How to Grow Nectarines

Nectarines are the same species as the peach but have a recessive gene that is responsible for their smooth skin. Their flavour and aroma especially fresh from the tree is absolutely blissful. If you have a greenhouse or a super warm, protected spot with an overhang, this fruit is worth growing.

History

Nectarines came hot on the heels of peaches and were also around 4000 years ago, originating in China.

Grafting

Most nectarine trees are grafted or budded although you can grow a nectarine quite easily from seed.

Planting

Nectarines love heat and are not fans of our wet springs, especially when they are opening their blossoms and unfurling their leaves. If you can provide them a sunny (the more the better but at least 6 hours), south facing spot under an overhang they will grow quite happily. Nectarines also suffer from peach leaf curl which is a fungal disease when they are grown in the open. They are most susceptible in the spring as they flower and begin to leaf out. If you cannot grow under an overhang, try to place a clear ‘tent’ , or umbrella like structure over your peach until it has fully leafed out. These structures can be removed generally by Early May with great results. The best way to get rid of Peach Leaf Curl is actually prevention!! If you do have some leaves affected by it that are outside of your roof or overhang pick them off and dispose of them so that the fungal spores are not splashed onto the unaffected branches.

A well draining fertile, gravelly soil will keep your Nectarine happy and productive. Like Peaches, they will need more nitrogen than many other tree fruits and benefit greatly from a fruit tree or all purpose fertilizer containing nitrogen each spring.

You can underplant with a groundcover that is a heat lover like a succulent.

Container Planting

There are some new semi dwarf nectarine varieties that produce large crops of full sized fruit on a tree that will grow to 4 feet in height tops! These work wonderfully in large pots the size of a ½ oak barrel. Make sure you top dress with compost each year (but keep from touching the base of the trunk) and fertilize especially if they are in a container. The absolutely fantastic thing about growing peaches in a container (especially if you have it on wheels) is that you can move it under an overhang during the wet spring and then move it out into the heat after the rains!!

Pollination

Most nectarines are self fruitful and have male and female parts in each flower. They are both wind and insect pollinated. For peaches, nutrients, age and light can affect their flowering. If you have a container planted nectarine on a deck on a high rise, there may not be many pollinators flying around but you may have adequate wind, if not you may want to take a small duster or paintbrush and go from blossom to blossom to do the work yourself!

Pruning

Pruning nectarines in the ground or in containers usually consists of thinning and removing any dead, diseased or crossing branches and encouraging 45 degree-horizontal branching. Most pruning is done in the dormant season before the buds begin to swell. Nectarines are great subjects of horizontal or fan espalier shapes as they can easily be grown against a shed or wall and kept neatly under the overhang.