Milford chronicle., 1940-04-26
MODIFIED LEADER SYSTEM
BEST FOR PEACH PRUNING

4 Peach trees. like those of apples
and pears, should be trained on the
order Of the modified leader. This
type of training is done by shorten
ing one-year old whips at time OF
planting to from 16 to 20 inches In
height. Then in the second spring,
or after one seasons growth, the
most upright branch, usually arising
from the uppermOst bud, is selected
ana treated as IL 1t were the main
stem. In explaining about the mOdi-
i fled leader system of training and
pruning peach trees. Professor l.. r.
Detien, Associate HOrticulturist at
the Delaware Agricultural Expert
ment Station, states that at the sec
ond pruning two or three of the long
Ell, lower lateral branches, spaced as
nearly equally as possible both up
and down and around the trunk, are
shortened considerably to give the
upper branch the lead in growth. All
other branches are cut away. At the
third and subsequent prunings, the
tIec is treated as a normal, single
stemmed individual and two other
additional scaffOld branches on the
modified leader are selected.
Fruit buds OF the peach on we'll
treated trees" explains Professor
Detjen. 'are borne in groups of from
one to three, two being the most COM
mon; that is, on the sides of the
branch. When trees are over vigor-
GUS, such as in extreme youth or in
heavily nitrated or manured orchards,
the lower lateral buds are transform /
ed during the same season into leafy
shoots instead of into the usual fruit
buds. For this reason, vigorous
peach trees, while of healthy con-
and in a state OF rapid ex
pension, are not in the most fruitful
state. When such extreme Vigor is
the trees soon attain
maximum height but cannot attain
he best state of fruitfulness. In Or
Ter to attain aud maintain the fruit
ul state, it is well to grow the young
rees moderately and. whenever
branches tend TO grow too long. TO
practice the "heading-in" system by
shortening the leaders of
'igOfOus branches. BY this system.
lie trees will he discouraged in their
OO-rapid growth and they become
aOre compact and more fruitful, and
his over a much longer period of
Ime."
when peach trees are non-fruit-
vi because Of poor culture aud lack
1 available food materials, as may
~ indicated by yellowish foliage and
oOr branch growth, then pruning
aust be much less severe and cor
ective measures must be sought in
he fertilizer application. the culture
the orchard. and the supply Of or
anic matter TO the soil. All of these
re extremely important
''The basal fruit buds OF peach
are not always the strong
st because of the rapidity OF growth
/ early leaves and shoots. and the
pper laterals also are not the
.rongest because of immatuFing of I
cod. Heading back. then, will get
q of superlluOus and possibly weak
lds and the remaining tree energy
i'll he conserved and utilized by the
elect strong buds from the mid-sec-
ON Of branches.
Professor Detjen cautions peach y
r0wers to avoid sharp-angled crOt- q
hes when pruning. lie says, too.
lat dead stubs and large branches
lat must he removed should be saw
Z close 10 the main trunk and II the
.sulting wounds are over ~ inches
diameter they should be covered
ith some protective coating to pre-
mt entrance OF rot fungi and GER
in insects.