How many cherry trees do you have? If you aren't getting a large crop, add a second tree.

You shouldn't cut more than 30% off a tree in one year and I see a fresh cut on a big limb and possibly a cut on a limb facing away from the camera position. Otherwise I would make the 4 cuts I marked in red and wait till next winter.

12 feet is NOT tall for a cherry. In fact, I'd suspect it is on a dwarfing rootstock or it it would be much taller! So how likely you are to be able to pick cherries by hand without the use of a ladder is up for some debate :-) Pruning to keep smaller is not going to be productive for the tree - excessive pruning will limit flowering and fruit production as well open many more opportunities for the diseases and pests all cherries are highly prone to.

So no to any pruning until you know when, how and how much to remove (suggest you take some fruit tree pruning classes often offered by better nurseries a bit earlier in the season - too late now). And (probably) yes to spraying but check with your county extension service to find out when and for what.

i never spray my cherry tree and the birds get all the cherries.

Where are you and what variety of cherry is it. I'd guess you're farther north because mine is blooming and leafing out now. Unless the photo is old the tree looks dormant and I would trim it. My biggest concern is that you've already taken off more than you should in one year. A lot of folks maintain that mid summer is a good time to trim trees. It won't cause a lot of vegetative growth.

Record the date when the tree starts blooming so that with the appearance of the cherries you may be able to identify the variety.

Tree is in Toronto, CANADA.

not really sure how tall. wilk havr ti measure.

how do tou eveb get to the cherries that are in the middle of the tree.

looks like an older tree, based on thr thick trunk, (will have to measure, maybe 11” diameter?

The tree is likely about the same age as the house, it is big! I use a golf stick, a putter. to pull down branches that are small enough to still bend. otherwise you need a ladder. There's a custom ladder for picking fruit.

The ones I've seen are wooden, they go up and the side rails bend until they are maybe 4 or 5 inches (127 mm) apart at the top of the ladder. But you need a limb thick enough to support the ladder.

if you don't want a lot of height in the tree you might consider making the tree wider. I've pulled branches down and tied them off. After a number of months they'll take on the new horizontal attitude.

35 years or so it woukd make it

New photo taken today. we know that at least in the past 3 years there was no pruning or spraying. (previous owners cut some thick branches, there is some sort if white paint or something on the cuts. i will try to get better pictures tomorrow.

i just think if the tree is soo tall, no point (birds can only get to them and they are small). i rather have less cherries and larger/better quality.

Hello, yes just about to post

in the picture there are some branches on the ground. they are not from the cherry tree

They are starting to bud

This is from 2 years ago i believe