| I have a lot of problems with leaf curl and black spot on my nectarine and peach trees. The fruit is now not ripening, but instead is dropping off the branches onto the ground. What things should I check for that might cause this? Some background: My trees have been planted for 4 years and still have yet to keep the fruit on the branches until it was ripe. This year I have religiously used fungicide and then insect spray for fruit trees weekly. |
| You didn't mention how many of each tree you have in your landscape. Although some peach and nectarine varieties are self-fertile, you'll have a heavier crop if you plant a second variety of each in your yard. The dropping fruit could indicate that the flowers were not pollinated and although the fruit began to form, it was aborted due to lack of pollination. Fruit trees typically go through a natural thinning process and will drop some immature fruits half-way through production. This is generally more of a problem with young trees because the root system is trying to keep up with supporting growth and sustaining the canopy, sometimes at the expense of fruit. Next spring, just as fruit is beginning to form, reduce the number of fruits by half. The tree should be able to develop the remaining fruits. Best wishes with your landscape! |
