Nectarine Plant Care Guide: Easily Grow This Peach Tree at Home

Nectarine is a non-fuzzy peach variety of the Rosaceae family that has a very rich and distinctive flavor and taste. This tree produces red peaches that are high in nutrition and commonly preferred in desserts, jams and jellies.

In this complete guide, we will give you expert tips to grow this peach tree variant in your very own home.

Read on to find the ideal care requirements for healthy and thriving foliage and bountiful fruits right in your garden.

What Is Nectarine?

Nectarine is a type of peach tree that belongs to the species prunus persica and produces non-fuzzy red peaches. There is a variety of nectarine benefits and the tree produces two types, which are white nectarine and yellow nectarine. Both ripen in the summer months and are harvested in autumn.

Nectarine Care

Nectarines are a peach variant and thus thrive well in a similar environment. When you compare nectarine vs peach, nectarines have a smooth skin whereas peaches have an outer fuzzy cover.

In the section below, we list out all the essential aspects you need to pay heed to grow these delicious fruit trees in your garden. 

Get bountiful fruits with healthy blooms and foliage by keeping the soil well-drained and providing it with full sunlight. The ideal climate for nectarine plants to thrive in is temperate and warm conditions. Prune regularly and you should have the plant growing year after year. 

Water Requirements

This persica variant requires high levels of saturation in the soil. Young trees will require an inch of water at least once every week whereas mature trees take in water once every three weeks. Increase this frequency when the temperature soars.

When fruits are forming, increase the watering to two gallons of water per week. Ensure the soil is evenly moist at all times. Do not overwater the plant and make the soil soggy as this can hamper the overall health of the plant. 

Light Requirements

Nectarine requires a full sun location to thrive and grow. Place the plant in a sunny and protected environment away from strong gusts of winds to ensure there are maximum blossoms.

The plant requires a lot of direct sunlight to help it produce bountiful and tasty fruits for your nectarine recipes. Additionally, adequate sunlight also keeps pests and insects at bay.

Remember, the more sunshine it receives throughout the day, the bigger and better the quality of its fruit production, so plant it in a spot where it can receive more than half a day’s sunlight. 

Soil Requirements

Nectarine requires a well-draining growing medium with moderate levels of moisture retention.

Use a potting mix with sandy soil as a base, between a PH range of 6 and 7. Avoid heavy and clayey soils as the drainage in such soils tends to be poor. Mix in garden compost or peat gravel to improve soil drainage and keep it aerated.

Temperature Requirements

Nectarines require a warm and temperate climate to grow. They require hot summers and also a cold dormant winter of up to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Below this temperature, the plant will not survive as it cannot tolerate prolonged frost conditions.

Humidity Requirements

Nectarine requires moderate levels of humidity to retain moisture in the fruit and prevent it from shriveling up. They thrive best in hot environments but under excess humidity, they easily develop root rot and fungal diseases.

Fertilizing Requirements 

Nectarines require a 10-10-10 fertilizer in the early years of the tree. Once the plant picks up good health, slow-release granular fertilizer will be ideal to supplement the plant with nutrition.

The right time to fertilize is during the growing months between March to May. Choose a feed that is high in phosphorus to improve plant yield.

Pruning

Prune your nectarine annually to better its fruit production. The right time to prune is during the winter months when the plant remains dormant. This will help new growth of the plant in the warm spring and summer months ahead.

Nectarines bear fruit every alternate year, thus pruning improves the yield in the following year. Prune by creating an open center shape to increase the exposure to sun rays. The best way to do this is to cut two-thirds of the previous year’s growth and snip just over the topmost lateral branch.

Propagation

Propagate nectarine plants without any hassle by using any one of the methods mentioned below. Do note that tree grafting is faster in comparison to starting a plant from seeds. 

The right season to propagate the plant is in the months of late winter or early spring as this will give the nascent plant enough time and warmth of the seasons ahead to establish growth. Find the details of the procedures listed below.

– Propagation Through Tree Grafts

As mentioned above, tree grafts are a faster and more successful way to propagate the nectarine. The process is simple and you wouldn’t need any expert gardening skills to grow your new plant. Here are the steps to follow.

• Dig a hole in the soil with a depth that would cover the roots of the graft. Drop the graft into this hole such that the upper section of the root crown is at ground level. Fill the hole with soil, ensuring the entire root system is covered.
• Water the planted section to keep the soil moist, but do not overwater and make the soil soggy.
• Care for this section as per the details mentioned above. The grafted tree will establish itself and grow into an independent nectarine tree.

– Propagation Through Seeds

You can also propagate nectarine using seeds. However, this process is far slower than using tree grafts. Here are the complete details from scratch to end on how to use a seed to plant nectarine.

