"Richard Sherratt" wrote in
message ...
We pruned our ~50 year old (guesstimate) tree the winter before last.
The thing had been neglected and badly treated for about 10 years
before we bought the house, so it was a last-ditch attempt at rescue
before deciding to get rid of it. This year we got a bumper crop of
nectarines, so many that one of the new-growth branches has broken
with a green stick type break. The nectarines are sort of thinking
about ripening. The ones exposed to the sun are red on top but green
underneath. Someone suggested cutting the branch off and putting it
somewhere where the birds can't get to it.

Cutting it off will guarantee the branch will die, whereas if you keep it
attached, and wrap it with something that can breath like old stockings or
similar. Add something for a splint too. It may just be enough to let them
ripen, then cut of the branch after.

Someone else suggested
bagging some of the branches if not the whole tree. Is it worth trying
to save the broken branch load of nectarines? What sort of bag? Where
do you get them? This is Camberwell, Melbourne.

Can't help you on that one sorry :-)

--
Regards.
Richard.