Select three or four lateral branches with wide-angle crotches spaced evenly around the trunk. These will become permanent scaffold branches. The lowest limb should be about 15 inches from the ground at planting. Peach trees should always be pruned in mid- to late February, after most of the freezing weather is past, and before trees leaf out. Pruning too early in the season encourages bacterial canker and the early death of a tree.
Peaches are vigorous growers.
Prune to develop the open-center system, remove broken or diseased branches and remove vigorous shoots growing upward or crossing over inside the canopy of the tree. Contact your local county Extension office for a diagram on pruning peach trees. Broadcast 1 cup of calcium nitrate or equivalent per year of tree age to a maximum of 4 cups for mature trees. Don't apply until all fruit is harvested. Hand-thin peaches about 6 inches apart on the limb.