• Pull out the pits from consumed nectarines. You can use these to successfully propagate a new plant.
• With the help of a hammer, remove the seed from inside the pit. You can directly put the pit in the soil; however, the success rate is higher when you remove the seed instead. 
• Begin by filling a jar with potting soil. Put a couple of nectarine seeds in the jar. Using more than one increases the chances of getting a germinated seed. Evenly distribute the seeds in the soil.
• Place this jar in the refrigerator for three months. Keep the jar closed in this process so that there is enough moisture retained within.
• Tiny juvenile roots will appear after three months and at this stage, you can plant them into the soil. 
• Spread each of the rooted seeds evenly in the ground and cover it with soil. You should see the seeds sprouting in a few weeks.
• Continue to care for the plant as mentioned in our care section and in no time your nectarine will reach a height of a foot. 

Problems

When growing the nectarine plant, you will surely face many problems. From rust infection to yellowing leaves, these problems will commonly occur. However, tackling them is easy and hassle-free. Here is a list of the problems that commonly occur in nectarine plants and how you can overcome each one of them.

– Leaves Turning Brown

The leaves of your nectarine may be turning brown due to rust infection. This is a common fungal disease that attacks peaches and nectarines, causing the leaves to turn brown and fall. Severe infections cause the fruit to be infected as well, rendering them inedible.

Tackle such infections by scaling back on the water. Treat it with a good quality fungicide until the brown spots disappear and you notice fresh growth.

– Mold on a Nectarine

White fungal growth manifests in the form of mildew on leaves and shoots of the nectarine. Under such a condition, the leaves become misshapen and the powdery residue scars fruits as well.

This is also a form of fungus and often occurs if there is excessive moisture in the soil or the air around the plant. Scale back on the water and keep the soil well-draining and aerated. Treat the plant foliage with an organic fungicide to reduce and cure the infection.

– Brown Rot or Blossom Blight

This is a plant disease that results in brown spots on leaves as well as blooms. They commonly occur after a wet season or if there is a lack of sunlight for the nectarine. The buds do not open and drop early.

The best way to tackle the problem is to treat it with a fungicide or insecticide before the disease spreads to several sections of the plant. Make sure to isolate the infected plant from the others in your collection to prevent other plants from getting infected.

– Leaves Falling Off

Leaves of nectarine plants do fall before the plant enters its dormant state in the colder months. It is a normal phenomenon and is a natural way by which the plant is directing its energy.

If you, however, notice your leaf falling well before that time, check for fungal diseases or pest infestations that weaken stems and leaves, making them wilt.

– Leaf Curl

Leaf curl is yet another condition occurring due to the fungal disease of the plant. If left uncontrolled, the disease can weaken the entire tree and recovery from it becomes almost impossible.

Scale back on the watering and treat the plant with a good quality fungicide and you should soon be able to see your plant limp back to health. Patience is a virtue, and the best thing you can do for your plant in this instance is consistent care.

– Leaves Turning Yellow

Are the leaves of your nectarine turning yellow? This could be due to the nutrition deficiency of the plant. A soil deficient in nitrogen tends to weaken leaves, turning them yellow.

Use an over-the-counter fertilizer with a higher nitrogen content to fix the problem and see your foliage turn healthy and green again.

– White Spots

Nectarines can often develop several white spots that may be confused with mold. These white spots are not dangerous and are callus tissues that develop on the surface of the fruit. As long as the white spots are not powdery or sticky, they are perfectly fine, so don’t let them bother you.

– Deep Red or Purple Leaves

Have you overwatered your nectarine? This is what you will notice when the soil has become too waterlogged. Leaves tend to turn from a healthy green to a darker shade. 

In such a condition, the roots may also emit a foul smell. Scale back immediately on the water and poke tiny holes in the soil to permit air to enter and dry out the soil. Make sure you create a healthy watering routine for your nectarine plant to prevent this from happening again.

FAQ

Does Nectarine Plant have deep roots?

Nectarine plants typically develop deep roots, enabling them to access nutrients and withstand harsh conditions.

Do Nectarine Plants lose their leaves in winter?

Nectarine plants tend to lose their leaves in winter, undergoing a period of dormancy before regrowing them in spring.

How much room does a Nectarine Plant need?

Nectarine plants require sufficient space for healthy growth, with an approximate recommendation of 10-15 feet in diameter.

Conclusion

You have now read about the nectarine plant and how easy it is to care for it as well as propagate a new offset.

Here is a quick summary of our discussion so that you can successfully grow your own in your backyard.

• Nectarine is a non-fuzzy peach variety belonging to the species prunus persica that produces red fruits. It is an absolute favorite of many due to its smooth skin.
• The plant requires a temperate and warm climate to grow, with moderate levels of humidity. 
• Nectarine thrives well in aerated soil with high levels of saturation to produce healthy and juicy fruits. It also requires full sun to produce bountiful nectarine fruits.
• Pruning and a slow-release fertilizer will aid and boost fresh foliage growth in the months of late winter or early spring. Use a phosphorus-rich fertilizer along with some nitrogen for healthy foliage and ample fruit produce.
• Tackle common problems such as blossom blight, leaves falling off, white spots and leaf curl on nectarines by maintaining the right watering schedule and providing the plant with the ideal care.

Having read all about the nectarine, you can now easily grow this plant in your garden. Go ahead and take the plunge as caring for one is easy and hassle-free and you can also get bountiful fruit produce in the nectarine season!