My nectarines look like mini nectarines with good color.

I have 2 peach trees. One white variety is green, so I think they need more time. The other variety is nice color, but small. But all my fruit is small since my trees are very young ones I planted this year.

Both nect and peaches are hard on the tree. Do they soften on the tree? Should I pick them by color when they look good or by what guidelines?

No expertise, here. But I had peaches and nectarines on young trees this year, too, so I can share my experience. Basically, once they started looking about right, I would pick a single fruit and see how it tasted. Yours look really good to me, so I'd give them a try and see.

We did find that if we picked a bunch and let them sit overnight, they would be wonderfully sweet and juicy in the morning, while those left on the tree were still quite firm (but sweet). So perhaps picking them and letting them sit a day is the way to get the best flavor.

Good luck. Aren't they wonderful? We enjoyed the heck out of ours--we ate every last one.

Another factor to consider is what the birds are doing and if you can protect the fruit enough. I usually pick apricots before they are fully ripe, because even with protection in the form of cd's, the birds will eat them all. But figs don't work that way, so I wait till they are fully ripe, leaving the fruit at the top for the birds.