Content
Getting a good harvest of peaches directly depends on the quality of tree care. The more complete and timely such activities are carried out, the better the result will be. One of these procedures is spring and summer pruning of peach trees. It helps not only to form a full-fledged tree, but also to extend the period of its active fruiting.
Purposes of peach tree pruning in spring and summer
The gardener’s task is not only to grow a peach tree, but also to ensure that it produces good and regular harvests. It is for this purpose that all types of pruning are performed. Using this procedure, the crown of a young tree is formed, which is most convenient for working with it.
Pruning is carried out in sanitary areas to improve the condition of the tree, rejuvenate and normalize the harvest. Such events are carried out strictly at a certain time and according to a certain pattern.
Types of pruning
Peach is a fairly fast-growing tree.If you do not prune it, the crown will thicken very quickly and the fruits will be crushed. To tidy up the tree, several basic types of peach pruning are used.
- Sanitary. It is carried out annually to maintain the tree in a healthy condition.
- Formative. It is done during the first years after planting a seedling to form the crown of a tree in a certain way.
- Rejuvenating. It is produced in order to rejuvenate the tree and prolong its life and active fruiting.
- Restorative. It is carried out one year after the rejuvenating procedure. Allows you to re-form the skeleton of the tree.
- Contour. This is done to keep the crown within the required dimensions.
As a rule, different types of peach pruning are combined to achieve the best result.
Timing for peach pruning
All main types of pruning are usually carried out in the spring, choosing the period when the buds on the tree are just beginning to swell. It is difficult to indicate a specific period for carrying out this procedure, since it greatly depends on the climatic characteristics of the growing area. In the southern regions, peach pruning time usually occurs in March, in more northern regions - in April. During this period, trees are sanitized after winter, the crown of young seedlings is formed, and old trees are rejuvenated.
Peach pruning in summer includes removing broken and damaged branches, as well as disease-damaged shoots. It is produced in June. In addition to sanitary cleaning, improperly growing, crossing, thickening branches and spiny shoots are removed. The annual growth at which the crop matures is also shortened. This is due to the fact that peach sets 100% of flower ovaries.If you don't ration the harvest, the tree literally won't have enough nutrients to grow all the fruit. The harvest in this case will be abundant, but very small. To improve its quality, annual shoots are pruned, thereby reducing the number of ovaries, but increasing the quality of ripening peaches.
Autumn pruning of peach is carried out only for sanitary purposes. In the southern regions, at this time, too long annual growth is shortened, and the basal shoots are also cut out. In regions with a cool climate in the fall, it is recommended to limit yourself to only sanitary pruning, so as not to weaken the plant before wintering.
Is it possible to prune a peach in August?
Due to the intensive growth of annual shoots, peach trees often have to be pruned 2-3 times during the summer, including in August. If this procedure is not carried out, the trees begin to hurt, and the gum flow intensifies. The harvest shrinks sharply, and after several years the tree may completely stop bearing fruit.
Peach tree pruning patterns
The pruning scheme for peach in spring depends on the region where it grows. In the south they are most often formed in the form of a bowl, in the central regions - in a bush, and in areas with unfavorable weather conditions - in a slate form. In addition, peach is formed according to the principle of a grape bush, as well as in the form of a column (columnar varieties).
Forming a peach crown with a bowl is used most often and is considered the most suitable method for growing it. This shape allows you to work with the crown without resorting to a stepladder. Uniform illumination of the internal space of the tree contributes to good yield, while air exchange inside the crown is not disturbed.A bowl is formed from 3-4 skeletal branches on a low (40-50 cm) trunk. The further north the peach is grown, the lower the standard is made.
In the middle zone, the formation of peach in bush form is considered optimal. To do this, leave a few of the lowest side shoots, which are cut short. The central conductor is also cut into a ring. Subsequently, 6-8 equivalent ones are selected from the young shoots, which will form the basis of the bush. The remaining shoots are removed. By pruning, we achieve uniform development of all shoots, as well as maintaining a spherical shape.
The slate form is extreme and is used when growing peaches in areas not intended for the cultivation of this crop. As a rule, with this formation, the seedling is planted at an angle of 45 °, and the tree itself is formed from 2 horizontal shoots. This shape allows you to completely cover the peach for the winter.
Forming and pruning the crown of a peach in the form of a grape bush can be done if the rounded crown causes inconvenience to the gardener. To form a crown according to this pattern, select several multidirectional shoots that have large angles of departure and are spaced at least 20 cm from each other. The rest, including the central conductor, are cut into a ring.
The columnar peach is the easiest to trim. Pruning of such varieties comes down to only sanitary cleaning, as well as cutting out shoots protruding beyond the crown dimensions.
Proper pruning of peach depending on the age of the trees
The technique for pruning peach trees in spring varies depending on the age of the tree. During the first few years, the skeleton of the tree is formed and the main branches are formed.In the future, excess and improperly growing branches are removed, the harvest is normalized, and sanitary cleaning is carried out.
