Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
What Causes Nectarines to Split?
What Causes Nectarines to Split?. Splitting is a common problem in nectarines, with some varieties more prone to splitting than others. Nectarine skin is thin and fragile. It splits easily because of poor growing conditions or improper handling. Choose nectarine varieties suited to growing conditions in your area and handle nectarines gently during...
Splitting is a common problem in nectarines, with some varieties more prone to splitting than others. Nectarine skin is thin and fragile. It splits easily because of poor growing conditions or improper handling. Choose nectarine varieties suited to growing conditions in your area and handle nectarines gently during harvest to prevent splitting.
Tree Nutrition
Tree nutrition affects nectarine splitting in several ways. Calcium, magnesium and boron deficiencies cause weak cell formation in the flesh of the fruit and cracking of the fruit follows, notes the University of California Cooperative Extension.
Alternately, an excess of nitrogen fertilizer, especially after fruit set, causes the tree vegetation to grow rapidly at the wrong time. The tree concentrates on green growth while not directing enough nutrition to the fruit.
Irregular Water
Nectarines need regular irrigation once the fruit appears. Regular watering allows the fruit to grow at a steady pace. Fruit that is too wet because of rain, fog or dew tends to absorb moisture through the skin. The skin splits to accommodate the rapidly expanding fruit. Mulching under the tree helps retain water and reduces water loss during dry weather.
Heat
Hot weather can induce rapid growth, especially following a period of cool temperatures. Periods of drought encourage the fruit to grow too rapidly when water becomes available. The nectarine skin cannot expand rapidly enough to accommodate the growing flesh and the nectarine skin splits.
Pit Splitting
When the fruit grows rapidly before the pit hardens, the force of the swelling fruit can split the soft pit. This results in the pit opening at the stem end and splitting the fruit. This problem is more common in early varieties and in trees with only a few large fruit. It can be caused by nutritional deficiencies, notes Virginia Tech horticulturalist Richard P. Marini.
