How to Manage Pests

Thinning peaches and nectarines

Peaches and nectarines always set too much fruit. They will need to be thinned by hand or the fruit will be small and of poor quality. You will also avoid limb breakage by proper fruit thinning. The time to thin varies with each variety. After the fruit sets on the tree, it will enlarge to about 1 inch in diameter and then go into a resting stage not increasing much in size. The resting period may last a week or a month depending upon the variety. It is during this resting period that you should thin the fruit allowing 6 to 8 inches between each one. If it is a very heavy fruit set, thin the fruit to 10 inches apart on the branch. Focus on damaged fruit first. Then remove fruit at the end of branches, that may be weakened by heavy fruit.