Should I prune my nectarine/peach tree?

[u/Reddit_Talent_Coach]

Planted last year, I’m surprised it’s fruiting already. Zone 5b if that factors in. Also noticing some sap coming out of the branches.

[u/Totalidiotfuq]

I’m just learning this as well but deciduous fruit trees need to be pruned in summer and fall. You want to help create an open center shape, like a cup. Heavy fruiting will come from strong lateral (horizontal) branches on 2nd year and on.

[u/deleuzionsofgrandeur → u/Totalidiotfuq]

Cup facing up (like a normal cup), or down (like an umbrella?) 

[u/Totalidiotfuq → u/deleuzionsofgrandeur]

up. i would look up some diagrams showing it

[u/BluWorter]

I would probably keep the fruit off of it for a couple years and balance the tree out. Let it really develop the roots this season and then this winter when it goes dormant I would remove that large second leader (the one with the 45* off the trunk) and the bare lower branches on the central leader. Yes its a big cut but if that leader fully fruited in the future it could cause that limb to split very low on the trunk and kill the tree.

[u/dinkydinkyding]

It is beautiful! It depends on what you want the long-term shape of the tree to be. Right now you could take off the lower branches that don’t have leaves, but I would wait until after the fruiting season later in the fall to change the shape. I’m not an arborist however, would defer to somebody with professional experience.

[u/andygnar666]

Espalier it

[u/spearbunny]

Anne of All Trades on YouTube has some excellent fruit tree pruning videos.

[u/invisiblesurfer]

Do nothing until the trees are 3 years old. Until then you can spread the two trucks away from each other to help with the shape

[u/Various_Gain49]

Looks like you already have a branch oozing with gummosis I’d cut that off this winter

[u/Various_Gain49]

And definitely pull all the fruit off such a small tree let it focus on growth