How do you cover your pots? Do you have a photograph? I thought about using plastic bags/ fabrics, but thought they would collapse under the weight of the rain and the water would get into the pot anyways…
The only trees I have in pots are in my nursery. I don’t restrict water but the roots are somewhat restricted which increases brix of fruit apparently. Also the roots in potting soil will be in dry medium before roots in genuine soil of good quality.
Thanks for the explanation, however, I understood from your statement above that you may cover your pots in order to avoid a sudden spike in water level (with subsequent fruit splitting) upon heavy rain. Anyway, it does not appear to be the case. Thanks again.
I used plastic pipe for support arches. I tied the plastic sheeting to the trunk, then pulled the sheeting tight to the edges of the container and fastened. I cut a small hole in sheeting for watering. While it worked, I would like try something different this year. Sorry, I didn’t take pictures.
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Thanks for the description. Let me know if you find a more simple design 
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I have a Hardired next to a Goldmine Nectarine. The flavor is awesome the Goldmine is a big disappoint. I started grafting plucots and plums on it. Leaving some branches next to the Hardired for pollenating.
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You don’t have to leave other nectarine branches for pollinating Hardired. Hardired is self-pollinating. As you may have noticed, it is extremely productive. I had one tree of it which I removed last fall. It always set very heavy fruit loads.
I know but I have found self pollenating trees often do even better with a pollenator present.
Well my saying is if you need one, buy 6! So i wouldn’t know, I have always had a bunch of them around. Actually only 5 nectarine/peaches, oh and 2 in containers.
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It is a question of whether a variety is accepting of it’s own pollen. I don’t know if this is a 100% level of pollen acceptance with peaches, but I’ve found I need to be careful about assuming anecdotal observation- especially speaking of it as acquired knowledge- this question about peaches undoubtedly has been assessed by commercial growers who at one time might plant 50 acres to a single variety back when Elberta was queen. Fruit species that will produce fruit without viable seed are more likely to be variable in their production without cross pollination. .
I can’t think of anything I grow that does not have viable seed? Oh I thought of one! Figs! What an oddball with one male and 3 types of females! Oh thought of another one, in the same family. Mulberry. Both can have viable seeds, but not needed to fruit.
Asian plums mostly do need cross pollination, yet always produce viable seeds. Also true for many sweet cherries.
Do you grow pears?- they are quite capable of parthenocarpic fruit production. According to Childers in his book “Fruit Science” in S. CA they used to grow Bartlett pears commercially without cross pollination because in consistently warm springs Bartlett will hold and size fruit every season without producing viable seed. Cucumbers and watermelon can also do this. Also persimmons, citrus and apparently pluots (I don’t know if pluots do this in-spite of being pollinated, though). Oh, grapes too- I’m sure the list goes on and on.
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Pears no grapes yes, interesting stuff.
I assume you mean, in your experience. I’m not even speaking from mine- I have never gotten around to checking for seed in pears that seem productive without cross pollination. I pretty much trust Childer’s evaluation, but not completely. With persimmons, grapes and citrus, you can’t miss the absence of seeds. With persimmons it can even be desirable to avoid pollination as that’s the only way to get seedless fruit- same thing for at least some types of citrus, but again, I can’t speak from experience on citrus- been decades since I’ve grown any.
Some donut peaches don’t produce viable seeds.
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@UrbanAggie, I like nectarines MUCH better than peaches, too. They seem to have more flavor. I am planting a Mericrest and a Harko this year, for the first time. Two peaches, as well. A Red Haven and an Indian Free. When the time comes . . . I will try my hand at grafting other varieties onto them.
@scottfsmith - I am glad to see your reports on Mericrest. I had a difficult time choosing which nectarines to buy. Took me weeks (literally!) and I kept changing my mind. I finally went with the Mericrest and Harko. I realized there would be ‘Spray’ in my future - for sure. Your nectarines are gorgeous! (Uh OH. That could be taken as sexual harassment on the Fruit Forum!) Not meant to be!
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Unfortunately for me, in BC (Canada) we have very limited selections of fruit tree varieties, especially stone fruit. Around here, I am able to get (either as single tree or part of a fruit combo tree) Hardired, Independence, Flavortop, and a super-dwarf variety (only grows to 5’) which I cannot remember off hand tonight. I would love to get Mericrest or Harko (I think some newer fruit combo trees might have a Harko branch) to feed my OCD and satisfy my curiosity about fruit quality. However, my way-too-overcrowded backyard urban orchard has no room for more fruit trees. 50+ fruit trees I think is enough, even for my OCD (7 in-ground, 12 in x-lg cedar planter boxes, 11 in bigger garden boxes or 20+ in 40g planter pots (24" wide x 20" tall). I’m waiting for my in-laws to buy some acreage as a family vacation home, then I’ll donate a complete orchard to them. Of course, if that ever happens, my OCD will kick in and I’ll go to the local nurseries to buy replacement fruit trees. Oh the fun never ends, lol.
Anthony
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I hear ya! - Karen
I visited an orchard today and picked tree-ripe, yellow flesh, sub-acid donut nectarines that were the best nectarines I have ever eaten. I measured the brix on two of them and they were 26 and 27 respectively. I had a nice chat with the owner and he told me it’s a new experimental variety from the Rutgers fruit program and it is not named yet; I did some search on google and I suspect it has the code name NJF20. I really hope that it gets commercialized…
On the other hand, I bought Honey Royal and Honey Lite nectarines from farmers market yesterday, and they were very mediocre… H Royal was very big, too much watering probably and early picking… Big disappointment, but illustrates the difference between properly grown and ripened fruit and lousy commercial growing…
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Did you ask him for some wood? It looks like a donut plum, not nectarine. I mean the inside of it.