How to Prune Your Peach Tree for Abundant Fruit, According to an Arborist

Peach trees are generally considered easy to grow—but that doesn't mean you can skip pruning. Pruning is an essential step in ensuring that your tree produces as much quality fruit as possible and can even help prevent diseases. Fortunately, pruning a peach tree is relatively straightforward, and a little goes a long way in ensuring a sweet summer harvest. Follow these expert-approved steps, and you'll be enjoying the fruits of your labor in no time.

Benefits of Pruning

Pruning is "vital" for healthy peach trees, according to Michael Kenins, co-owner of Vista Tree Management and an ISA-certified arborist. "They don't grow new branches every year, especially as they age, so without annual pruning, you'll see declining harvests," he says.

There are other benefits, too, most notably stopping the spread of fungal diseases and pests. "Peach trees are pretty susceptible to these, and airflow is one of the best natural preventatives," he says. "It's also an important way to manage fruit load. Peach trees naturally overproduce, which can lead to a lot of small, poor-quality fruits."

When to Prune

Kenins notes that the best time to prune peach trees is just before bud break. "It's when the tree is still dormant, but it's easy to see where the buds are because there aren't any leaves in the way," he says. Generally, this occurs around late winter or early spring, but if there's still a risk of severe frost, then hold off until the colder weather has passed. Otherwise, the frigid temps can cause frost injury on any fresh cuts.

When Not to Prune

You shouldn't prune your peach tree in summer, fall, or early winter. "People think about pruning in summer, but this is when the trees are in full leaf, so they're generating energy to store for the winter," says Kenins. "It's also a period when no new growth is happening, so it can be harder for the tree to seal fresh wounds."

Alternatively, pruning in fall and early winter can generate new growth that won't have time to harden off before the first frost. This can leave your peach tree vulnerable to cold damage.

How to Prune

Peach trees aren't especially complicated to prune, but there are a few steps you'll want to follow. Before you start, Kenins recommends assembling a pair of hand pruners for small branches, loppers for medium-sized branches, and a pruning saw for larger limbs. A disinfectant like rubbing alcohol is also very important, as you'll want to clean tools between cuts to help stop the spread of disease.

Start With Dead Branches

Kenins recommends starting with the "3Ds": dead, diseased, and dying branches. Cut these out completely before proceeding to the next step. If you're unsure whether a branch falls into one of these categories, carefully scrape away some of the exterior bark. If the inner layer is dry and brown, it's dead. If you see green, it's alive and healthy.

Remove Crossing and Inward Branches

It's a good idea to remove any crossing and rubbing branches, as they'll interfere with the tree's growth and airflow. After, Kenins recommends removing water sprouts and suckers. "They're unproductive shoots that can grow all over the tree, but they'll never become viable branches," he says. Once that's done, remove any branches that are growing inwards—a step that's especially essential for peach trees, says Kenins.

Shape Up

The ideal structure for a peach tree, according to Kenins, is a vase shape with an open center. This allows for plenty of sunlight and airflow. In order to achieve this, once you've pruned all of the necessary branches, take a step back and look at the tree so you're far enough to view it from many different sides. "Tree pruning is done in three dimensions, so staying planted in one place the whole time may lead to over or under-pruning," Kenins adds.

Use this as an opportunity to track down any remaining branches that are overcrowding the interior of your peach tree. The goal is to leave three to five strong and evenly spaced limbs that are growing upward—these will form your main canopy.

Common Mistakes

One of the biggest mistakes, according to Kenins, is making cuts that are too large while pruning. These will take longer to heal and are prone to infection—similarly, leftover stubs won't heal properly and can attract pests. Instead, use sharp tools and make sure cleaner cuts closer to the branch, which will encourage a faster healing time.

Also, always make sure your canopy isn't too dense. A vase shape can create more room for sunlight and airflow—so don't be afraid to prune anything that's interfering in that regard.