How to Plant Nectarine Trees
There is nothing better than a plump juicy nectarine on a summer evening. But the nectarines that come off of your own tree somehow always manage to taste better than what you buy in the grocery store. Nectarines are high in potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C and can be used for jams, jelly and desserts. Fortunately for backyard gardening enthusiasts, planting nectarine trees is not a difficult chore, though the place you plant could need a year or two of preparation. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
Planting Nectarine Trees
-
1
Identify a sun-exposed, well-drained part of your yard away from buildings or tall trees in which to plant your nectarine tree. Nourish the soil in your planting area one to two years prior to planting the nectarine. Establish a bed up to six feet in diameter by spading the soil up to a foot deep. Mix manure, grass clippings or other compost into the soil
-
2
Visit your garden center in the spring when you intend to plant your nectarine tree. Select a nectarine tree that is at least one year old, up to four feet tall and a trunk caliper no larger than one-half inch. Plant the tree after last frost in the center of the location you prepared. Dig hole approximately 24 inches deep. Place tree in hole. Ensure the plant's bud union stay one inch above the ground. Fill hole with dirt, covering tree's roots.
-
-
3
Place a one-half pound application of 10-10-10 fertilizer eight inches to a foot around the trunk of the tree seven to 10 days after planting. Repeat process 40 days after you planted your nectarine tree. Be sure your tree receives one inch of water per week, either from rain or hand-watering.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Apply three-quarters of a pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer to tree in March and May during the tree's second and third years.Increase to one pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer in March and May during the period four to 10 years after planting.
Planting a nectarine tree too deep in the soil can hinder growth or cause the plant to die.
