

Hi mharveytsc,

Growth that comes from below the graft will have the characteristics of the roots, not the tree growth - ie. the upright shoots will never bend over (or weep) because most likely the root stock is from an upright cherry. You'll need to prune those suckers all the way back to the ground while trying not to leave any stub. If a stub is left, you'll be out there again next year pruning them off again :)

Good luck!
Pruninggal

[mharveytsc]

There is not a graph anymore. At the place where the graph should be, there are 3 - 3" branches growing upwards. There are not any other branches until about the 10' area. If I cut these three branches off, there will not be any other branches on the tree. Nearly half of the smaller branches on the upper portion weep, but they are all over the place. All of the leaves are identical, so I have a hard time believing that it is not all the same tree.

[pruninggal]

I think i misunderstood some of your previous post there...

Weeping trees get bigger if they are allowed to have tiered layers - this means that when a branch looks like it's bolting up that you have to suffer through the upright phase before it starts to droop over and become the next tier of weeping branches. Cutting it off in the middle will produce unwanted growth- and it won't be weeping.

PlantAmnesty has a great flier (not online, sorry) that you can request from them about pruning weeping cherries - visit them at www.plantamnesty.org .

Hope this is a better answer,
Pruninggal

[mharveytsc]

Please take a look at this picture and tell me if this is still a weeping cherry. Original questions still apply.

Thanks for your patience pruninggal!

[mharveytsc]

Pruninggal or others,

Any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

That looks a bit odd, but I think the big limbs are all above-graft stuff - even weeping trees can grow some vertical branches at times.

Don't expose too much bark to sun by pruning this time of year. Light thinning on the inside is okay.

Can't say the location of the tree is a promotional bell ringer. How does it look from that perspective there?

[mharveytsc]

The location of the tree is fine. It is hard to tell from this perspective, but very little of it hangs over the steps and front walkway. I would like to have a normal height weeping cherry there. If I cut it back this fall to its original height, would it kill the tree, or would it sprout new branches? Thanks for your help.

[pruninggal]

Hi mharveytsc,

Yes, cutting it back to it's "original" height would completly kill the tree and if it didn't, leave it very malformed. I would advise against it. If you'd like a smaller tree I would research dwarf trees and shrubs for your area.

Good luck, ]

Pruninggal