UF Sun Peach Blooms in February

The UF Sun Peach just blossomed for the first time this spring. Last year, it blossomed in January and I pruned it as soon as I saw the flowers....this was the wrong thing to do according to a great IFAS article. The proper time to prune this tree is before it blooms. The problem is that pruning reduces cold hardiness. We have been having 40 degree nights this whole month.

I noticed that the blooms appear to be swelling on both the older, hard, brown growth as well as the newer green growth. According to this article, "fruiting wood should be thinned annually to reduce crowding and stimulate the production of new wood which bears next year's crop." So, I'm confused beacuse it appears that both old and new wood is going to produce fruit. To be continued...

Below is an example of poor pruning. I should have snipped off this branch completely instead of leaving a few inches. Now, I have all these new shoots growing from a stub.

The tree looks pretty pathetic now, but it will be pretty once it's in full bloom.