Maintain suitable branch spacing to allow penetration of light and spray materials, and Maintain desired shape, height and breadth of the tree. How a fruit tree is pruned should be based on the growth and fruiting habit of the tree. Peaches are borne laterally on shoots that developed the previous year. Plums are borne laterally on current-season shoots and older spurs. The fruiting spurs of sweet cherry may remain productive for 10 to 12 years.
Commercial growers begin the pruning of their orchards in early winter.
This allows them adequate time to prune their acreage before spring bud break. Home orchardists, however, because of limited tree numbers, can wait until the arrival of milder weather before pruning. Pruning may be done through the blossoming period but mid March into April is preferred. Cytospora canker is caused by the fungus Cytospora leucostoma . This a severe disease of peach and other stone fruit trees in Colorado.