How to grow nectarines

There are many nectarine varieties to choose from, producing fruits of different sizes, flavours and levels of sweetness. The fruits ripen to various shades of red, orange and yellow on the outside, with golden or white flesh inside. Nectarines can be ‘free-stone’ – where the flesh separates easily from the stone, or ‘cling-stone’ –where the flesh doesn't detach easily from the stone.

Depending on the variety, the crop will ripen at different times from July to September, with certain varieties fruiting more reliably in the UK climate. All nectarines are self-fertile, so you only need one tree for a good crop. Most varieties are grafted onto a rootstock – often ‘St Julian A’, which is semi-vigorous. There are also compact varieties bred specifically for container growing.

Although it is possible to grow nectarine trees from seed (stones), the resulting trees may not suit the UK climate, can take many years to bear fruit and often produce fruit inferior to the parent plant. There are also biosecurity risks associated with growing from the seed/stones of supermarket-bought fruits, so this should be avoided. If you want a tree that will fruit well, it’s worth investing in a good quality tree, of your chosen variety, from a reputable UK supplier.

Late autumn, when the soil is warm and damp, is usually a good time to plant a nectarine tree, but any time between November and March is also fine, which is when bare-root trees are available. Container-grown trees are available all year round and can potentially be planted at any time, but will settle in best from late autumn to spring, and planting in hot, dry conditions should be avoided.

Nectarine trees are best planted against a south- or south-west-facing wall or fence. Compact varieties can be grown in containers. They can also be planted as free-standing trees, but make sure they are supported with sturdy tree stakes until well established. As nectarines flower early, it’s vital to choose a planting site that isn’t prone to frosts, which can damage the blossom. Protecting the blossom is only really practical with fan-trained or container-grown trees, so only plant nectarines as free-standing trees in really warm, sheltered locations where spring frosts are unlikely.
 
Nectarines like deep, fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. Avoid poorly drained conditions, which can cause the roots to rot. Nectarines will struggle in light or shallow soil. If you have decent garden soil, additional soil preparation before planting shouldn't be necessary. However, if your soil is poor, dig a bucketful of organic matter, such as garden compost, into the soil you remove from your planting hole and use this to backfill after planting. This minimises soil disturbance and helps your tree get off to a strong start.

Prepare your tree by giving it a good watering if it’s in a container or by standing a bare-root tree in a bucket of water for half an hour directly before planting. 

Newly planted nectarine trees and those growing in containers need some regular attention to ensure they establish well and produce a good crop. Once established, trees in the ground need little ongoing maintenance other than annual pruning, and blossom needs protecting from frost to ensure a good crop.

Most nectarines should be pruned annually to keep them in good shape, healthy and productive, although some naturally compact varieties need little or no pruning. Nectarine fruits are produced almost entirely on shoots made the previous year, so pruning aims to replace old fruited wood with new, young wood.

Timing is important – as with other stone fruits, nectarines should only be pruned in spring or summer, to minimise the risk of infection from silver leaf disease and bacterial canker:

• Newly planted nectarine trees should be pruned soon after the buds open in early spring
• Established fan-trained trees should be pruned in spring and after fruiting in summer 
• Established free-standing nectarine trees should be pruned in summer, after fruiting 

Nectarine trees are best grown as fans against a sunny wall or fence, so they produce a good crop that ripens well. Fans have a short trunk topped with a flat fan of radiating branches. They are usually kept at a manageable size of about 2m (6½ft) tall and up to 5m (16ft) across. Fans make an attractive garden feature and are also useful if space is limited. However, they do need careful pruning and training – see our guides below.

In warm locations, nectarines can also be grown as free-standing, open-centred bush trees with about four main branches radiating out from the top of the trunk to create a goblet shape. Remove branches that are crossing or growing towards the centre of the tree, then prune out up to a quarter of the older, fruited wood back to young side shoots – this should stimulate the production of new growth. If a tree is left unpruned or pruned too lightly, fruiting will eventually be limited to the outer edges of the canopy. For more information, see our guide to pruning plums, as the methods are similar for nectarines.

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When ripe, nectarines will detach easily from the tree

Nectarines are best eaten as soon as possible after picking, ideally straight from the tree when still warm from the sun. If picked before they’re fully ripe, they will ripen indoors, but they won't taste quite as good as freshly picked fruit.

Nectarine trees need a warm, sheltered location and lots of sunshine to fruit well and ripen fully outdoors in the UK. Fruiting problems may include: 

• Lack of fruit – may be due to frost during flowering and/or poor pollination, so protect blossom from frost and cold winds, and hand-pollinate with a small paintbrush. For more information, see our guide to unproductive fruit trees 

• Failure to ripen – may be caused by cool weather and lack of sun. Training trees against a sunny wall will help to ripen the fruits. In colder regions, consider growing in a greenhouse or polytunnel

• Poor fruit development or unripe fruit dropping – may be due to insufficient or inconsistent watering

• Split fruit – may be caused by overwatering or wet weather during ripening

• Loss of ripening fruit – protect nectarines from birds and squirrels by covering them with sleeves or netting. Ensure any netting is taut and fastened securely so birds and other wildlife don’t get entangled in it. Alternatively, grow trees in a fruit cage or move container-grown trees into a greenhouse once the fruits start to colour up

Nectarines may be affected by some pests and diseases, see Common problems below.