I recently asked about the possibility of re-topping this young Elberta peach tree. After much consideration (and great input here), I decided to stick with the already-establish scaffolds and eliminated the new (lower) side shoots.
But that got me wondering if it might be advisable to prune some of the vigorous upright growth coming from the topmost scaffold? Since it will be eliminated during annual pruning anyway (too upright and near center of tree), could pruning it now, early in the growing season, allow some energy to be redirected to stronger lateral growth of scaffolds and branches?
Or would that be a mistake? I seem to recall reading that for young trees especially (this was nursery-bought and put in ground last fall), ALL top growth should be encouraged to promote root development, and then only eliminated during annual dormant pruning.
Peach pros… what is your experience and do you have a decided opinion on this question? Thanks!
I can’t really tell from the picture, but if some of the water sprouts are getting bigger than the desired growth on the scaffolds I’d take those ones off. It’s normal to Summer prune out center growth on open center trees depending on your climate and how concerned you need to be about sunscald on the scaffolds and trunk.
Guide growth by pinching tips only and allow the tree mostly to grow, at least once you’ve chosen your permanent scaffolds. I leave my trees completely alone first season and begin to sort things out the second. Even then I will leave some temp scaffolds if it allows the tree to harvest more light.
Pinching tips sounds like a great idea. I’ve never really done it, but that should limit unwanted growth while still allowing photosynthesis by what has already developed. Excellent suggestion.
As of now, I’ve allowed one peach to remain on each main scaffold (three of them - and I’m keeping one temporary/spare scaffold for the time being). They are still small and I’m fine with removing them in favor of having that energy directed to tree growth, but I’m curious: how soon will you let ANY fruit develop on a young tree? Is there any value in keeping even one at this stage?
Hard to tell with all the leaves. But, if you want to do some scaffold training you can cut as much you want now and fertilize well, there is still a few months left for the tree to catch up. I have done this as late as early July and the trees caught up. Not much fruiting wood because of the late season cuts but grew branches where I wanted them to.
Kind of hard to know if the trees caught up to where they would have been, but as a general rule, pruning is dwarfing and the more you do the smaller the tree at the end of the growing season.
Bearing trees can be an exception to this, especially peach trees, where pruning that reduces crop load can sometimes be stimulating enough to make up for wood removed- or so I’ve read.
For max growth you want max light harvest. Another way pruning is not dwarfing is when you remove branches with leaves receiving less than 30% full sunlight… or so I’ve read. .
You’re right. I should have added that the trees I cut late in the season last year, I didn’t do any major pruning except removing some cold damaged shoots during the dormancy or now (spring). That way they can grow vigorously current season. Regarding catching up, with me pushing ferts, they grew 2 to 3ft.
This peach is one of the tree that got cuts:
Tree on May 7th 2023 just potted from a 7" pot to 8 gallon pot.
