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moonwolf_gw

Newbie With Dwarf Elberta Peach Tree Pruning Questions and Pictur

moonwolf_gw
13 years ago

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum and I have a pruning question about the Dwarf Elberta Peach Tree my parents and I have growing in the yard. This is the first time it's ever been pruned (it bore fruit for the first time last year, I think it's three years old with this being the third year). Now, as I understand it, the main thing is to have a vase shaped tree with four main scaffolding branches, cutting away growth growing towards the inside of the tree or that's small or dead. I pruned it a little now (Was it too early? I read you can prune them between Feb.-May). Here's a picture I just took after pruning some of it. I didn't want to prune too much and I wanted to see if I did it right.

{{gwi:62122}}

Thank you in advance!

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Comments (7)

  • moonwolf_gw
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thank you, ottawan! It sounds like I'm doing things right!

    Brad AKA Moonwolf

  • moonwolf_gw
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Here it is fully pruned. I just got done with it (the only thing I was off on as the site said was pruning after the frost date. Has anyone done it earlier than this?). It looks vase shaped don't you think?

    {{gwi:62125}}

    Brad AKA Moonwolf

  • Anthony Nguyen
    13 years ago

    I'm am new to this as well. I just planted two peach trees for first time ever.

    Most of the things I've read and youtube videos I've watch have the scaffolds much lower then yours. Basically where your trunk forks into two, I think it would have been nice to have that the main branch point into 3-5 scaffolds at 45-60 degree angles. This way your peach tree really spreads out wide and thus allowing you to really open up that center. Now this isn't the most attractive tree if you do it this way. I think yours will look nice. You'll probably let it grow taller then 7-8 feet?

  • moonwolf_gw
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I'm not sure how tall mom and dad want it to get but if everyone thinks it'll look nice then that's good. Where it forks into two is how it's been growing since we bought it (I think). The ones I left on were the thickest of the bunch.

    Brad AKA Moonwolf

  • olpea
    13 years ago

    Brad,

    I'm not sure why you planted a dwarf. Standard peach trees aren't hard to keep small and your site looks like you have plenty of space.

    I'm also not sure what dwarf rootstock the nursery is claiming your peach tree is on, but be aware peaches on dwarf roots are generally more difficult to grow than peaches on standard roots. A standard peach should give 100 peaches the third year. Your tree looks to give about 7-8 properly thinned peaches.

    However, there are some things you can do to improve the vigor of your dwarf. First, put some mulch around the base of the tree so it doesn't have to compete with the grass for water and nutrients. You also might want to add a little N fertilizer at budbreak. Do it just before a rain. Lastly, give the tree a few drinks of water in the driest part of summer.

    On the pruning, as was mentioned, the tight angle at which your tree forks is generally not desirable. However, the wood looks small enough to be trainable. Drive a stake in the ground and pull the small branch down and tie it with some string. Tie it so as not to girdle (strangle) the wood. Because the crotch angle is so bad, you may have to pull it down in increments to keep it from snapping from the trunk.

    Try to encourage lower shoots on the tree. You may not get any lower shoots from this tree, but if you do, nurse them along. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is to remove lower wood. Unless you're pruning for deer, keep the lower wood (as long as it's above the graft). It helps to make a shorter tree.

  • moonwolf_gw
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Unfortunately, where we live, we have limited space and the deer do come after it. We do mulch every year but not around the trees (we can with the peach tree though). This one does produce shoots like mad, so I may have a chance with it. We do water it when it gets dry out (last summer was a very dry summer). We bought the tree at Wal-Mart (forget the nursery where they do get their trees from). Thank you for your advice, olpea!

    Brad AKA Moonwolf

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