Q&A – What should I do in the fall for my broken peach trees?
Question:
Peach season is over and I had much too heavy a crop for my trees. I have trimmed back the broken branches and cleaned up all the dropped peaches, but I want to know what I can do now to get them ready for next year’s crop? How much can I trim back spreading limbs now rather than late winter as I would normally? Since the crop was so heavy, should I fertilize now?
Answer:
It is important to prune and thin peach trees in the spring to keep them from putting on too much fruit and breaking under the load. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison gives some suggestions. If there are any limbs that are broken, they should be removed. The tree should not be pruned or fertilized in the fall; both encourage growth that will be killed by the quickly approaching cold weather. Peach trees should be fertilized according to a soil test and pruned in late winter or early spring.
Related Videos:
Pruning Nectarines, Peaches, and Plums
Thinning Peaches
Related Resources:
Growing stone fruits in the home garden
Home Fruit Production - Stone Fruit
January 23, 2021
Peach season is over and I had much too heavy a crop for my trees. I have trimmed back the broken branches and cleaned up all the dropped peaches, but I want to know what I can do now to get them ready for next year’s crop? How much can I trim back spreading limbs now rather than late winter as I would normally? Since the crop was so heavy, should I fertilize now?
Answer:
It is important to prune and thin peach trees in the spring to keep them from putting on too much fruit and breaking under the load. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison gives some suggestions. If there are any limbs that are broken, they should be removed. The tree should not be pruned or fertilized in the fall; both encourage growth that will be killed by the quickly approaching cold weather. Peach trees should be fertilized according to a soil test and pruned in late winter or early spring.
Related Videos:
Pruning Nectarines, Peaches, and Plums
Thinning Peaches
Related Resources:
Growing stone fruits in the home garden
Home Fruit Production - Stone Fruit
January 23, 2021