Hello, and welcome to another episode of “Plant Fanatics.” Today, we have an exciting topic on how to prune peaches the right way. Pruning and maintenance of peach trees are essential to keeping them healthy and enhancing their fruit production. Before you strap on your gloves and grab your pruners, here are some tools and conditions to consider.
Essential Tools for Pruning
Acquiring the right tools makes your pruning far less arduous. You'll need the following:
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Normal Pruners: A pair of standard pruners fit comfortably in your hand, allowing for effective, precise cuts.
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Carrying Case: While it may look a bit nerdy, it's an efficient way to transport your pruners around the yard. You can purchase the pruners and carrying case we use here.
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Electric Pruners: These work perfectly for thicker branches too tough to shear by hand. Click here to purchase the ones we use.
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Loppers: These are perfect for cutting through thicker and higher branches that might be out of your reach.
Ensuring your gear is sharp and clean before use ensures clean cuts and prevents the spread of disease from tree to tree. A good disinfectant, such as Lysol wipes, works well.
You can find links to all these tools on our Amazon shop.
Understanding Peach Tree Growth
Before you start pruning your peach tree, you should know a couple of things about its growth habits. A common mistake people make is to remove all the flowering wood, which later results in a non-flowering tree. Understanding the growth patterns of your peach tree is crucial, as peaches form only on the previous season's growth.
Here's how to identify this year's growth:
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Dark and Older Wood: This is where the previous year's flowers and fruit were.
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Newer and Reddish Wood: This new growth is where flowers will bloom.
Don’t cut the new growth unless its location is problematic (e.g., hanging too low or growing towards your roof).
Pruning Techniques: How and Where to Cut
Pruning isn’t all about hacking away branches. The key is to apply the right techniques and know where to make the cut.
Making the Cut
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Always cut at an angle to allow rainwater to run off, preventing rot.
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Make clean cuts close to the trunk to facilitate quick healing.
Tip: You’ll need sharp and disinfected tools for clean cuts!Removing Deadwood
Deadwood is any part of the tree that has died and no longer grows. This wood can lead to disease if not removed. Always maintain the angle as previously explained.
Clearing Inside Growth
Trim branches growing into the inside of the tree to enhance airflow. Note that peaches are prone to disease, and poor air circulation may expose the tree to rot and disease.
Controlling Tree Size
If your aim is to maintain a compact and reachable tree, this is the perfect time to reduce its height. Use loppers or pruning shears for this task, always retaining as much fruiting wood as possible.
Final Remarks
After just about 15 minutes, you should have pruned your peach tree correctly and enhanced its productivity. Remember, the goal isn’t to mirror an orchard tree; instead, you should aim to adapt your tree to your own setting.
Finally, don’t neglect to winter spray your trees for a healthier bloom in the spring. Make sure to share this post with your friends who may need to prune their trees.
Thanks for reading, and happy pruning!