How to Propagate a Nectarine Cutting

Nectarines can be grown from seeds or cuttings.

The nectarine is a genetically altered form of peach -- without the characteristic fuzz. It also is smaller in size than a regular peach and tends to be redder in color and more aromatic. You can eat nectarines in a variety of processed and cooked forms or fresh off the tree. Nectarine trees propagate easily either from seed or from vegetative cuttings and grow well in home gardens. Use hardwood cuttings to propagate a new nectarine tree, as recommended by James H. LaRue in "Peaches, Plums and Nectarines."

Things You'll Need

• Small pot
• Medium-size pot
• Potting soil
• Peat, sand and perlite
• Sharp scissors
• Pencil
• Rooting hormone
• Plastic cup
• Plastic bag
• Chopstick
• Rubber band

Instructions

1. Prepare a small pot for planting cuttings by filling it with equal amounts of peat, perlite and sand. You also can use fine gravel to root the cuttings.

2. Pour about an inch of the rooting hormone into a plastic cup. You do not have to use rooting hormone, but it helps roots grow more quickly.

3. Starting from the step tip, measure and cut 4- to 8-inch-long sections from hardwood stems after the tree has lost all its foliage in fall. This is the best time to take hardwood cuttings.

4. Use a sharp scissors to make the base cut at a 45-degree angle and about ½ inch below a bud. Make sure there are at least two buds on each cutting.

5. Remove all leaves from the lower half of the cuttings. Use a pencil to create 2-inch-deep planting holes in the rooting medium.

6. Dip the slanted base of the cutting into the rooting medium and plant immediately into individual planting holes at a depth of 2 inches. Firm the soil around the cuttings and water well.

7. Put the whole pot in a large, clear plastic bag. Stick a chopstick into the pot; this will keep the bag from falling on the cuttings. Close the top with a rubber band. This will help to create a greenhouse effect and aid in rooting.

8. Place the bagged pot in a warm, bright area out of direct sunlight. Open the bag every three to four days and add enough water to keep the soil moist but not wet. Hardwood cuttings generally root in a couple of months.

9. Transfer newly rooted cuttings to medium-size, individual pots filled with a well-draining potting soil. Let plants get well established for at least a couple of months before transplanting to a permanent spot in the garden.

References

• Ohio State University Extension; Growing Peaches and Landscapes in the Home Landscape; Gary Gao; 1998
• "Peaches, Plums and Nectarines"; James H. LaRue; 1989
• Washington State University Extension; Propagating Deciduous and Evergreen Shrubs, Trees and Vines from Stem Cuttings; F. R. Larson, W. E. Guse
• "Easy Plant Propagation"; Nancy J. Ondra, Barbara Ellis; 1998
• "Gardening Basics"; Kenneth A. Beckett, Steven Bradley, Noel Kingsbury; 2002