Some growers reduce the number of peaches by pruning off a large number of shoots either before or at blossom time. With healthy trees, irrigation, and varieties that size well, as many as 700 peaches can be matured. The largest and best colored peaches are produced on vigorous new wood. The best and most peaches should be left on the outside and top of the trees. Inside and lower branches have inferior fruit.
Many large orchards use mechanical aids to thin peaches.
Poles, bats, and sticks with rubber tips are used to both knock off individual peaches or by tapping branches to simply loosen or knock off fruit. A thinner can do three to five times as many trees this way. Some growers will use these aids first and then follow up with hand thinning. In order to develop the highest quality table grapes, proper thinning is required. Research conducted elsewhere has shown that thinning increases sugar content and color.