Nectarines (Prunus persica var. nucipersica) are a fuzzless sub-species of peaches. Like peaches, they are self-fruitful, meaning that you can plant them alone and they do not require another tree for pollen. You should plant nursery saplings 8 to 12 feet apart and with proper care you may harvest some nectarines the second year. They may be grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9.
Nectarine trees grow up to 25 feet high, depending on the variety. They like well-drained soil with a pH of 6 to 6.5. You can buy inexpensive soil testing kits in most garden supply centers. Nursery saplings are best planted in early spring in a hole that is 2 feet deep and twice the diameter of the root ball. The graft union -- the place where the nectarine cultivar is grafted onto the rootstock -- should be close to the ground or slightly below. Nectarines need from 1/2 to 1 pound of 10-10-10 or other complete fertilizer for each one year of growth. The fertilizer is applied on the surface of the soil below the drip line of the tree -- the outer part of its canopy -- and topped off at 10 pounds per tree each year. The fertilizer numbers measure the ratio by weight of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. A complete fertilizer contains at least some of all three nutrients.
Nectarines are ordinarily pruned to grow two to four scaffold branches from 18 to 30 inches above the ground and at a 40- to 90-degree angle from a single trunk. Nectarines grow only on one-year-old twigs, so the trees should be pruned heavily when they are dormant to grow more nectarine-bearing twigs. To encourage large nectarines, dime-sized nectarines are thinned to 6 to 8 inches apart.
Nectarine cultivars are typically drafted onto rootstocks chosen for their performance in different kinds of climates. If you live in a coastal area that gets lots of winter rain, University of California-Davis horticulturalists recommend the Lovell peach rootstock that grows into a full-sized tree. If you live in an interior valley or other area with dry, sandy soil, the Nemaguard peach rootstock resists soil nematodes that feed on roots. Citation is a dwarf rootstock that tolerates wet winters.
Mild Winter Cultivars
Nectarines develop buds in the summer and go dormant in the winter. Since a sudden winter warm spell can cause the buds to open prematurely, exposing them to a killing freeze, nectarine trees do not break dormancy until they receive a minimum number hours of moderately low temperatures. You can count the total hours below 45 degrees Fahrenheit or those hours between 32 and 45 degrees where you live. Most nectarines require 600 to 900 chilling hours. If you live in USDA zone 9, you may want to plant a low chill cultivar. Desert Delight, Desert Dawn, Gulf Pride and Panamint all require 100 or less chilling hours. Armking requires 150 to 250 hours. Double Delight, Gold Mine and Snow Queen require from 150 to 300 hours. Arctic Star and Southern Bell need 250 to 300 hours. Red Sun needs 250 to 400 hours and Arctic Glow requires 300 to 400 hours. Winter chilling varies greatly according to topography. Many county extension agents maintain chilling charts of their areas.
- University of Illinois Extension: Nectarine
- University of California-Davis, California Backyard Orchard: Nectarine
- University of California Extension: Peaches and Nectarines - Calendar of Operations for Home Gardeners
- California Rare Fruit Growers: Low Chill Nectarines
- University of California-Davis: Growing Temperate Tree Fruit and Nut Crops in the Home Garden and Landscape
- Texas A&M University: Chilling Accumulation - Its Importance and Estimation
- Nature Hills Nursery: Nectarine Trees
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