Content
It is quite possible to plant nectarines on your own plot, even in the Moscow region. Breeders regularly develop new varieties, working on their winter hardiness, productivity, immunity and other important characteristics.
Nectarine growing conditions
The homeland of this subspecies of peach is Western Asia, but frost-resistant varieties have been bred, so it is possible to grow nectarine even in central Russia. The following conditions are important for him:
- long warm summer – ripening takes 3-5 months;
- spring without severe cold snaps - mature trees have good winter hardiness, but flower buds may die from frost;
- comprehensive care - watering, fertilizing, pruning, treatment against diseases and pests, preparation for winter are required.
To grow nectarines, it is important to choose the right variety. It must be suitable for the climatic conditions in the region.There are currently less than ten varieties of nectarine in the State Register of the Russian Federation. All of them are approved for cultivation in the North Caucasus.
What year does nectarine bear fruit after planting?
The timing of nectarine fruiting depends on the variety and planting method. If you use a healthy seedling, then the first harvest can be seen within 2-3 years.
How to plant nectarines correctly
Nectarine is a heat- and light-loving crop; it does not grow on all soils. It is important to choose the right place and timing for planting it.
Suitable timing
In warm temperate climates, both spring and autumn planting of nectarines is acceptable. In the south, it is better to plan this work after summer; there should be at least a month left before the cold weather. Spring planting in this case is undesirable, since the heat at the height of the season will not allow the plant to adapt properly. For the northern regions, this option is optimal. Planting nectarines in the fall means risking that they simply won’t take root. Over the summer, he will have time to get stronger and get used to new conditions. If the seedling is grown at home, then the nectarine is transplanted within the same time frame.
Where to plant nectarines
It is better to plant nectarine on sandy or loamy, but not heavy soil. When choosing a place for culture, you need to focus on the following points:
- an open and well-lit area; the south side or south-east slope is optimal for planting;
- wind protection;
- remoteness of groundwater;
- no moisture stagnation;
- light and fertile soil;
- good drainage;
- the optimal pH level is 6.5.
It is unacceptable to plant nectarines in damp and marshy areas, in lowlands. The crop does not tolerate saline soil.
Nectarine should not be blocked from the sun by buildings or tall trees - shading for a maximum of 1.5-2 hours per day is permissible
Preparing the planting hole
For planting nectarines, it is optimal to make a cubic hole with a side of 70 cm. The preparation algorithm is simple:
- Remove the top fertile layer of soil and set it aside.
- Dig a hole.
- Place a wooden stake in the center. The optimal height is 1.5 m.
- Mix fertile soil with fertilizers - 10 kg of rotted compost, 150 g of superphosphate.
- Pour 50% of the soil mixture into the hole in a heap.
- Leave the rest of the fertile soil (it will be needed when planting), covering it and the hole with something from the rain.
If you plan to plant nectarines in spring, then it is best to prepare the hole for this from last year. When work is scheduled for autumn, preparations need to begin at least 2-3 weeks in advance.
Selection of seedlings
For planting nectarines, it is best to choose one-year-old seedlings. It is not recommended to buy material older than two years, since survival rate only worsens with age. Seedlings for planting must be healthy; when choosing, be sure to pay attention to the following points:
- no swelling at the vaccination site;
- the inside of the nectarine bark is green;
- healthy root system, rotten and dried roots are excluded.
Landing technology
Before planting nectarine, you need to prepare the seedling. All dry areas of the root system are cut off, then it is soaked for a day. For this purpose, you can add a growth stimulator to the water.
Spring and autumn planting of nectarines are practically the same.The general operating algorithm is as follows:
- Place the nectarine seedling on a pre-mounded soil.
- Gently straighten the roots.
- Fill the hole with the remaining soil.
- Compact the soil tightly, moving from the edges of the hole towards the seedling.
- Water the tree generously - use 40-50 liters of water.
- Tie the seedling to a support.
When planting nectarines, it is important to monitor at what level the grafting site is located. After filling the hole with soil, it should rise 3-4 cm above the ground, and after absorbing moisture it should become flush with the surface.
After autumn planting, hilling up with dry soil to a depth of 20-30 cm is required. In spring, such a measure is not required.
