Hi! I have an overgrown weeping cherry and a purple leaf sand cherry - both is desperate need of a pruning.

The weeping cherry has well established suckers which are about 2 inch in diameter! Is it safe to saw off the suckers at the base without causing any damage to the tree?

The purple sand cherry is quite overgrown too, and infact the older branches are dropping, giving the shrub a very sparse look. How do I go about pruning this plant? It seems any removal of older branches will make it look even more sparse. Suggestions are greatly welcome!

Thanks!

G3