Summer Pruning in Low-Chill Peaches Grown in Florida

A finished example of summer-pruned peach tree ‘Tropicbeauty’ grown in Citra. Credits: D. Huff, UF/IFAS

Low-chill peach trees growing under Florida conditions can become vigorous and large. Summer pruning is a management strategy that can be applied to help restructure the canopy, direct the tree’s resources into fruit production, and improve the efficiency of fieldwork. Without summer pruning, peach orchards in subtropical regions will continue to grow vigorously and, if left unmanaged, will reach a point at which ladders will be required to harvest and maintain the trees. Summer pruning can be a means of reducing overall tree size, redistributing fruiting wood for easier harvesting, reducing disease pressure, and increasing fruit quality. This new 5-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department, written by Ali Sarkhosh, Dustin Huff, Trequan McGee, and Juanita Popenoe, provides an illustrated step-by-step guide to summer pruning of peach trees.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1377

Mechanical Pruning of Citrus Trees

Topping and hedging of large citrus trees
When citrus trees are not regularly pruned, less sunlight reaches the lower parts of the trees, which can reduce flowering and fruit development, quality, and color. Less sunlight also increases the risk of fungal infection. This 3-page fact sheets explains how growers can prune trees to maximize light exposure. Written by Mongi Zekri, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, August 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1267