How to properly prune a peach in summer: diagrams and procedures

Peach is a capricious crop that requires increased attention and compliance with the rules of agricultural technology. The southern fruit needs proper crown molding to maintain fruiting and strengthen the immune system. In this article we will talk about pruning peach in summer, depending on its age and growing region.

Is it possible to prune a peach in summer?

Trees get nutrients from the soil. They pass through the trunk and are evenly distributed between the branches. In peach, these processes occur much faster than in other crops.

The tree immediately spends the incoming nutrients to form growing branches. Without regulatory pruning, the crown will quickly thicken, and the central branches will become bare and stop producing fruit. Fruit will begin to set on peripheral branches, causing the plant's productivity to decrease.

Regular pruning of improperly growing branches will help prevent the problem. A properly formed crown improves ventilation, facilitates harvesting, and gives the tree aesthetics.

When to prune a peach in summer

The optimal time for pruning peach in summer is June 15 - July 15. During this period, seeds are formed in the fruits.

Favorable days according to the lunar calendar for 2021:

• June - 15, 16, 19–25, 29, 30;
• July - 4–7, 13–15.

Types of pruning

There are several types of peach pruning: formative, restorative, regulating, rejuvenating.

Formative pruning is carried out in the second year after planting and ends in the fifth year of the plant’s life. The procedure is carried out in the spring to give the crown the desired shape. To do this, dry and dead branches are cut off, the height of the tree and yield are adjusted, and excess shoots are removed.

Goals of anti-aging summer pruning:

• removal of dry and weakened branches;
• thinning of non-bearing shoots;
• trimming branches growing inward;
• shortening fruit-bearing shoots, abundantly covered with ovaries, so that they do not break under the weight of the fruit.

Restorative haircuts are performed in the fall. Its essence is to prepare the tree for wintering. To do this, remove all dry and diseased branches, shorten frame and fruiting ones. No more than 80 shoots are left on the tree. Plant residues are collected and burned away from the site.

Regulatory pruning is performed at any time of the year. The procedure is aimed at balancing the growth and fruiting of trees, removing thick shoots that do not bear fruit, and shortening branches with a large number of peaches.

How to trim a tree correctly

Following the rules of haircutting and using sharp and sterilized instruments allows you to complete the procedure with minimal losses.

Required materials and tools

To trim a peach tree you will need:

• garden saw;
• pruner;
• garden knife;
• lopper

Copper sulfate, potassium permanganate solution or medical alcohol are used to disinfect instruments. A garden varnish or a special “RanNet” product is suitable for processing cuts.

Trimming scheme

The work is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. Remove weak and dry branches that draw nutrients from the tree but do not provide any practical benefit.
2. Thin out unfruitful branches.They do this carefully, trying not to touch the shoots, which are abundantly covered with foliage, which during the active growing season provide the plant with oxygen and nutritional components.
3. Shoots growing deep into the crown are cut to the base, improving the illumination of the plant. This improves the color and taste of the fruit.
4. Branches dotted with fruit ovaries are slightly shortened so that they do not break off under the weight of ripe peaches.

Summer pruning of excess branches promotes the formation of larger and juicier fruits.

Features of pruning depending on the type of tree

Peach pruning patterns depend on its age and growing region.

Depending on the age of the peach

Scheme for crop pruning at different periods of life:

1. In the first year of life, the plant is shortened to 60 cm. The skeletal branches of the 1st tier are formed from side shoots, the tips are cut to the third bud.
2. In the second year, all shoots are removed, except for 4 skeletal branches of the 1st tier. They are cut below the standard by 1 level. The cut should pass below the outer bud.
3. In the third year, the lower branches of the 2nd tier are formed 50 cm above the 1st. The strongest shoots are left, the rest are cut off.
4. In the fourth year, the upper branches of the 2nd tier are laid on the back side of the lower ones. They are cut to 5–8 buds and thinned out at a distance of 15 cm from each other. The second tier is formed from 5 skeletal branches. All shoots are cut to 1/3 of their length.
5. In the fifth year of life, a two-tier tree 2.5–3 m high is formed. To form a peach in the form of a bush, the main trunk is removed and 4 lower branches are left. To create a creeping form, the main shoot is completely cut off and 2 branches are left. On one of them the harvest ripens, the other is used in the event of the death of the first.

In the sixth year of life, the peach crown is considered formed. An adult tree needs rejuvenating, regulating and sanitary pruning.

Depending on the growing region

Peach pruning is carried out in different regions to increase resistance to adverse weather conditions. The winter hardiness of the crop directly depends on the method of crown formation.

Reference. For example, a tree formed by spindlebush - in the form of a spindle - tolerates the southern winter well in Cherkessk and Makhachkala, but in the Krasnodar Territory and Kuban it can freeze. Here the peach is shaped into a bowl.

In the middle zone, peach is cut in the form of a tall bush; in more severe climatic conditions, it is laid horizontally - in a stale tree.

Further care of the plant

After pruning, the crop needs in careful care. Experienced gardeners recommend using oil paint instead of garden varnish to lubricate the cuts, since wounds from it sometimes begin to rot due to excess moisture. The paint has better sealing properties and prevents rotting more effectively. RanNet paste has similar properties.

Before applying the putty, the wounds are dried with a 3% solution of copper sulfate, which is applied with a sponge and left for 1-2 hours. Then putty is applied to the cut.

The set of mandatory procedures includes:

• weeding;
• loosening the soil in the tree trunk circle;
• mulching with organic matter (chopped bark, rotted sawdust, mown grass, mature compost).

It is not recommended to use hay as mulch as it becomes a haven for rodents.

Important! Mulching the tree trunk relieves the gardener from routine work - loosening and weeding.Organic matter retains moisture inside the soil and reduces the frequency of watering, providing the peach with nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

In the summer, trees are fertilized with potassium and phosphorus, and nitrogen is forgotten until next spring. For foliar feeding, use the complex product “Zdraven AQUA for fruit trees”. At the end of August, Plantafol is sprayed to stimulate the ripening of wood.

When there is a shortage of natural precipitation, trees are watered to a depth of 0.5 m. Moistening is stopped 2 weeks before harvest. In autumn, moisture-recharging irrigation is carried out to prevent freezing of the root system in winter. The logs are whitened with Sadovnik lime paste.

In regions with little snow, additional dry shelter is created from reed or corn huts and agrospan hoods.

The first stage of work on covering the peach for the winter begins after the leaves fall, before the onset of frost, so that the branches are easier to lay on the ground. To save covering material, the tree is bent as low as possible. Small shoots are connected and tied to the main branch. The procedure is carried out carefully so as not to break the plant. Old branches can be cut off as they are difficult to bend.

To protect trees from rodents, a repellent is placed in the center of the bush. Additionally, trees are treated with the following compounds:

• a mixture of clay and cow manure with carbolic acid (1 tbsp per 10 liters of mixture);
• a mixture of fish oil and naphthalene in a ratio of 8:1.

The mechanical method of protection involves tying the trunk with special nets, roofing felt, and spruce branches. Dense materials are removed during the thaw period to prevent the formation of condensation.

This is interesting:

Methods for propagating peach by cuttings in summer: instructions and useful tips

Advice from experienced gardeners

Tips from other gardeners will help maintain peach health, support fruiting and increase stress resistance:

1. When pruning a crop, it is important to take into account that the fruiting branches grow at an angle of 45°.
2. When shortening the shoots, at least 2 buds are left on each.
3. To rejuvenate the tree and restore lost fruitfulness, all branches older than 4 years are removed.
4. After landings No more than 4 lower shoots are left on the seedling, which will later become the basis for the formation of the crown. All other branches are pruned.
5. A cup-shaped crown is created during spring pruning.

Conclusion

Summer pruning of peach is carried out if necessary. It is not included in the list of mandatory care procedures, but it helps maintain the health of the tree, extends its life and increases productivity.

Trimming is carried out from June 15 to July 15: weakened, dry branches and branches growing inside the crown are removed, non-fruitful ones are thinned out, shoots densely dotted with fruit ovaries are shortened. After pruning, the trees are fed with potassium and phosphorus, watered when there is a lack of natural precipitation, and care is taken to provide shelter for the winter and protection from rodents.