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Fruit & Orchards

Did I kill my peach tree?

15 years ago

Hi, I pruned back my two year old tree along with the other fruit trees and it and two other peaches have not leafed out yet.

I was wondering if I have killed them or are they just in shock still. Dad, told me to try fish emmsion. They still are green in the branches and trunk. So do I just wait or make plans to replace them this fall.

Oh, I did prune at the right time and I didn't do any summer pruning because I know I was going to cut them all back. Here's a link to the garden where they are.

Thanks Tamara

Here is a link that might be useful: first photo is fruit tree

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Comments (6)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
15 years ago
Tamara:

Wow, you did a job on those babies. If what remains is still green, they should still leaf out. But you will know for sure by planting time this fall.

You need a different pruning program if you want much fruit. A combination of summer pruning and dormant pruning will keep the size down and still produce fruit.

Good luck!!

The Fruitnut
jsvand5
15 years ago
Can you see any buds on the tree? It looks to me like you cut off all of the growth that contained the buds. Is there a reason that you pruned so drastically?
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redblossom40
Original Author
15 years ago
yea, when it had fruit last season, it broke branch even know we used poles to support them. So Had to cut back that far.
My dad told me to try fish emmision and see if that helps. Any other ideals

Thanks tamara
jellyman
15 years ago
redblossom:

Please don't do that again to a fruit tree. You removed all the buds capable of growing new leaves as well as fruit. I hate to use this word, but that tree is as close to butchered as I have ever seen.

When a tree has too much fruit, the solution is not to cut off all the branches, but to thin the fruit. Peaches should be thinned to about 8 inches apart, and a minimum of 6, and if the branch is still overloaded take off some more.

Fish emulsion or any other type of fertilizer will have no effect on your tree, so don't bother with that. I guess there is an outside chance there is still some life in that tree, but in your climate zone, where it should be fully leafed out, I think that chance is pretty slim.

Do you have another tree, plum or peach, planted next to the peach tree in practically the same hole? That one apparently didn't get any pruning at all. It was a lot luckier than your peach tree.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
15 years ago
Tamara:

I had a neighbor do the same to his peaches two years ago. They came back and look OK this yr. Please don't take the admonishment you have recieved too hard. I think your trees will still leaf out. One thing you might do is paint all that bare wood with white latex paint mixed 50:50 with water. This is to keep the branches from getting sunburn/heat damage until they can grow some leaves.

There is really nothing else you can do now. As Don said, thinning is the answer to broken branches. You will get bigger and better fruit as a bonus.

The Fruitnut
redblossom40
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks, It was hard to thin the fruit because dear hubby love seeing all that fruit there. Now after the branches broke it was a told you so moment. Anyways all the other fruits trees leafed out great and even gave me fruit(which surpriese me).
Anyways thank you all and if it doesn't make it I will replace this fall.

Thanks again Tamara

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