• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Liv Smith
  • Leigh Tate
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin

Advice for pruning my peach tree

 
Posts: 6
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hi all,
Advice on pruning my tree please and thank you!  Pics attached :) We live in Southern California and have a nice donut peach tree that produced well last season, but of course the branches got weighted down so we need to prune, like a "wine glass" I believe.  Thing is, this tree has three trunks.  Most orchard trees I've seen have one trunk (correct me if I'm wrong).  I've attached pics of the tree.  There are three trunks:  left, middle, and right, plus a shooter/sucker in the center that I'll prune.  The middle trunk is developing nicely, with some horizontal growth. Should I trim the left and right trunks?  The right trunk is straight, more like a shooter/sucker, so perhaps I just trim that and leave the left and right?    thanks for any advice!  
Screen-Shot-2024-12-05-at-9.07.12-PM.png
[Thumbnail for Screen-Shot-2024-12-05-at-9.07.12-PM.png]
Screen-Shot-2024-12-05-at-9.07.16-PM.png
[Thumbnail for Screen-Shot-2024-12-05-at-9.07.16-PM.png]
 
Posts: 135
39
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Looks like a slightly tricky one   Cody the way I prune most of my fruit trees is a compromise between an attactive tree in the yard and a tree that produces well- I prune slightly less hard than I would if it was just for fruit. If that one isn't in the way by spreading, I'd leave the three. Remove branches close to the ground and any that are filling the middle of the space or crossing over. You don't need branches from the three stems all growing towards a common point. Cut that low angled branch just beyond that stem pointing back past vertical and then clip it to a leader heading where you want it to go. Keep taking out bits and pieces until the tree is opened up in the centre- within reason- and you are happy with how it looks. It's an ongoing process so you don't need to try to get it right the first year- just improve the basic structure. And I'll fess up now- I've pruned hundreds of apple trees and tens of thousands of grape vines- for everything else I prune it's common sense, guess work and hope    Good luck
 
Posts: 37
8
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
If your reason for pruning is because you were weighted down from too many peaches then pruning won't be the answer. You need to thin the fruit early each spring . I know everyone prunes for so many reasons and I used to work on vineyards and orchards doing pruning when i was a kid in the California mountains. Now that I have my own farm I just don't prune much anymore except when I need to keep my vineyards manageable on the trellis or remove dead or dying branches from my orchards. I let my trees grow completely naturally except to remove rootstock suckers on grafted trees. They get huge and bare enormous amounts of fruit and actually have less disease and pests without suffering routine amputations.My advice would be to focus on your donut peach tree and imagine what you want it to look like and decide how to shape it. In the long run it will be your pride and your provider no matter if you let it keep all three leaders or just one.  
gift
 
Unofficial Companion Guide to the Rocket Oven DVD
will be released to subscribers in: soon!
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic