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.
Hi Karen,
I notice your Mericrest took six years to produce, so I am not so disappointed that my grafts I did I think 3 years ago have not set fruit and held yet. This year they blossomed and pollinated but after a week or so the fruitlets dropped off. So I am pondering if I should continue to wait another year or so? My Frost peach after 5 years still no fruits. So I am thinking to combine them onto one tree to see if cross pollination may help. Any advice appreciated regarding cross pollination
Dennis
Kent, wa
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Hi Dennis . . . just saw this. Sorry for the wait.
I have been disappointed in my peach/nectarine/plum grafts. Very disappointed. They take - but other than a very precocious Belle of GA graft . . . I have not gotten ANY fruit from ANY of the grafts. And they are spindly things.
However . . . I will say this . . . I put them all in crummy spots. I didn’t know to graft close to the trunk when I started grafting.
Now . . . this year I ordered some very decent sized apricot scions. And I grafted them each onto ‘their own branch’. They are doing great! I don’t know if - or when - I’ll get fruit . . . ?. . . but the grafts are growing much better and getting thicker. Nothing like my former attempts.
I think I will quit trying to add varieties to my peach and nectarine trees. The only fruit I’ve gotten are from cold-hardy varieties, so far. And I’ll bet I’ve added a dozen or so other varieties that people have sent to me. One variety/scion that did quite well (growth-wise) is a white peach, Blushing Star, that I grafted on as a scaffold branch. Still no fruit though. I’m quite sure that the difference is the ‘scaffold’ branch. It gets more ‘attention’ from the tree, not trying to develop ‘out on a limb’, fighting for nutrients, etc.
Oh well . . . live and learn.
I kind of got off track, in answering your question. But - I was trying to make the point that perhaps it is ‘where’ on the tree that you placed the grafts. ? I might go back and give another variety a shot - on its own scaffold . . . and see if that will make a difference. Maybe you’ll have better luck that way too.
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When you graft it might help to think about it this way. If you want lots of growth then give your graft big plumbing.
If you graft out on the end of a small limb the water pressure will be weak due to tiny plumbing.
If you graft onto a honking big limb the water pressure will be great and the graft will grow like crazy.
The other way to think is that the tree/roots will try to replace what was cut off with an equal amount of new growth. Cut off a lot to graft and tree will grow back a lot, only now a new variety.
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Hi Karen
I completely agree- location they say is what counts. I am learning tha5 in spades! Main branch or apical dominant locations is where they must be grafted!
I followed your initial advice to cut them back 1/3, even my laterals got cut back. Since there was no fruit involved I could cut them back creating many scions to improve my structure on both trees involved. Also added nectarines to the peach tree and vice versa so that should help pollination since these trees blossom before moss bees wake up! Next spring I will hand pollinate them rather than waiting on my bees. Today as I went thru my persimmon grafts, those on a main limb or high on the tree did very well. Those on lower or smaller branches failed! Thanks for your advices, and best of luck next year!
Dennis
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