These are less pleasant to eat, and are used more in cooking situations, including the production of jam or jelly. Cherry trees aren t just known for their delicious fruits. They are also popular for their beautiful flowers or blossoms. The clusters of flowers that appear in the spring are rather breathtaking, and have inspired many a song or poem. You won t be overwhelmed by having many different types, but instead you will become a master of that specific type. Generally in an orchard, the trees are planted in a row, then pruned to be in a two dimensional shape. This is known as either a fan or an espalier shape. There is one main branch in the center that is completely vertical, then multiple branches that go off to the side. If you direct the tree and get it started off on the right foot, you ll save yourself a lot of pruning time later. Usually, training occurs during the summer. Rather than just cut off all the branches that aren t going in the right way, you try to redirect them. The mechanisms you use can be thought of as orthodontic braces for your fruit tree. Take off the smaller of the two branches to allow the larger one to have the breathing room that it needs. This same rule applies to the weight balance of your tree. Sometimes, for reasons we will never understand, a tree will grow several branches on one side and weigh itself into being lopsided. So hopefully I have provided you with a basic knowledge of pruning. Once you have made the choice to remove the tree, you need to plan its removal. I can t begin to count how many windows I ve seen knocked out or cars I ve seen crushed because of poor planning in the tree removal process. Decide what direction you want it to fall, and accurately measure to make sure it will fall completely clear of anything else that it could possibly cause damage to. The final thing to do in keeping your fruit tree healthy is to keep it protected when it is young and fragile. When you have a young tree you should tie it to a stake to help it to survive strong winds. Don't tie it too hard, you should always allow room for the tree trunk to grow. Another thing to do when it is young is to put a small fence around it.