How to Grow Nectarines



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Days to germination: Usually planted by seedling
Days to harvest: 2 years
Light requirements: Full sun
Water requirements: Water regularly in dry weather
Soil: Well-drained and fertile soil
Container: Dwarf varieties are best for pots

Introduction

Nectarines are actually peaches that have a recessive gene that makes them grow without the fuzzy skin. They are not actually a different kind of fruit.

The trees can’t tolerate much by way of spring frost, but they can survive a fairly cold winter up to around zone 5. They are not as hardy as some other fruits, and will be more susceptible to disease and insects, so plan on a bit more care for these trees.

Just like with peaches, you can get clingstone and freestone varieties of nectarines. Freestone fruit has a pit that comes loose very easily, and is best for eating fresh. On the other hand, clingstone nectarines are firmer and the pit stays put. They are better suited for cooking or canning.

Nectarines have vitamins A and C, fiber and potassium though they are not as good of a source as apples or oranges.

Starting Your Tree

Though getting a nectarine pit to sprout may be a fun science project, it’s not a very practical way to start your tree. Most just buy a seedling or sapling instead. Fruit trees typically are grafted, so your nectarine tree may have the rootstock of a different tree for strength. It also means you will have fruit sooner.

When planting, you can assume your tree can get up to 20 feet tall, though if you are diligent with pruning, it may never reach that height. Even so, you should allow for the space when you  choose a sunny and well-drained location for your tree.

Plant your tree like any other fruit tree, with a deep hole large enough for the root ball. It should be deep enough that the top of the root bundle is underground, not above the soil. Water it well for the first season until it is well-rooted.

Tree Care

Nectarines need a good supply of water, and should be watered at least weekly when there hasn’t been much rain. Each spring, feed your trees with a low-nitrogen blend of fertilizer, preferably before the buds start to leaf out.

Pruning is an important part of your tree maintenance, though your trees will still produce a good crop of fruit even if you aren’t an expert at it. You should time your pruning chores to the early spring while the tree is still winter dormant.

The easiest step is to just cut off any dead branches, and also prune any suckers. A sucker (also called a water sprout), is a green branch that usually grows from the trunk but will grow straight upward. They won’t ever produce fruit, so cut them off when they start. Tall branches through the middle of the tree can be cut as well, to open it up and provide better light to the rest of the branches.

If your tree is really thriving, you may get a very good pollination one year which results in more fruit than your tree can handle. It won’t actually harm your tree, but your fall harvest will be disappointing since you will have a large number of extremely small nectarines. You probably won’t be able to judge this during the first few seasons of production, but if you are getting very small fruit, consider picking some each year when they start to develop. 

Containers

You have 2 options when getting a dwarf nectarine for container growing: either get a genetic or true dwarf tree Like Nectarina or a standard nectarine that has been grafted onto a dwarf rootstock. The dwarf tree will give you smaller nectarines as well. Either way, these trees will get to about 6 feet tall and can be kept in large planters or half-barrel size pots.

Regular pruning is also very helpful to keep the tree from outgrowing the pot. Give your trees regular water so the soil never completely dries out and fertilize each spring as you with a garden-planted tree.

Pests and Diseases

One issue with nectarines that can be hard to control is the temperature. The trees can survive winter just fine, but a hard frost after the flowers have come out will kill the blossoms. No more will be produced, and you will have no harvest at all for that year. Once your tree has flowered, watch the weather forecasts closely. If a frost is coming, a covering can make a big difference providing your tree isn’t too large. Even if you only save a few blossoms, that will mean some fruit come fall.

The peach twig borer is a problem with nectarines as well. The moth larvae or caterpillars attack the new leaves right when they first come open in the spring. They live on the tree through the winter and hatch when the weather warms up. Look for cocoons (pick them off) and spray your tree with “dormant oil” if you have a problem with these insects. The oil will smother the cocoons before they have a chance to hatch.

Harvest and Storage

Your tree will start to give you fruit when it’s about 2 to 3 years old, though it will take a few years to build up to a more complete harvest. Most trees will give 30 to 40 lbs of nectarines once mature, and they keep producing for up to 20 years.

