Sucker Removal Post Care

Question

We live in Austin, TX, in an area where rain is hard to come by and the soil isn’t really great. We have a roughly 8-year-old peach tree that was grafted into an almond root stock and planted in a place where a larger tree shades it. Over this past winter the tree developed a rather large sucker that we didn’t notice until the rest of the tree didn’t leaf out with the changing of the seasons. Now the sucker is in full leaf, as well as the shading tree, but the peach tree remains bare. I know the sucker needs to be removed, but I am concerned that the rest of the tree will die without enough sunlight, water, or nutrients. What can I do to ensure the health of the peach tree when I remove the sucker? Do I need to defoliate the shading tree some? Do I need to especially fertilize the tree? How often should I water it?

Answer 1

The health of the tree should improve after removing the sucker. However, the peach tree should have been located in an area receiving plenty of sunlight, rather than shade. You could try transplanting the tree if it’s not too large, or remove some of the lower limbs from the shade tree to allow sun to come through.