A different mindset is needed when pruning sweet cherry trees on Gisela ­rootstocks than on Mazzard, says Lynn Long, Oregon State University Extension educator. Gisela rootstocks are precocious and productive and require growers to prune to reduce the crop load, whereas with Mazzard, growers are trying to ­encourage precocity and productivity. Long has developed pruning guidelines for Gisela rootstocks, dividing the process into four easy steps: 1 Remove pendant and small wood. Get rid of the weak wood that won’t have enough leaves to support a crop. “Small wood is bad news on Mazzard trees, but disaster on Gisela.” 2 […]