Hello! I am rather new to fruit tree growing. Admittedly I am a lazy waterer living in what is essentially the desert of Southern California in Riverside county. This year I am determined to get a watering system up for when we have weeks of 100 degree weather in summer. I have lost several bare root trees due to lack of water over the last two years. I have one in particular, a Snow Queen Nectarine (planted last year) on Nemaguard rootstock that did not break dormancy and is an ugly stick, but an alive ugly stick. I did have what looks like borer bugs get into the trunk and cause some damage. I continue to water it, but no new growth in the past two months, it’s still only green on the inside and looks like a lifeless stick on the outside.

I was wondering what my options are for the tree? Can I cut the trunk way down to see if it can make a better comeback from the graft up? with the borer damage, should I just keep the rootstock happy and graft something else into it? The rootstock is maybe an inch thick, and I don’t know if it is possible to graft anything smaller in diameter to it. I’ve never attempted to graft anything though it’s been on my list of things to try. I have two peach trees on my property and a friend up the road who probably had one or two varieties I don’t yet have that I could ask for scion from.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!