Question
We planted a patio peach tree last year and it's doing great but there is a green shoot that came out of the base of the tee and grew straight up the through the middle of the tree, it has the same leaves as the tree but they are green and not purple.  This is obviously part of the tree but should I leave it alone or should I cut it off?

Thank You So Much!!

Answer
The dwarf, or patio peach tree, was developed by a method called grafting. A small rooted piece of one variety of tree was fuse with another tree, in order to create the small size, and retain the quality of fruit.
The green shoot that you are seeing is part of the base tree. It should be removed. When ever you see these shoots developing, and they will come back, remove them immediately. Because they are drawing energy from the roots, and they will never be as productive as the grafted tree, they will only harm your tree. Plus they will become very unattractive over time.
Be very careful when you cut it not to harm the bark at the base of the tree, but try to get as close to the base of the shoot as possible.

bakerplanter