Welcome to this post that will talk about the best time of the year to be pruning or cut away branches on your peach tree. It can vary a little bit depending on the age and the size of your tree. But in most cases, we want to prune the peach tree at the end of the season when all the fruits have been harvested.
Then you will have a couple of weeks left to grow and then rest during the winter. In this article, we will talk about specifically what to look for before pruning, what to look for, and also what you can do with the branches. Follow along and we’ll learn more together.
If you want to read even more in-depth about taking cuttings from a peach tree then we have the perfect article for you. It talks both about taking cuttings but also propagating them. Find it here, How To Take Cuttings From A Peach Tree.
When Should Peach Trees Be Pruned
As we said at the beginning of this article here, the best time of the year to be cutting away branches and pruning the tree will be at the end of the season. After it has fully ripened all the fruits and those have been picked then it will start shedding leaves and get ready to rest during the winter. So we will take advantage of this and prune the tree at this point. It won’t be as susceptible to pruning either.
What we want to look for before starting to prune is that all the fruit has been picked and there is no left. It would be a terrible waste otherwise. Look at the leaves too. They should be starting to turn yellow or change color. This indicates that the tree will shed them and prepare for the winter.
Choosing the right branches to cut is also important. They should indicate that new growth can come out from it. I look at the way the branches are growing beforehand. Cutting off one branch will often make way for two new ones to come forth. If you want a tall tree then cut the branches lower down. If you want a smaller tree and bushier then cut the top part more heavily. We prefer the last option as having a slightly smaller tree makes it easier to harvest but also seems to make room for more fruits to develop.
Some of the things you can be doing with the cuttings are to propagate them for new trees. However, we often recommend doing this from spring cuttings, they have more energy in them. The autumn ones can be used as well but should be dipped in some rooting hormones to increase the success rate. Let them sit in water for a couple of weeks before transplanting them to a pot and let them grow indoors during the winter.
Do Peach Trees Need To Be Pruned Every Year
For the best growth on your peach tree, you should be pruning it every year. It will make it easier for it to grow into a more bushy appearance. This appearance is not just for show, it also seems to promote more fruit development.
As we have said in this article, the best time of the year to prune the tree is at the end of the season when all fruits have been harvested. Pruning away almost 30 % of the tree will not be harmful. Pruning this much will make for slower and steadier growth for the tree. This way it can last for many many decades.
Let’s reiterate again what we have been talking about here. Peach is a fruit tree that really needs to be pruned at the end of the season. It will help it a lot in developing new growths for the next season. Cutting away almost 30 % of the branches is around the amount we usually do. Thankfully peach trees can handle this amount.
If you want to learn even more about cultivating the cuttings that you can take from the seed then we highly recommend you read this article here, Can Peach Tree Cuttings Be Rooted.
