What does nectarine look like and how to grow a tree?

Many people know what nectarine looks like, but how to grow this tree remains a mystery to most. This variety of peach has long settled on store shelves, but at the same time it is a rather rare inhabitant of the sites of domestic gardeners.

Nectarine is a subspecies of the common peach. Moreover, its main difference lies in the absence of villi on the skin, which is glossy. The name is based on the word "nectar", which fully reflects the peculiarities of the taste of the fruit. It is worth highlighting the following key characteristics of culture.

• Plants are trees, the height of which varies between 3-7 meters. They are able to form crowns up to 4 m in diameter.
• Leaves are lanceolate, elongated, with teeth along the edge.
• It blooms, like its closest relative, in the spring season. During the flowering period, it pleases gardeners with a chic pink hat.
• The fruits are similar in shape to the same peaches. They differ in the smoothness of the surface and its color. In different varieties, the color ranges from light yellow to burgundy and cherry. The pulp is characterized by juiciness and firmness. The fruits ripen for about 4 months.
• One of the important distinguishing features is early maturity. The gardeners take off the first crop already 3-4 years after planting the young. It is worth noting that the seedlings bloom very quickly.
• The life span of trees varies from 20 to 30 years.

Due to the fact that individual varieties were crossed with each other, experts have developed crops that are distinguished by good frost resistance. Such nectarine fully grows, develops and bears fruit in difficult climatic conditions for its relatives. Mature trees are able to withstand temperatures down to -33 degrees.

There are many varieties of nectarine today. And we are talking mainly about the variety of hybrids that have resulted from the work of modern breeders. At the same time, large-fruited varieties are in special demand among gardeners.

The list of the most common varieties in this category can include the following.

• Fleming Fury - a superearly varietal variety related to American selection. It is distinguished by large fruits, the skin of which is almost completely covered with a blush.
• "Big Top" - another very early variety, characterized by abundant fruiting and unpretentiousness to growing conditions. Rounded fruits in weight gain up to 0.2 kg and have a rich cherry color, as well as yellow flesh with a slight honey flavor.
• "Ruby 4" - Ukrainian variety, belonging to the category of early maturing. The fruits are oval in shape, weighing 0.2 kg, covered with a reddish skin and have a fibrous pulp with a hard-to-separate bone.
• "Rebus 028" - a high-yielding varietal variety, the main competitive advantages of which are increased resistance to frost and infections. Slightly elongated, yellow with a slight tint, the fruits have a fragrant pulp.
• "Kaldezi" - a high-yielding variety, bred in Italy and having rather large spherical fruits of a greenish tint with a traditional tint. The unusually white pulp hides a semi-detached core.

If we are talking about mid-season varieties of a unique fruit adapted for harsh conditions, then such subspecies should be distinguished.

• Stark Red Gold - varietal variety of American origin from the high-yielding category. It has red, regular fruits, which are large enough (up to 240 g). The pulp of nectarines is dense, rich yellow, with a reddish tint.
• "Vang-3" - a variety of nectarine of American selection, characterized by increased resistance to diseases, good yields, and early maturity. The fruits of this species are round, bright red, with yellowish spots and cartilaginous pulp.
• "Alitop" - a variety originally from sunny Italy, characterized by high yields. Slightly oblong fruits have a red color, yellow flesh with veins and reach 250 g in weight.
• "Harco" Is a varietal variety obtained in Canada. The relatively small, rounded fruits are greenish in color with abundant red pigments. The list of main characteristics includes resistance to frost and disease, high yield.
• Ishunsky - a variety bred by Ukrainian breeders. Medium (within 150 g) fruits have a yellow color with a traditional tint. The fibrous yellow flesh with reddish veins contains a perfectly separable core.

The most popular among modern gardeners include the following varieties.

• "Poseidon" - a variety created by domestic specialists. It has round-shaped fruits with a weight within 80 g.
• Harblaze - a dessert varietal variety, a distinctive feature of which are elongated yellow fruits covered with a reddish blush.
• "Sweet Lady" - a high-yielding species resistant to various infections, which is the result of the works of Italian scientists. One of the key advantages is large (0.3 kg or more) fruits.
• "September Queen" - a variety that has greenish fruits with a characteristic red blush. The dense, creamy flesh has a slightly sour taste.
• "Evpatoria" - a variety that was born thanks to the labors of the staff of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden. It was created for growing on the territory of Ukraine, Krasnodar Territory, Transcaucasia and Moldova.

The easiest way to grow nectarine is by planting a young seedling. To do this, you first need to correctly determine the timing of the corresponding operations. So, for the warm regions of the south, gardeners consider the autumn period to be the most suitable, while in the northern regions it is strongly recommended to place young growth in the ground in its permanent place in the spring. If we are talking about stable conditions of a temperate climate, then both types of planting are equally successfully practiced.

The next important point is choosing a place for trees. It is recommended to consider the following features here.

• Nectarine prefers open, well-lit and sun-warmed, windless areas. The best option is the south side.
• For culture, a light and, of course, fertile soil is preferred.
• The choice in favor of a site with a close location of groundwater can have negative consequences.
• Undesirable precursors of nectarine are melons and nightshades, as well as legumes and strawberries.

