Hi Dennis. I have Mericrest and Harko.
Those 2 limbs just look very very leggy. I would cut them back this winter.
I don’t know why they didn’t leaf out - along the length. ? All your branches, even the shorter ones,
seem to be leafing out at the tips - and that is odd, too. Maybe someone else will have a quick ‘reason’ for this. My trees don’t do that. I’ll be curious to see what others have to say.
Low-vigor shoots can do that, I was out thinning my peaches now and a couple on their last legs had a lot of that. Think of it as the shoot growing longer than the tree wants to support leaves on. I’d be a bit worried there is something wrong with the tree here. Personally I would also prune that way back if it was my tree, and give it a chance to fix this.
Dennis,
I agree with Scott. (why wouldn’t I? - he knows better, I’m sure!) But I wanted to mention . . . these trees grow soooooo fast. If you cut it way back it will recover so quickly and be much better for it. You wouldn’t want fruit hanging all the way ‘out there’ and bending branches, anyway.
I’d treat it almost like a new whip. Except this tree has several ‘whips’ . . . and cut it off where you want new branches to emerge and grow ‘out’ at a good angle.
I marked up your photo . . . where I would hack it off if it were mine. Maybe someone with more experience could chime in. ?
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I have a tree like that. Not a nectarine but I think you would probably prune it the same. One person suggested notching, but I’m thinking cut it back more than I already have.
What do you think?
Hi Regina. Hard to tell from the photo, exactly what’s going on with branch direction . . . but I think if it were my tree I would limit the number of branches heading for the sky - and head them way back to encourage new branching from them. Maybe like this. ???
Again . . . others with more experience may have better advice. I just like trying to solve the puzzles that trees present! And this is what I’d do.
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Sounds like a plan. Wondering if I can go ahead and cut it now to get some benefit from summer growing.
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It will set you back some . . . but in the end I think you’ll be in much better shape.