Will my peach tree be ok with 4 trunks?

Question

Hi there! We just moved into a house that had an existing peach tree in the yard. It was not pruned properly before we moved in and it now has 4 main trunks. I’ve read that peach trees need 1 main trunk to thrive. My main goal for this peach tree is to have a beautiful, large, healthy tree. I’m not too concerned with actually getting eatable peaches from it. Since it’s already about 9 feet tall at the tallest branch, it’s pretty well-established. Will it be ok to leave all 4 main trunks as is and just let it be? Or do we need to reduce the trunks to one main trunk this winter? Will removing three of the trunks in the winter hurt the tree? Will it be able to recover? I just hate thinking that it might hurt the tree to do that. But I also don’t know if the tree will be ok with 4 trunks. Pics attached. Thank you in advance!!

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Answer 1

Since these appear to be fused at the base, it would be difficult to remove three. Plus it will leave stumps. I would consult the local university extension service for advice. They may suggest removing it.

Here is some food for thought:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/peach/peach-tree-pruning.htm

https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/hortupdate_archives/2002/mar02/art8mar.html

https://ucanr.edu/sites/Tuolumne_County_Master_Gardeners/files/160549.pdf

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/extension-search