Question: How do I prune my peaches and plums?

Answer: Your goal in pruning peaches and plums in January each year is to keep the trees low and horizontal. That will yield stronger branching and it will allow the sun to reach the ripening fruit. It also will allow you to harvest the fruit from the ground. Remove all vertical shoots, trimming away 40 to 50 percent of the branches. Envision a bowl-shaped tree that stands 8 to 10 feet tall and 15 to 16 feet wide.