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Nectarine Tree growing as a bush?

 
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Location: Oregon Zone 8b
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I have a nectarine tree that someone grew from seed, apparently a reliable variety. It got eaten by deer a few times, resulting in growing in a bushy form, currently 4 feet tall. Does anyone have any experience growing fruit trees as a bush (with many main branches coming out of the main trunk about 1 foot up), or should I just cut away all but one of the main trunks?
nectarine-tree.jpg
nectarine tree
nectarine tree
nectarine-tree.jpg
nectarine tree
nectarine tree
 
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Hi Esther!
If you want it to end up a normal shaped tree, I'd go for pruning off the all but the center stalk. Personally, I'd think a low growing one is easier to harvest off of, for you and the deer (take that into consideration! It's easier to fence the deer out if the tree is short though.)
If it were me, I'd let it stay as is, maybe shape it a bit as it grows.

:D
 
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I haven't grown a nectarine in a bush form, but I've grown its cousin the peach tree from seed and it is growing in a bushy form.

This tree came up by itself, probably planted by a squirrel.

It has never been pruned, and has a naturally healthy form.

It grew over 6 feet in its first year of growing, and it has started developing lots of new young side branches.

Hopefully we'll get some tasty peaches next year, less than 3 years after the tree was planted!

It's looks a lot more healthy right now that my older peach trees that were pruned.

Here's a video I made of the tree.

 
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let it grow. prune it in the early spring when it flowers, that's what you do with peach, plum, pear and apple trees
 
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