Cut out centrial leader leaving 3 to 4 limbs equal spaced around tree on these 4 limbs cut all growth off topside limbs if want limbs longer than they are leave bud on outside limb to grow each limb longer and spreading peachtree outwards this need doing serval time during ayear or life tree. The best time prune peachtree is anytime on large cuts use prune seal on cuts this for seedlings. Older trees need pruning twice ayear unless over fertilized older tree as note start at 4 years old and bleed badly if cut after sap starts running up tree limbs January best time on large cuts over inch is large cut. Here another best time prune when growth only bud its waste of growth to let bud grow into limb before cutting off and nice tohave green thumb. summmer prunning on whips that bear peaches they never bear but once on the second year growth so after fruiting cut whips off tree if leave on tree they become unwant growth. Spraying in fall after leaf fall and before bud brake for leaf curl Thiram best percentage of control and yes seed treatment copper spray is next with lower precentage contol go to lowes and look in garden book there under fruit trees peaches leaf curl if have this desease. A Fruittree spray with 3 to 4 ingredents will give some contol. Common desease of peachtrees is leaf curl peach brown rot insects moths trunk borers.

Its weird here because zones 7 and 8 split Collin county in half. I swear my front yard is zone 7 and my back yard is zone 8! :) Keith

thx soooo.. if you prune it at the wrong moment.. and you miss it setting fruit next season.. who cares .. eh?? i used to be with you.. on i got to save everything in the world for mother earth .. sorry.. that ship sailed along time ago ... if it annoys me.. its gone ... not soon after.. to be replaced with something of year around interest that does NOT annoy me ... net loss to mother earth .. ZERO ... that which i took.. i replaced ... get over it.. and get rid of it ... there are too many really cool things that are better ... cut it flush to the ground.. treat the stump.. and figure out what to plant a few feet over.. where you can dig a new hole .... ken

I don't know if there's a "best" time. There definitely would be a worst time, in the fall when the tender new growth stimulated would be hit by severe frosts. Leave enough time for the new growth stimulated to harden off a little before frosts hit. Many gardenias show buds as the nights lengthen and cool off in fall, so I would think now would be a good time. I find it useful to follow the 1/3 rule-- cut back 1/3 of the branches, and cut back by no more than 1/3. When you get resprouting on the cut branches, you can cut another 1/3 of the branches if it's not too late in the year. This will thicken the plant over a period of time without completely denuding it of life-sustaining foliage.