When planting nectarines in autumn, pre-winter mulching with compost is necessary - the optimal layer thickness is 8-10 cm
Caring for nectarines in open ground
After planting and during further cultivation, nectarines require comprehensive care. The health and development of the tree, its productivity, taste and appearance of the fruit depend on it.
Watering
Watering nectarines begins only after the seeds in the fruit have hardened, otherwise they will crack. The frequency and abundance of moisture is determined by weather conditions and ripening period. For early varieties, 2-3 waterings are enough, and for mid- and late-ripening varieties they need twice as much.
Be sure to moisten the tree generously a month before harvesting. For 1 m² of tree trunk circle you need 3-6 buckets of water (depending on the age of the tree). The next watering is carried out when the harvest is harvested and the formation of flower buds begins. This time you need more water - 4-7 buckets per 1 m².
In October, moisture-recharging irrigation is required. Enough water is needed so that the soil is saturated to a depth of 0.6-0.8 m.
Top dressing
If the area for planting nectarines was prepared correctly, then there is no need to fertilize it for the next 5-6 years, especially if the tree trunk circle is mulched annually. Subsequently, fertilizing is carried out several times per season.
In spring, it is optimal to use urea (7% solution). It eliminates pathogenic microorganisms and pests, and also provides the nectarine with nitrogen. Treatment is carried out until the buds swell. Otherwise they may burn.
If it was not possible to spray nectarine with a urea solution in the spring, then this event can be carried out in the fall, when the leaf fall ends
During the fruit growth phase, emphasis is placed on potassium. Prepare the solution according to the instructions, applying it along the foliage. This fertilizing makes the fruits richer in color and more sugary.
During the season, 2-3 foliar feedings with the following solution are recommended for nectarines:
- water – 10 l;
- superphosphate (aqueous extract) – 100-150 g;
- ammonium nitrate – 50-80 g (ammonium sulfate is possible) or urea – 30-50 g;
- potassium chloride (sulfate) – 30-60 g (50-70 g);
- manganese – 15 g;
- borax – 10 g.
When the fruits ripen, the solution should not contain nitrogen and borax.
How to prune nectarines correctly
It is necessary to prune nectarines in the spring, when the buds appear, to form a crown. After this, prevention of fungal diseases and pests is recommended. The products used should not contain copper.
If the planting was in autumn, pruning of nectarines will only be necessary in the spring.They organize it before the sap flow begins.
For sanitary purposes, it is recommended to prune nectarines in the fall if necessary. This is done after the leaves fall. It is optimal to carry out such work in the spring along with the formation of the tree.
In addition to trimmings, nectarine rationing is mandatory. It is carried out after the ovaries have shed, leaving one piece per 10-15 cm of shoot. If you do not remove the excess, the branches may break under the saturated fruits.
A scheme for pruning nectarines in the fall for beginners is presented below. Formation is carried out within 4-5 years after planting according to the following plan:
- At 1 year, mark 2-3 branches extending at a wide angle, shorten to 10 cm, remove the rest.
- In subsequent years, add 2-3 skeletal branches.
- Branches of the first order should be formed on last year’s skeletal branches, and second order – on those from the year before last.
While the crown is being formed, the conductor should be 20-25 cm higher than the skeletal branches, then it is cut flush with them. The optimal size of the trunk is 50-60 cm. The shoots that form in the area are broken off before they become lignified.
The standardless form of nectarine is also acceptable, when the skeletal branches begin to emerge from the trunk near the ground. In this case, the growth of the tree is restrained for a long time, so care and harvesting become even easier. It is optimal that the height of the nectarine is 2.5-3 m.
The nectarine crown is usually shaped into a vase or bowl - this increases strength, makes it easier to care for and harvest.
In the spring, in addition to formative and sanitary, pruning is carried out for fruiting. To do this, two properly developed shoots growing side by side are isolated on the skeletal branch. The one closer to the top is shortened by 8-10 buds. This is where the fruit will appear this season. The other shoot is shortened to two buds.This is necessary for fruiting next year.
