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Nectarine Trees Not Producing Full Size Fruit

If your nectarines trees are producing small fruit, the reason may come as a surprise. Many factors -- including proper nutrition, irrigation and total crop production -- affect fruit size. While many growers believe that plant nutrition and water are the most significant factors in fruit size, the largest cause of undersized fruits is a lack of pruning and thinning. According to Kevin R. Day and Ted M. DeJong of the University of California, thinning trees too late can significantly decrease fruit size. In other words, trees that produce larger yields will produce smaller fruit. Knowing how to properly thin and prune your nectarine trees can help you grow larger fruits in time.

  1. Watering

    • Although not a major factor in fruit size, watering nectarine trees properly can improve the development of fruit and help young trees grow. To maximize fruit growth, nectarine trees should receive a minimum of 4 inches of water each month, whether from rainfall or irrigation. The recommended watering schedule is 1 to 2 inches every 10 days.

    Pruning

    • Pruning is crucial to producing the largest and highest quality fruit. When you plant your nectarine tree, cut it back to one 24- to 32-inch tall stem. Remove any lateral branches that are 18 inches or lower from the soil line. Cut upper lateral branches back so that they are 1 to 2 inches long so that buds can still grow and create new fruit. In spring, choose three strong equidistant shoots that are 18 to 32 inches from the soil to serve as the tree's major branches. Cut back or remove other shoots, making sure to remove the lower growing shoots. During winter, prune the main branches to 1/3 of their size. If you live in a warm location and your trees are bearing nectarines, wait until January or February to prune them. After three winters, you should be able to simply remove any weak branches. Keep the tree pruned so that it stays relatively low to the ground. Thin any fruiting lateral branches to reduce the amount of fruit produced.

    Thinning

    • Removing nectarines from the tree will help the remaining fruit grow larger. The only downside is that you will have less fruit to eat or sell, but on the other hand it is likely that more of the fruit you do produce will be large enough to be marketable. Thin fruit by removing nectarines so that one nectarine appears every 6 inches. Thinning as early as possible in the season is the best way to increase size. Some growers even thin trees as soon as they bloom.

    Girdling

    • Girdling is a final way to increase fruit size. Girdling is done early in the season by removing a strip of bark from the branch, limb or stem of a nectarine tree to keep sugars from flowing into the roots of the tree and reserve them for nourishing growing nectarines. This method should be reserved for those who have experience with it or left to a professional. Problems with girdling include accidental death of trees and fruits with split pits --- an issue which leads fruits to ripen too quickly.

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