Subject: Re: Peach tree abuse and repair

From: [email-masked] (Scott Arighi)
Date: Thu, 09 May 1996 00:17:35 GMT

Sylvia Arabian <[email-masked]> wrote:

>My landlord cut our peach trees down to nothing (two are just sticks in 
>the ground and the other one she leveled at the ground).  Fortunately - 
>she did not win.  They are coming back this year.  Problem is they are 
>very bushy.  The one cut at the ground has about 30 shoots coming up 
>and the two sticks are putting out all up and down the limb.  How 
>should I trim these and when?  Is it hopeless?
>Sylvia
>[email-masked]

Sylvia,
Agree with Peter Worsley that the shoots coming from the ground are
quite possibly a rootstock variety.  Try to determine from the leaves
whether the rootstock is a peach or a plum.  Both are commonly used
for peaches.  If the rootstock is a peach it may, in fact, be
perfectly edible but not necessarily choice.  One common rootstock
used for peaches is the Halford  peach a  - clingstone canning
variety.  If *you* want to have the choice of peach variety you will
probably have to bud or graft the one which was cut to the ground .
The choice of budding or grafting will probably depend on where you
live. 
Best,
--
Scott Arighi

Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.