I’ve had this problem a few times. The only tree of the variety I want that is available is an inch in diameter and 8ft tall with plenty of little branches. I know how to prune a whip, but how do I handle these more mature trees?
The included picture is an example of a peach tree that I would like to prune to an open center form. Is it too late? Can I chop off the top half without stressing the tree too much?
Cutting it down won’t stress the tree too much. Cut it down and select 3-4 of the branches with good crotch angles for scaffolds. Also don’t chose branches all arising from near the same point.
You’ve got good candidates.
I agree with @fruitnut . This one will be easy; just don’t overthink it. Pick 3-4 well spaced branches (raddially and distance along trunk) and get rid of the rest and the central leader.
Thank you for giving me the confidence I need to be aggressive!
You want the roots to grow the first year. Lop off 1/3 to 1/2 the top. Trees love to be pruned. I’ve planted trees that were 8-12 feet tall. I prune them down to chest high.
The root ball was probably small compared to the massive top growth. Cutting it down to half would probably help more than hurt.
