I really need some help with my Nectarine Tree. I am worried I am killing the poor thing in my ignorance. I have determined that my failing to properly prune it is most likely to blame for the less and less fruiting branches, however I have no clue how to prune it. I know I have already made the mistake of removing one of the primary branches entirely thinking it was just dead. So here is the deal, I moved here 4 years ago with this existing tree. Each year I get less and less fruit, or even alive branches. I removed one primary branch that failed to bloom in retrospect I believe that was a mistake. I have 2 remaining primary branches with a few sub-primary branches left (please forgive my lack of proper terminology) One of the original branches is about 20 feet tall. What I need to know is how to properly prune this tree to get the fruit production I once had. I have done extensive research online and either I am failing, or I just don't understand it. Can some please help me in layman's terms? When should I prune What should I cut off and what is the recommended way of doing so? I am pretty certain I should cut back the long (primary?) branches, but am not sure of the proper way to do it. and I have absolutely no clue what to do with the smaller branches. I read somewhere that peaches/nectarines only fruit on new growth branches... so I don't understand if I am supposed to cut those off during the off season as well or not. I live near SLC, Utah a fairly dry climate and I love the fruit I get from this tree, I just would hate to see it die because of my negligence. I really hope I can get some proper help here. Thanks so much for your time and patience. Andrew
