To produce healthy fruit, peach and nectarine trees will require yearly pruning. The Vase Training Method produces a vase-shaped tree consisting of 3 or 4 scaffolds (main branches) of equal lengths and no central leader (vertical growing top central branch).

When To Prune Peach and NectarineTrees

Keeping things simple, prune trees in late winter, when the trees are still in dormancy, when sap is not moving. At this time it will be easier to detect branches and buds that have been damaged by cold weather. If a flower bud looks as though it has been winter-killed, cut it off. Also cut off winter-killed limbs that have wrinkled bark.

Pruning a New Peach or Nectarine Tree

The Vase Shaped Method

If you have purchased bare root trees follow the instruction below for intitial pruning at time of planting:

Small Bare Root Liners: Trees, particularly those purchased in bare root form usually have no side branches and should be headed/topped at 30 inches above ground at planting time. The scaffold branches (main branches) will develop within 4 to 6 inches below the cut.

Larger Bare Root Trees:
These are called "branched whips" and may come with a few side branches that are weak. At planting time, as indicated in image below, these side branches should be pruned back to 2 or 3 buds(leaf buds) remaining along the branch. Shoots often develop from these stubs and may be suitable for major scaffold limbs.

Container-Grown:
Many container grown trees that you purchase at your local nursery are 2-year old trees which already have strong branches with wide crotch angles. During the first dormant season (winter), these branches should be pruned back to 6 or 7 buds (leaf buds) and can be retained for scaffold branches. The height at which branched trees are headed depends on the size of the tree and positions of good side branches. Remember, you will only be keeping 3 or 4 main scaffold branches (main branches). As indicated in the image to right, prune any suckers back to the trunk during first dormant season (late winter).

Continue reading on next page for instruction on how to prune older peach and nectarine trees.