how and when to prune a nectorine tree?

Question

i only got 3 fruit this year.

Answer 1

Nectarines are pruned in the early spring, before the flowers and leaves emerge. They bear on last year's wood, so willy-nilly cutting all the tips off will remove the flowering wood. Look at the branches right now. Notice how the new growth stems are a different color? Remember this difference next year.

Nectarines and peaches need an open vase type pruning where the center is eliminated and growth is more like a bowl.

To get started, remove all dead, damaged and diseased stems back to their starting point.......where did they begin growth. You may need some help understanding this. Also remove all crossing or rubbing branches. Finally if you tree is quite wide, you have to intiate a 3-4 year program to bring the tree back closer to the stem. If the branches are too long and become fruit laden, they crack.

Also check around the base of your tree for any signs of borer activity......such as blobs of goo. Borers love the stone fruits such as peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums and apricots. If you have borers, you've got a problem.

Contact your County Extension Service for a booklet on fruit tree pruning and care. They will charge you a small fee for this, but the info is concise. You might also want to ask further questions, many Extension offices have a Master Gardener program of trained volunteers who can answer your questions.

Nectarines are self fruitful so it shouldn't be a pollination problem unless the bees are gone from your area, or you had a late freeze that killed the blossoms or young fruit. This is very common.