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Florida Gardening

How soon after planting tropic beauty peach can I prune?

15 years ago

I just had a Tropic Beauty Peach Tree planted today and it really needs some bottom pruning. There are branches growing almost to the ground on one side. I would like to just do some lower pruning (only if I should). The tree is about 4 feet tall. When is the best time and age to prune this tree?

Thanks!

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Comments (9)

gcmastiffs
15 years ago
Prune off the low stuff now. Remove all growth below the graft, at any time. In summer, prune to control growth if needed. Use branch spreaders if you want, or with small branches, clothespins work to spread the branches.

In winter, prune to invigorate.

You really can't mess up a Tropic Beauty Peach. You could chop it off at 3' and it will grow beautifully all summer and fruit for you next spring.

They are easy, productive and delicious!

Lisa
annnettem
Original Author
15 years ago
Lisa,

Thanks so much :) I wanted to ask one more question if you get back to my post. I read on the U of F site about applying zinc sulfate spray to cause the tree to go into a dormant state then using dormant oil...should I do this as well when the time comes? Sorry to ask so many questions, but the nursery didn't seem to know much about these trees.

Thanks again for your advice. I will get pruning within the day :)
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Once danger of extreme cold is past, and unfortunately the literature never seems to site exactly what temp that is, you should be fine. I don't worry about apples if temps are above about -15F and have pruned older ones when temps immediately went below -20 without injury. I believe for apples, and it depends on variety, danger of injury from pruning cuts begins at about -25. It hasn't gotten that cold where I am for at least a century. I always wait until about mid-feb to prune peaches and have had sub zero weather at that point without a problem. I'm interested in how cold others prune peaches without injury. The reason commercial growers wait until active growth to prune peaches is to help fight off canker which an active tree can do by closing wounds more quickly. I don't have a problem with canker on young and vigorous peach trees so I ignore this issue.
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Pinching to guide growth is the most efficient way to direct it and the sooner you pinch unneeded shoots the more efficient it is. If the tree has ample shoots to harvest light throughout the tree there is no way this should hurt a healthy tree. I prune this way throughout the growing season- especially with plums and peaches when they are young and in need of continuous guidance for best results. It is especially important if you use the strategy of starting open center trees as central leaders, as I do. Takes extra pruning up high to keep enough light on lowest scaffolds, particularly the ones that will become permanent. Pinching back oversized laterals (secondary wood) is also a good way sustain dominance of the central leader of scaffold branches and helps enforce development of secondary and tertiary wood. This is especially true with J. plums where you might pinch back the leader of a scaffold then use subsequent pinching to develop a new leader and secondary wood at point of previous pinch. J. plums often are reluctant to develop secondary wood off of scaffolds when left to their own whim. It is pretty hard to unintentionally kill a healthy tree by over pruning. I find excessive dormant pruning to be most likely way to cause sunburn. Once the leaves are fully formed they pull a lot of sap, helping to keep the cambium cool (my theory, anyway).
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Comments (12)
Hi Eskota, Pruning sealer is something that Gator and I disagree on. As has been mentioned, Linda Chalker-Scott is not the end-all authority for horticulture, but at least her conclusions are scientifically based. Below is a link of what she has to say regarding pruning sealer. I do think Bug Juice could have a small slight residual benefit if you are concerned about borers colonizing a pruning wound. Not that there is anything particularly special about Bug Juice (i.e. Deltamethrin) vs. other pyrethroids, but any broad spectrum insecticide will tend to slow borers down. I think there could be some advantage to treating large wounds with a strong copper solution. The reason is that large wounds can take many years to heal over. If the wound is large enough the wood in the center of wound can rot before the wound calluses over completely. If that happens, it will leave a hole that could trap water in the hole and slow callusing even more. Copper is decidedly different than asphalt or caulk type products that are routinely sold for wound dressings. Copper will not seal in moisture. I will also point out that my comments regarding copper are not based upon scientific testing. They are based only on deduction and some experience. Deductively, copper has fairly good broad spectrum fungicide activity. Copper is also one of the preservatives of treated lumber. And again copper will not seal in moisture as other wound dressings can. I first learned of this idea from an arborist who posted on a different forum. He claimed to have used this treatment with good success. My experience is also anecdotal. I've tried it on one very large wound. I treated the wound a couple times in the last three years and haven't seen any rotting of the core wood yet. The wound continues to close up. It was probably the largest wound I've made (about 6"). I've made several smaller wounds 4" or less and haven't put any copper on them and they've healed up themselves. I do try to spray big wounds when I spray the fruit for insects and disease. Generally I have an insecticide and fungicide in the tank mix, so the wounds get attention of a sort. I try not to let unwanted limbs get so far ahead of me that I have to use a chain saw. I'm getting better and for the last few years I've only made large wounds where I let central leader trees (like pears) get too tall and am bringing them down slowly. Here is a link that might be useful: Linda Scott - Wound dressings
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Comments (7)
I agree, April in Florida is the wrong time to plant Peach trees. They do best if planted bare-root in winter, while dormant. Scrape the trunk in a thin strip with your fingernail. Try several layers, shallow, medium and deep. If it all looks brown, start cutting the tree down from the top, in sections. If the inner layers are white/brown/tan/black with no green, that area is dead. If you find any green, stop cutting. I chopped several of my Peaches back from 7' to 2' since I was not happy with the form and health of the trees. They are recovering and should be much better. But, dead is dead. If you get no green when scraping or pruning, all the way down to the graft, your tree is a goner. Try again this winter, with a stout, healthy tree from Bay Laurel or Just Fruits. Good Luck! Lisa
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dixie2760
15 years ago
I have a Tropical peach tree that is doing beautiful. I would like to plant more trees using the seeds, how do I get the seed to germinate? Do I need to refrigerate them like a Georgia peach or is there another method. Thanks
gcmastiffs
15 years ago
Peach trees go dormant all by themselves, especially if you have chosen the right variety for your zone. Dormant oil spray while they are leafless is fine, but I often don't get around to it(G). Squirrels are the biggest issue with growing Peaches here.

Dixie, please don't waste your time trying to grow a Peach from seed. Unless you are very young.

Buy grafted trees instead. It will save you 8 years or more of waiting to see what you may get from a seed that will not produce true.

Lisa
gcmastiffs
15 years ago
Dixie, I did some more reading, and some web pages say you can get a fruiting Peach tree from seed in about 4-5 years. I do not know if this is correct, as I've only had grafted ones. As far as refrigerating the seeds, I have no idea.

With grafted trees you can choose your rootstock according to your soil and desired size/vigor of the tree. With a seedling, you will not know what quality of fruit, or eventual size you will get, but it might be fine.

Let us know how it turns out please, if you grow from seeds.

Lisa
dixie2760
15 years ago
Thanks Lisa, I appreciate your reply. I found someone else that basically agreed with what you said. I was also told that I could graft it to a Live Oak tree since it is native to S. Florida. I may try it just to see since I will have nothing to lose. I plan on getting another tree, do you know how far apart the trees can be in order to pollinate them?
annnettem
Original Author
14 years ago
Lisa thanks again for all your advice. I pruned the tree back, it went through a bit of shock for about a week and now it is beautiful and has new growth! I hope to maybe see peaches next year or the year after. If mine comes close to even looking like yours it will be a success.
Sharon Beepath
7 years ago

this is my pear tree grown from a seed in Trinidad and Tobago. Anything can do to help it branch out and fruit?
User
7 years ago
Sharon, it will take 3-5 years for it to fruit. Cut out the top 1/3 of the plant and it will branch out.

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