Can this weeping cherry tree be pruned?

Question

This weeping cherry is growing in all the wrong directions... It has no shape and a large limb is throwing it completely out of balance. Can I cut it off without hurting the tree and hopefully give it back a more uniform shape? Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks!!

The Garden Frog with C Renee · Answer

Yes you need to prune the Weeping Cherry now that it is done blooming and no you will not hurt it. Just use sharp pruners and clean them before use them to avoid any injury or disease. I would cut one off at a time and step back to avoid any over pruning and more lopsidedness (if this is a word LOL). Just make clean close cuts to the main branch. If any more wild ones grow, just keep them trimmed as well. These trees are grafted and therefore may sucker at the bottom too which need to be cut as soon as they grow to have a healthy tree. hope this answered your question.
Happy gardening

Susie Becony · Answer

Thanks, Garden Frog! Big help! ;)

Jeanette S · Answer

Beautiful tree! Post a picture when you get it pruned!

Douglas Hunt · Answer

You should certainly remove anything below the graft, as Garden Frog says, but you should also be extremely judicious in pruning weeping trees. Pruning can cause the branches to stiffen and become more upright, and hard pruning can encourage the growth of suckers. The main stem on the right in your second picture appears to be the tree's central leader, and you should not do anything to that. The National Gardening Association recommends pruning crossing and crowded branches, and damaged ones, and otherwise leaving weeping trees alone to do their thing.

Mary Fox · Answer

I have one of these trees and have had it for about 15 years. I have pruned it every year to a desired shape. I think it thrives on this procedure and makes for a pretty specimen. Otherwise it will grow like topsy and completely go wild to the ground.

Susie Becony · Answer

Thanks, Mary!

Teri · Answer

I have had one for over 10 years now. When a branch starts to stick up, I grab my husband fish weight and tye
 it to the limb. After awhile the weight makes the limb hang with the others and then I can remove the weight. Works wonders without doing allot of pruning.

Susie Becony · Answer

Thanks for the answers, but I'm still hoping for more ideas.

Susie Becony · Answer

What a great idea!

Douglas Hunt · Answer

See the diagram in this article for where a weeping cherry should be pruned: http://www.finegardening.com/item/21789/five-common-pruning-mistakes-and-how-to-fix-them/page/4

Ernesto · Answer

I'm with Douglas above, no better information than the Finegardening site. Good info, good advice, good area for a lot of plant information.

Susie Becony · Answer

This sits on the NE corner of our house and must like it there because this is (I'm pretty sure) just it's 5th summer in our yard....I have ornamental grass on our west side and it loves the sun! Grows about 5 feet high every summer...

Matina V · Answer

Thanks for the great info.

Liliana Wells · Answer

Is that what a weeping cherry is! When we moved to the house we are in now we found this tree we did not the name of. So i call it the 'umbrella tree'. The people who do our pruning in late fall never said anything. But I just ask them to even it out all around and it has been doing great.

Can this weeping cherry tree be pruned?

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Can this weeping cherry tree be pruned?

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