How to Prune a Dwarf Elberta Peach Tree

Dwarf Elberta peach trees can grow 15 feet tall, though you can keep them smaller with extensive pruning. There are many advantages to growing a dwarf peach tree, including the fact that it's easier to prune the tree and that the tree fruits sooner after planting. To have a nicely-shaped Elberta peach tree, you'll want to establish an open vase shape while the tree is young. When it's older you'll have to trim off bushy growth and thin out the canopy to allow air circulation. Dwarf Elberta peach trees can be grown in hardiness zones 5 to 8. The peaches are a dark yellow skin with reddish blush when they are ripe.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears
• Garden gloves (optional)

Instructions

1. Identify and remove dead or damaged wood. Dead wood will feel hollow and light to the touch, while damaged wood will show a cut or other cosmetic or structural damage. Clip this wood off at the base and disinfect your pruning equipment once you've removed all dead and damaged wood.

2. Snip off branches that rub up against other branches, since the friction will eventually cause one of them to break. It's better to get rid of them early that to damage the tree.

3. Remove suckers that grow below the graft site. You can identify the graft side by a small vertical scar that appears on the bark from grafting the dwarf Elberta stock to the root stock. Suckers will be gave pale green leaves and can grow quite fast if left unchecked.

4. Remove vertically-growing branches. Anything that forms an angle of 30 degrees or less with the main trunk should be cut off. Identify three to four branches growing at a 45- to 60-degree angle with the trunk that appear to be in strong shape. These will become scaffold branches, helping train your dwarf peach tree into an open vase shape.

5. Remove other upward growing branches that you have not chosen to be scaffold branches. Careful selection and training of scaffold branches whole the dwarf Elberta peach tree is young will result in a properly structured peach tree.

6. Thin out the interior canopy so that light can reach peaches as they grow. Peaches will not ripen without sufficient air circulation and light, so thinning the canopy is essential.

Tips & Warnings

• The best time of year to prune peach trees is in late winter, after any frost danger has passed but before the tree begins producing new growth.

• Dwarf Elberta peach trees are very disease resistant.

References

• Delange.org: Pruning Dwarf Peach Trees
• Tulsa Master Gardeners: Pruning Fruit Trees
• Fast Growing Trees: Dwarf Elberta Peach Trees