Peach pruning

Peach trees require heavy annual pruning. Without it, it bears fruit poorly, the fruits become smaller, the branches become bare. An unpruned tree quickly loses winter hardiness, quickly ages and dies.

In the spring, after the buds open (in May), cut out shoots that grow vertically and darken the center of the crown. Remove all frozen shoots and branches with weak shoots and small leaves.

Peach is a southern crop. In the middle zone, the peach needs to be shaped into a bush so that the branches can be covered for the winter.
Start forming from the first year. Place skeletal and semi-skeletal branches at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other. In the intervals between them, leave the shoots at a distance of 10-20 cm.

Forming a peach into a bowl

In spring, shorten them, leaving 2-4 buds. Cut out the rest. After spring pruning, shoots grow quickly, thickening the crown. At the end of August, remove all crowns growing inward. In the 2-3rd year, bend the skeletal branches 45 degrees and secure them.

For fruiting peaches in the spring, remove shoots and branches that shade the center of the crown into a ring (up to a ring influx). Shorten biennial shoots (last year's), leaving 6-8 groups of flower buds for fruiting. Between them, at a distance of 10-20 cm, leave growth shoots, cutting them to 2-3 buds per growth.

Peach after trimming

Shorten fruit-bearing branches with lateral branches to a strong lower shoot. Trim it for fruiting, leaving 6-8 groups of flower buds. Remove all unnecessary, thickening branches onto the ring.

If you want to grow a peach in the form of a tree, leave a trunk no higher than 40 cm. Place 3-4 strong skeletal branches at the bottom, spaced 15 cm apart along the trunk. Shorten the rest by 2-3 buds. Do not shorten skeletal branches.

Forming a dog into a tree

Cut the uppermost side skeletal branch to the outer bud, leaving a length of 15 cm. And the lower branch - no longer than 35 cm.

When the lateral branches begin to grow on the skeletal branches, leave them at a distance of 30-40 cm from the trunk and from each other. Remove the rest onto the ring. Vertical shoots and crowns directed inward should be shortened or removed in summer.

In spring, shorten branches with flower buds, leaving 6-8 groups. And growth ones have 2-3 buds. Do not prune the branches that continue the skeletal ones.Adjust their growth by tilting.

Trim branches that bear fruit by transferring them to a strong lower branch, which you shorten by 6-8 groups of flower buds or by 2-3 growth buds.

On branches shortened last year by 2-3 buds, leave 1 strong shoot (lower) and cut it back by 2-3 buds.

When shortening shoots for fruiting (by 6-8 buds), make the cut either above a mixed group of buds (both flower and growth buds) or above a growth bud. You cannot prune above a fruit bud or a group of flower buds.

The main thing is to constantly maintain the branches in a position close to horizontal.

Rejuvenate an aging peach tree (with growth of less than 40 cm) by cutting off all branches after harvesting at a level of 1.5-2 m from the ground.

Continuation of the topic:

1. Rejuvenating pruning of an old garden
2. How to prune tall cherries correctly
3. Apple tree pruning