Peach trees absolutely need to be pruned regularly so you can hope for a good harvest. Young peach trees in particular need a sharp pruning to stimulate the formation of new shoots.
Perform a pruning on the peach
Typically, peaches are sold as annual, potted grafts. Before you plant your young peach in a suitable location, you should first remove all premature shoots. It is sufficient to leave about three to four shoots on the stem, although these can also be shortened to a length of three to four eyes. The center drive can also be greatly shortened. This pruning is necessary so that the sapling is stimulated to increase shoot growth and therefore grows faster and bears fruit earlier. The roots are not usually pruned; unless they are damaged.
The best time for planting
If possible, plant young trees when it is still warm and will stay warm for a while. Peaches take quite a long time to grow; In addition, the young trees in particular are very sensitive to frost. So the best time would be at the end of summer, when the autumn and winter cold is still about two to three months away, or in late spring, as soon as there are no more night frosts to be expected. Another option would be to simply leave the peach tree in a sufficiently large pot.
dormant period after planting
After the drastic pruning of the plant, there is a resting phase in the first year of planting, in which the little tree can grow and thrive. The next cut is made in the year after planting. Now you can start building the crown on trees. This is based on only three main branches, from which the individual side branches branch off. However, as a bush tree, many peach varieties bring significantly more yields, which is why you should carefully should also depend on the planted variety.
The best time for pruning
Peaches bear almost exclusively on the one-year-old shoots, which is why perennial branches should always be removed - these tend to become bare and also prevent the tree from ventilating. If possible, carry out the pruning in the spring at the beginning of the flowering period. Peaches develop true and false fruit shoots that are quite difficult to tell apart when in bud. For older trees, however, an autumn cut may make more sense for reasons of prevention. Also for reasons of disease prevention, you should treat larger wound areas with a suitable wound remedy.
tips and tricks
Feel free to transplant your young peach at least once more and use this opportunity to perform a root pruning. This measure stimulates root growth and thus strengthens the entire tree.