Shelter for the winter
Nectarines must be prepared for winter. In addition to moisture-recharging irrigation, fertilizing and preventive treatment, cleaning up fallen leaves and plant debris. This must be done before frost sets in. When they arrive and become stable, the tree trunk circle is mulched:
- dried leaves;
- peat;
- straw;
- sawdust;
- tops
Mulch the tree trunk circle only in dry weather. It is optimal at this time to whitewash the trunk and bases of skeletal branches with lime.
If a nectarine is planted in the fall, then it must be covered for the winter:
- Install long slats on both sides.
- Place a bag of a suitable size on this support so that the seedling is inside.
- Sprinkle the lower part of the shelter with earth.
If the winter in the region is cold, then winter shelter will also be needed in the second and third years after planting. Three support slats are already installed, and spruce branches are used instead of a bag. It is covered with agrofibre and secured with twine.
Protection from diseases and pests
Compared to regular peach, nectarine is more resistant to diseases and pests. This does not exclude prevention against them, which is carried out several times a season:
- in mid-spring, along the swelling buds of Karbofos;
- in the green cone phase, Bordeaux fluid;
- after formative pruning in the spring and again after flowering Karbofos or Fozalon in combination with a fungicide (Cuprozan, Fundazol, Polycarbacin);
- in summer 2-3 times a drug for leaf curl - Delan, Skor, Fundazol, Horus, Topaz, Ridomil Gold;
- in early October, when the leaves change color, Bordeaux mixture;
- after water-recharging irrigation, copper sulfate against fungus, Nitrafen against pests.
Curl is a fungal disease in which leaves, branches, buds are deformed, fruits become distorted, and the flesh becomes dry and tasteless
Reproduction methods
Nectarines can be propagated in different ways. The chosen method determines when fruiting begins.
Seeds
To propagate nectarines by seeds, healthy, ripe and juicy nectarines are selected. They work like this:
- Remove the seed and rinse under running water.
- Place the seed in water at room temperature, changing it daily.
- After a week, soak the bone for two hours in a growth stimulator.
- Prepare a suitable soil mixture and moisten it.
- Plant a seed.
- Cover the container with glass or film.
It is recommended to plant several seeds at once, since not all of them will sprout. In some specimens, shoots may never appear.
It is possible to plant the seeds directly in open ground. The seeds are buried 5-6 cm, and 20-25 cm are left between them. After planting, the soil is watered abundantly. After moisture is absorbed, the soil is mulched (grass, sawdust, leaves).
Planting nectarine seeds is possible from spring to autumn. If you do this before winter, seedlings will appear next year after the cover is removed.
Cuttings
Propagating nectarines from cuttings is not so easy. They are taken from the lower tier; blanks of 6-10 cm are needed. Only a third of the leaf blades are left.The cuttings are planted in a greenhouse to a depth of 1 cm and watered abundantly. Further moisturizing is carried out every day, and in hot weather 3-4 times a day. Rooting takes about four weeks.
The cuttings are gradually hardened by ventilating the greenhouse. When the roots become brownish, they need to be transplanted into 1-1.5 liter pots with clay-turf soil, adding compost and lime. After a few days, hardening begins. In the fall, you need to plant in larger containers while preserving the earthen clod.
For the winter, the bushes are put into the basement, and in the spring they are put outside and the shoots are cut back to 5-6 buds. Then intensive watering and fertilizing are organized. Fruiting will begin in the third year.
Nectarine grafting
You can graft nectarine, then all varietal qualities will be preserved. Reproduction in this way is available from spring to autumn. The chosen time affects the period of fruiting. It will begin the next season if the vaccination is done in early spring, and in two years if it is done in the fall.
It is best to resort to budding, and take a peach or almond as a rootstock. On heavy soil with close groundwater, it is optimal to use domestic plum or cherry plum.
It is optimal to carry out vaccination during the period of active sap flow, using a well-sharpened and disinfected instrument
Conclusion
Planting nectarines on your site is not so difficult. It is important to choose a variety suitable for the climatic conditions of your region, find healthy cuttings and provide the crop with comprehensive care. With its observance and systematic preventive treatments, no special problems arise.
Reviews about growing nectarine in the Moscow region
