You will need to prune. This helps the tree with the stress and sometimes damage to the roots

Thanks Tim! Any pointers on how to prune? Like, should I prune the main trunck or just the branches? I guess I can sacrifice all the flowers this year?

Any guess on how many year tree this might be? (For a 6 ft tall babcock peach.)

Prune the branches for height only. If fruit forms, pick it off so the tree can use all the carbohydrates it produces to grow leaves. If you do a little more exploring on the Dave Wilson website, you will find more information. Planting fruit trees

Thanks lgteacher! I will read it.

You found Dave Wilson's own page with instructions, right?

http://www.davewilson.com/home-gardens/backyard-orchard-culture

Basically, first year "When selecting containerized trees for planting in late spring/early summer, select trees with well-placed low scaffold limbs. These are usually trees that were cut back when potted to force low growth. Cut back new growth by half now, and again in late summer." If they don't have "well-spaced side limbs or desired tree form" then you'd top as low as 15 inches above the ground to force very low scaffold limbs or, alternatively, trees may be topped higher than 15 inches (up to four feet) .

After the spring flush of growth cut the new growth back by half (late April/early May in central Calif.). In late summer (late August to mid-September) cut the subsequent growth back by half. Size control and development of low fruiting wood begin in the first year."

Since you're buying his trees, looks like they should have been cut back - you can also contact them directly through the website.

Hi Maggie, yes I am reading it now. But I doubt the tree I plan to buy is 1st year. It is 6 feet tall already and the main trunk is about 3/4" in diameter.

Then it really depends on how well spaced the branches are and how low on the trunk the scaffold branches are versus how low you want them (the Wilson site is about keeping backyard trees really small, if you want a larger tree, you can let the main scaffold branches be higher from the ground than their 15 inches). With a Peach you'll be striving for what's considered an open V shape - http://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/The_Big_Picture/Pruning_&_Training/ You'll see that they say cut it off at 24 to 30 inches, a bit higher than Wilson's instructions (although Wilson does say you can cut off up to 4 ft). But, if the potted tree has good side branches at the less than 30 inch height - then it has been topped once so if you're happy with the branching you don't have to do it again. (The PDF on that web page has more pictures of pruning to shape than just the website instructions).

They have pruning videos as well! Tom Spellman (from Dave Wilson Nurseries) has been a speaker at my gardening class and he knows his stuff!

The first thing you need to do is take the pot off the rootball and check to see if it is potbound. If it is, take it back.

I second Nil13's suggestion. This is somewhat common with most plants sold at big box stores such as HD and Lowes.

Thanks a lot everyone for your suggesions, recommendations and pointers! I am overwhelmed with reading/watching and still not quite digest the ideas.

I checked pot bound pictures, there are quite different in severity. I guess, if it not fully covered with roots that should be OK?

not necessarily. You don't want a tight circle of roots around the bottom. You'll have to cut all that off.

OK got it. Thanks!