Nectarines are ripe to pick when they come off the branches with just a gentle twist. If you have to tug or pull, then you shouldn’t be picking yet. They will also lose all their green color. Handle them gentle as they can bruise very easily.

Your fruit won’t store for very long unfortunately. Keep freshly picked nectarines in the fridge for about 2 weeks. They can be frozen, but it will require a bit more work than most other fruits. You’ll have to slice them to remove the pits, and then blanche to remove the peels. The fruit is usually frozen in syrup to maintain the texture and to keep it from turning dark. Books on food preservation should give you a complete recipe for doing this.

27 Responses to “How to Grow Nectarines”

  1. Liz Gover  Says:

    I just purchased a nectarine tree from my local Lowes. The name is Sweet Pearl. It already has small, green fruit on it, maybe 1/2 an inch long But the fruit is fuzzy. It looks more like what a peach would look like, but I was assured by the Lowe’s nursery employee that in this variety it was like that when it was starting out. It still goes against my instincts. Do you have any information about this type of necarine?

    Thanks,
    Liz Gover

  2. dan  Says:

    Liz,
    Babe, remember these people at Lowe’s are not pros, just regular people doing a job. Just had to cut down a tree bought there as it was not what they said it was. Going to the nursery for tree’s from now on, and getting my nectarine tree’s from a reliable source, the one you bought, probably a peach.

  3. Dee Dee  Says:

    I purchased a nectarine tree last season and it has tripled in size (2′ to 8′)and is growing very well. I am in zone 5 in Nevada and the tree gets lots of full sun during spring and summer. It grew these beautiful pink and white flowers, before the leaves had started to develop. Is this normal to these fruit trees?, and since there was a light snow after it flowered, will I miss out on fruit this year?.

  4. Dave Pearch  Says:

    We planted a 4’nectarine tree two years ago(purchased from Costco) and it is growing well, now approx. 8′ high and 7′ wide. Last year it was all branches and no blooms. I pruned it to an “open vase” configuration and we had lots of spring blossoms, but no fruit has developed. What can we do to induce fruit? Our weather is hot and dry (Phoenix AZ). Thanks, Dave

  5. Sherri  Says:

    I have a nectarine tree that produces moe than enough fruit for my family. the nectarines are a nice size but the skin is very tough which makes them unapealing to eat without cutting the skin off and slicing them. I live in a hot dry climate in British Columbia. Is there a solution for the tough skin?

  6. Ted  Says:

    Tree produces lots of fruit – however the fruit rots and falls off before it matures. I use fruit tree spray for bugs and that seems to work.

  7. Diarmuid McGettigan  Says:

    While emptying my Garden Composter in spring 2012
    I found a peach / necturine pit(don’t know which)
    that was partly opened and had started to sprout.
    I put it in a small 4″ pot….It grew about 6″ during the summer, but alas, lost all it’s leaves as winter approached….I realy thought it had died, and tucked it away in the corner of the garden with the intention of chucking it into the compost,which I forgot to do…Early this spring, 2013, much to my surprise, I found this little guy strouting new leaves…”The Joy of Nature”..

  8. Diane  Says:

    My dwarf nectarine tree is approximately 3 years old and finally put out lots of fruit but the fruit is falling off and still yellow..I tasted it and it’s sweet but white inside. It’s fuzzy on outside and culd pass for peach. How come my tree is takin so long to turn color?? I live in
    San Diego, cA

  9. Bob Montelone  Says:

    My nectarine tree was doing well and sprouted leaves but I started to see that the leaves were disappearing. Next day I found a large grasshopper on the tree and realized the grasshopper ate the leaves. All the leaves are gone. Will my tree die?

  10. diane  Says:

    I have seeds but cannot find out what to do with them. Do you know?

  11. luise  Says:

    My dwarf white nectarine tree is 2 years old and produced around ten nectarines this year. Unfortunately the fruit isn’t sweet at all and quite unpleasant to eat. What could I do have sweeter nectarines next year?

  12. Joanie, from Central Florida  Says:

    I bought a Nectarine tree from a grower. It looked good through the summer, but now has lost all its leaves. However, there are buds up and down all the branches. Is this a deciduous tree? Any suggestions are appreciated.

