Cherry blossom on awkward angle

Hello!

I've a cherry blossom at the end of my garden which was here (and in this situation) when we moved in six years ago.

We are less than 100m from the north west coast, so the prevailing winds have forced it into a rather unnatural shape.

I was wondering if some harder pruning might help me coax it into somewhat a batter shape, as I am worried much more horizontal growth could pull it over one day.

Attached a couple.of photos

Any thoughts? Many thanks in advance

 

The garden here is near the top of a hill in fairly open countryside so there are a number of trees that I have tried to assist when the wind has blown them off a more vertical growth pattern. It generally helps from what I have seen to remove some of the branches on the lower side to lessen the weight pulling the tree further away from the vertical and seen a positive response in most of the tees I have tried this with. Here I posted video clips of before and after I tried to treat one of the driveway Tilia cordata trees that I felt was particularly at risk of being completely blown over and this tree responded very well to the pruning I did. Talking to a tree surgeon I know before making the cuts he encouraged me to make pruning cuts further up than I was thinking of initially so there would be less of a sail effect from the top of the tree to pull it over further. Cherry are susceptible to silver leaf disease so pruning is said to be better done in the summer as drier weather helps prevent the transmission of the disease.

Happy gardening!

 

What a superb place you have.
Thanks for that, most useful. Videos were helpful. Specifically for the cherry blossom trees, how far back can I but those horizontal running branches? Are they fairly tolerant of a decent cut back? Either way, I think it will have to be!

 

I think due to the potential for disease getting into the cherry tree it is better to constrain yourself from being very severe with cutting it back but you should in my opinion still aim to have a new leader branch pointing straight up. In my case this was a side branch that would have been going diagonal before the wind damage to the tree but after the main trunk was blown over to an angle it was fairly vertical. It is difficult to see from your photos how high up you could reach to do the pruning to get to this situation. I'd also wait until after flowering to do the pruning.
All the best!

 

Are you sure that the direction of growth has been caused by the prevailing wind, rather than etiolation because the tree has grown towards the light? There appear to be several (three?) large trees behind the cherry which, when in leaf, would possibly cast shade on your cherry tree.

If shade is a problem it will be difficult to stimulate new growth in that direction.

It’s also worth noting that those trees don’t appear to have been ‘sculpted’ by the prevailing wind.

 

I would agree with the above.
Your cherry is growing towards the light, The prevailing wind will also have some effect. Pruning the cherry will not give a long lasting answer. The trees causing the lack of light look as if they are growing in a neighbouring garden, also the fence, again not much you can do about that.
Almost the only answer is not to plant trees close to fences, walls etc. You could think about putting a prop under your cherry, like an old fashioned clothes line prop, to help support it.

 

I love old trees with props … like in rural cottage gardens of my childhood.

Saving a Tree that is Falling Over | Ashridge Blog

 

@Dovefromabove we also have a very old apple tree on the edge of our lawn. It was here when we moved in 1978. It was some years later that we had a very windy time and the tree started to fall. So it was propped up and still produces a good harvest of apples.

 

Great advice. I've tief it against a concrete fence post until I can fabricate some sort of truss for it.

And I think you are probably right now I think about it - it's growing to the light. Not a lot I can do about that, sadly. Guess I'll have to make the most of it!

Thank you!