How to trim a young peach
After planting in a permanent place, the peach seedling is pruned at a height of about 60 cm. 2-3 skeletal branches are left on the trunk, which are pruned to 3 buds. Above them, up to the point where the central conductor is cut, there should be about 10 healthy buds. All other shoots are cut into a ring.
In the second year of life, the formation of the lower tier continues. Annual growths are shortened to 60-65 cm. At a distance of 30-35 cm above the lower tier of skeletal branches, two powerful branches that will be skeletal are selected in different directions. They are cut so that they are 10-15 cm shorter than the lower ones. The central conductor is cut just above the level of the upper side branch.
In the spring of 3 years of life, all necessary shoots on skeletal branches are shortened to 0.4 m. By autumn, a full-fledged tree is formed. It is necessary to remove fattening shoots, tops and branches growing deep into the crown.
At the 4th year of life, the formation of a peach tree is considered complete. In the spring, young shoots are shortened to 5 flower buds, and branches that grow above the required level and extend beyond the size of the crown are also pruned.
Rules for pruning fruit-bearing trees
Pruning of adult fruit-bearing peaches is carried out for sanitary purposes, as well as to normalize the yield. To do this, leave 1-2 flower buds on underdeveloped shoots, and up to 5 flower buds on others. Pruning is performed on the selected growth bud, thereby correcting the direction of future growth of the branch. It should be directed to the side (not up!), and also should not intersect with other shoots in the future.
The crown of an adult plant must be maintained at the same height, avoiding its skewing. If the shoots are taller from any edge of the bowl, then this part will receive more sunlight, and the uniformity of ripening will be disrupted.
How to rejuvenate a peach tree
A peach tree can bear fruit for up to 10 years. Then it should be rejuvenated. Over the course of several years, part of the old wood is gradually removed, while growth is transferred to new skeletal branches, the age of which does not exceed 2-3 years. In addition, all shoots growing downwards are shortened.
Pruning an old peach
If the peach has not been pruned for a long time, you can bring it back to normal condition and restore its fruiting by pruning. To do this you need to do the following:
- Reduce the crown to 2.5-3 m. It is necessary to cut out all fattening shoots growing upward. To prevent the crown from becoming one-sided, you can transfer some of these branches to lateral growth.
- Lighten the crown. To do this, it is necessary to remove thickening branches, rubbing against each other, directed inwards, as well as tops.
- Clean the tree. All dry, diseased, broken branches must be completely removed.
- Rejuvenate the peach by removing some of the old skeletal branches.
How to properly prune a peach for fruiting
Pruning a peach tree for fruiting is used to bring the harvest in line with the size of the tree. This measure normalizes the number of future fruits and avoids overloading the tree. Pruning for fruiting is done as follows.
Fruit links are formed from the side shoots, observing the necessary intervals:
Shoot length, cm | Interval, cm |
25-50 | 10 |
50-70 | 15-20 |
St. 70 | 25-30 |
In the intervals between the shoots, replacement knots are formed - the same side shoots, only cut to 2 growth buds. Next year, the same fruiting link will be formed from them, and the fruit-bearing shoot will need to be removed. All other shoots located in the intervals must be removed.
To normalize the load on the tree, the number of fruit links is adjusted to the productivity of the peach variety. For varieties with low productivity (Uspeh, Molodezhny, Zlatogor) the number of fruiting shoots should be from 150 to 200, for medium-yielding varieties (Zolotaya Moskva, Kudesnik, Kremlevsky) - from 90 to 130, for high-yielding peaches (Flamingo, Krasnoshchekiy, Krymchak) 40- 80 pcs.
After flowering and the formation of fruit ovaries, the final normalization of the fruit load is carried out. In this case, first of all, weak shoots are removed.
How to trim a peach after fruiting
Peach pruning after harvesting is done for hygienic purposes, to maintain the cleanliness of the tree. All dried, broken or damaged branches, wen and tops that were not removed earlier are removed. It is also necessary to remove shoots that show signs of disease or are damaged by pests. The peach should not be severely pruned; this can greatly weaken it before wintering.It is better to carry out this procedure in September or early October. Later dates are not advisable.
A useful video for beginners on how to trim a peach in the spring is at the link below.
Caring for peaches after pruning
Pruning is akin to a surgical operation, so it is very important to do it accurately and on time. It is also necessary to use only well-sharpened and disinfected tools. Smooth cuts heal much faster, and the entire period of tree rehabilitation will take much less time.
After pruning is completed, the peach needs care. All sections must be treated with a 3% solution of copper sulfate to protect against infection, and then covered with garden putty. Large cuts can also be covered with natural oil paint. Many gardeners do not recommend using garden pitch, since the knots under it can rot.
Conclusion
Peach pruning is a mandatory procedure that must be performed annually. Without it, the yield will sharply decrease, the fruits will be crushed, and the tree, instead of bearing fruit, will begin to grow upward uncontrollably, wasting energy on forcing shoots. There is no need to be afraid of pruning. It is enough to properly trim a peach once with an experienced mentor, and in the future the procedure will not cause difficulties.
