Q: I bought an old farm and I found a peach tree. I have removed the vines on it. I did find peach pits all on the ground so I hope it will still produce. Do you have any advice on my next steps?

A: Time will tell whether your labor will be rewarded but I’m sure the exercise did you some good!

It surely needs fertilizer. Scatter 3 pints of 10-10-10 fertilizer under the tree in March and again in July.

I don’t think I’d prune it for at least a year.You want to see where the growth heads first.

I would not remove the long stub near the bottom. In a sense it is “protecting” the base of the tree from insect and disease invasion. If it’s removed the hole that’s left will never close up.

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