What should be noted when pruning peach trees after harvest?

Peach trees themselves have the characteristics of vigorous growth, strong branching capacity, excessive shoot growth and many branches. Most fruit growers, after harvesting peaches (especially early and mid-season varieties), do not pay attention to post-harvest pruning, which leads to an increase in water sprouts, a closed canopy, poor ventilation and light penetration, affecting flower bud differentiation, causing severe outbreaks of pests and diseases, and resulting in a decline in yield and quality the following year, giving rise to the phenomenon of “flowers all over the tree in spring, leaves all over the branches in summer, few peaches hanging, all at the branch tips.”

After the peach fruit is harvested, strengthening soil, fertilizer and water management, timely controlling pests and diseases, and strengthening pruning during the growing season to control vigorous and excessive shoot growth, promote the formation of plump and well-filled flower buds, and control the upward and outward movement of fruiting positions can achieve twice the result with half the effort.

For trees bearing fruit for the first time, if the scaffold branch angles are small, the branches should be spread to open the angles. For newly sprouted and vigorously growing shoots, when they grow to about 30 cm, pinch off the growing tips. Thin out overly dense branches, thin and weak branches, drooping branches, pest-and disease-damaged branches, and upright branches in the upper part that have no useful value. For weakened old branch groups, appropriately thin out slender branches to reduce nutrient consumption and improve the light and ventilation conditions of the canopy. Appropriately cut back overlapping branches, crossing branches and some aged fruiting branch groups. Cut back the terminal fruiting branch sections on fruiting branches, and branches close to the base should be retained as much as possible as branches. Remove the upper strong and vigorous shoot portions, then twist the branch at the base to control vigor and promote fruiting. For upright vigorous branches in the inner canopy that have value for renovation, select a basal branch and cut back or twist and bend the shoot at a weaker secondary shoot to moderate vigor and promote fruiting. For competing branches, pruning wounds can be made or the shoots can be twisted and pressed down to control growth and form fruiting branch groups. For peach trees with few inner-canopy branches, spread the main branch angles as much as possible to nearly horizontal to increase the number of inner-canopy branches; ringing can also be done to promote the sprouting of new shoots, and before leaf fall, pinch or twist the new shoots to promote their development into branch groups and increase fruiting positions.