The bud should be facing the direction in which the new growth is desired. To influence the direction of the new growth, the cut should be made approximately ¼ inch above a bud.

Heading cuts can be made to determine the direction of the new growth or to control the overall size of the plant.

Heading cuts are made to influence the growth of the plant.

Thinning cuts are made to remove unwanted shoots to open up the canopy and increase air movement and sunlight.

There are two types of cuts made when pruning peach trees thinning cuts and heading cuts. Leaving all fruiting wood on the tree until after the last freeze will allow the grower to keep wood that was not injured by the freeze and was able to set fruit. Also, removing an excessive amount of fruiting wood prior to a late freeze could result in a significant crop loss. Trees that are pruned early in the winter and exposed to multiple hard freezes are subject to severe injury. Removing an excessive amount of wood in the fall or early winter can reduce the cold hardiness of the tree. Pruning during that time could cause damage and create an environment conducive for diseases such as bacterial canker.ĭelaying pruning is also beneficial in the instance of a late season freeze.

Pruning early in the winter is not encouraged. However, growers with multiple acres of trees may have to begin pruning several weeks before bloom to ensure the job is completed on time. Growers with only a few trees may be able to wait until the first of March to prune. Peach trees should be pruned as late as possible but before blooming in the spring. Adequate pruning will result in less time spent thinning later in the spring. Fruit thinning is a time-consuming process for most peach growers.

The majority of these fruit must be removed to give the remaining fruit an opportunity to reach an acceptable size. During an average spring, most peach tree varieties will produce an excessive amount of fruit. The benefits of pruning peach trees include disease reduction, increased fruit quality, more efficient harvest, and reduction in thinning labor. The effort and attention to detail given during this process will be rewarded in high quality fruit at harvest time, improved vigor and healthy, and long-living trees. Pruning peach trees is essential to maintaining healthy and productive trees.

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