  13. Tiff Moore  Says:

    Hi, i just got a nectarine tree from Lowes. I planted as instructed and water it daily since its super hot out right now. Its only been planted 4 days or so and I just noticed that quite a few of the leaves are turning yellow and falling off. Is this normal after planting it or is there something I need to do to help the tree thrive? Thanks!

  14. Kim Sullivan  Says:

    I planted my Red Gold Nectarine since March 2013. Early this spring the tree looked very healthy with a lot of new leaves and premature fruit, but suddenly last week all the tree leaves began turning yellow and wilting. Please advise!!

    Thank you so much. I’m waiting to hear from you.

  15. Emeline Brady  Says:

    My dwarf white nectarine tree is 2 years old and produced lots of nectarines this year. Unfortunately the fruit isn’t sweet at all and quite unpleasant to eat. What could I do have sweeter nectarines next year?

    Kind regards,

    Emeline Brady

  16. Randy  Says:

    I planted a Nectarine pit 7 years ago in my Las Vegas Nevada back Yard, my nectarine tree is now over 10 feet tall, I cut it back, it is very lush, it produces a lot of fruit however the fruit looks like it has what I found online called scab. I sprayed it down with a special spray I was told to use from Star Nursery 2 season’s ago, did not help. This year looks like some of the fruit will form correctly & the tree is a lush green.

  17. steve stewart  Says:

    what type of soil do nectarines prefer? I have heavy clay and tends to be acidic.

  18. tom contrafatto  Says:

    i planted a drwft nec tree about two years ago. I had nice pink flowers. No fruit do I need another tree to get fruit?

    Tom C

  19. Cathy Jarolin  Says:

    We Planted a little Nectarine tree about 7 Years ago. It has grown beautifully but we only had a couple of small nectarines on it Last year and nothing at all this year. We life in Central Illinois. Thankyou for any help!

  20. Terry Kershaw  Says:

    Reply to TomContrafatto …
    Tom when the pink flowers appear we use a child’s paint brush or feather to polinate each flower on our dwarf tree and we get plenty of fruit. We live in England where the weather isn’t always great but the fruit still comes. All the best.

  21. Maurice Ellis  Says:

    Hi I want to purchase a Nectarine plant, We live in Southeast Queensland. Just wondering if there is better verity for our climate. Maurice

  22. N. Mafrtino  Says:

    My 3 year nectarine tree has survived peach curl which I treated with copper sulfate. With our spring fall this year it has lots of fruit. Should I cover the tree with netting? I have possums, squirrels, raccoons and many birds from the feeders. Also do you have any advice for my fig tree? The birds feast on it while the fruit is green and I don’t really get to pick many. They are delicious! Thank you.

  23. Larry  Says:

    I planted a nectarine seed 4 years ago, and now it has fruit about the size of a golf ball and just about has hard. Is this tree a dud and should I dig it up? What are the risks of planting a nectarine seed and getting a bad tree? Does this tree need to mature another year to produce good fruit? Any help is appreciated.

  24. Administrator  Says:

    Almost all modern fruit trees are hybrids that can only be reproduced by grafted cuttings, not seeds. When you plant a seed you’re essentially planting a wild nectarine, and there is a chance, it’ll be amazing and delicious (for instance the yellow delicious apple was a wild apple that was discovered back in the 1800s). However, that chance is tiny. More likely you get a dud.

    That being said, fruit does tend to get better on most fruit trees in the second and third crops, so if you’re attached to it you could give it another shot.

  25. Spike  Says:

    I have a very healthy looking nectarine tree that is 12 years old, but has never provided me with more than 12 fruit per year. I know how to prune. It flowers well sets fruit OK then when the fruit is about cherry size they drop off one by one. Getting plenty of water and fertiliser. Maybe too much fertiliser? and water? as it looks very healthy with good looking foliage. What could be the problem?

  26. Jeff Barwick  Says:

    My nectarine tree is 50 years old, it had maybe a handful of fruit this year, does it need to be replaced?

  27. vivian gerard  Says:

    i bought a dwaft nectarine tree from a nursery it is now 2years since i got it there is not even a flower on it yet do you think it will flower this year

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