Can I pick nectarines not quite ripe? Some are rotting on the tree.

Hi Lorraine, yes you can pick them, but be aware that you probably have brown rot, which is a fungal problem. Only pick unaffected fruit as the spores of the rot, can easily spread. Wipe the fruit clean straight after harvesting and store in a dry place to fully ripen.

Brown rot overwinters in the bark of the tree. Wet weather at the time of flowering helps spread the fungus. It is too late now to do anything, other than picking off infected fruit. Dispose of in the rubbish, rake up leaves and burn or throw in the rubbish to stop the disease spreading and overwintering in the soil. Spray with a suitable fungicide in late winter early spring before and during bud burst. Make sure the tree is pruned with an open canopy to improve air circulation and reduce conditions fungi love to multiply in.