Agrotechnical techniques are as follows:

• in advance (2-3 weeks), planting pits are prepared, the dimensions of which should be 0.6-0.7 m;
• stakes of 1.5-2 meters are stuck in the center of each hole, which in the future will serve as reliable supports for young trees;
• mix fertilizers, which include 100 g of phosphate and a bucket of compost, add to the soil extracted from the pits;
• from half of the mixture obtained, a mound is formed at the bottom of the hole;
• seedlings are placed in the center of fully prepared planting pits, straighten their root system and sprinkle with the remaining substrate;
• compact the soil;
• the seedlings are carefully tied to the supports and irrigated (water consumption in this case is up to 5 buckets per unit);
• cut off the central and lateral shoots by 20 cm and half the length, respectively.

If planting is carried out in the fall, then the trunk of the seedling must be earthed, covering it to a height of 0.2-0.3 m from the ground with dry soil, and the near-trunk zone must be mulched. It must be remembered that the grafting site is located at soil level. In addition to all of the above, it is important to pay attention to disembarkation intervals.

Nectarine is a rather picky plant that requires appropriate maintenance. For example, gardeners often practice such an agrotechnical technique as puff pollination. Having decided to grow a culture in central Russia, including the Moscow region, as well as in Belarus, it is recommended to study in detail the rules of care. It should be borne in mind that we are talking about species adapted to our conditions.

Having conceived to grow nectarine on the site, it is important to always remember that it is a moisture-loving plant. At the same time, stagnant water at the roots can provoke the active development of rot. The fact is that the superficial root system is unable to draw out vital moisture from the depths. In hot weather and in the absence of rainfall for a long time, it is necessary to water the trees 2-3 times a week at the rate of 40 to 50 liters for each adult. In other situations, the interval between irrigations is 10-12 days. It is important to stop watering a month before harvesting ripe fruits.

With proper planting of seedlings, young trees begin to feed from 2 years as follows.

• In early spring, when the plants wake up after winter, nitrogen-containing fertilizers (10-15 g per 1 m2) are applied to the near-trunk zone.
• From the beginning of the formation of ovaries with an interval of 2-3 weeks, foliar feeding is performed. We are talking about spraying foliage with potassium sulfate.
• 15-20 days after harvesting, 25-30 g of potash and phosphorus dressings are added to the soil.

Correct and timely pruning of nectarine is an important part of care. The best period is from the beginning of the swelling of the buds to the complete end of the flowering of the trees. At this time, it is necessary to remove all the shoots affected by winter. In parallel, it is required to cut off weak, defective and misplaced branches. In the latter case, we are talking about shoots growing down and deep into the crown, that is, thickening it.

Regardless of the frost resistance of the cultivated species, it is strongly recommended to prepare the plants for wintering. This is most important for young (up to 5 years old) trees. The near-stem sections are mulched, and the trunks are whitewashed up to the first fork and the first third of the branches from below. On the seedlings, boxes of the appropriate size are put on, pre-filled with scraps of paper, shavings or sawdust.

To propagate nectarine, you can use seeds or plant it. Growing a tree in the first way is quite simple, this will require:

• select large and fully ripe fruits without any defects;
• soak the extracted bones for 72 hours, changing the water daily;
• dry the material out of direct sunlight;
• carefully remove the seeds and plant them in an open and well-lit area with a depth of up to 50 mm;
• water the planted material and mulch the area;
• cover the planting with foil for the winter;
• with the onset of spring, regularly water, loosen and fertilize.

Vaccination will allow to fully convey to the new plant all the characteristics and qualities of nectarine.As many years of practice show, the most reliable option is to use ordinary peach as a rootstock, as well as almonds.

When grafting nectarine, the following key points should be considered:

• the procedure is performed at the stage of intensive sap flow;
• scion buds must necessarily achieve full development;
• when budding, an exceptionally high-quality, sharp and disinfected instrument is used.

The algorithm itself includes the following steps:

• in the morning, cuttings of 30-40 cm are prepared, removing the leaves, and placing them in water;
• lateral shoots are removed from the bottom of the stock and an incision is made in the bark in the form of the letter "T" (the crossbar and perpendicular downward from it are 15 and 25-30 mm, respectively);
• at the intersection of the incisions, the bark is taken away;
• a 12-13 mm transverse incision is made on the handle under the kidney selected for transplantation;
• the same incision is made with an identical indent above the kidney and the bark is carefully removed from it together with it down.

At the final stage, the flap with the transplanted kidney remains to be inserted under the bark at the incision, pressed and tied.

Often, when growing the described fruit trees, one has to face various problems. And in this case, we can talk about situations when, for example, leaves curl or ripening fruits rot. This peach relative can be affected by:

• powdery mildew;
• scab;
• milky shine;
• clotterosporium disease;
• fungal burn;
• curly leaves;
• rot, including gray;
• coccomycosis;
• verticillosis.

Effective agents against fungi are Topaz, Topsin M, Skor and other similar drugs. In situations with virus infections, unfortunately, it will be necessary to destroy the affected tree. But it should be remembered that it is much easier to avoid the listed problems due to timely and competent preventive measures.

Besides diseases, nectarine is also susceptible to attack by harmful insects. Most often, gardeners have to deal with:

• aphids;
• shield;
• weevils;
• moth;
• ticks;
• moth.

Traditional means are used to get rid of these intruders. At the same time, it is strongly recommended to pay attention to prevention. So, in the spring (with already swollen buds), trees are treated with Karbofos. At the stage of pecking the first tips of the leaves, a 3% solution of Bordeaux liquid is used to spray nectarine.

In autumn, agrotechnical measures are carried out to prevent the occurrence and spread of diseases, as well as pest attacks. After the foliage has fallen off, the trees are treated with copper sulfate. Then the second spraying with "Nitrofen" is carried out. An alternative would be a one-time application of a 7% urea solution.