Thinking of adding this variety next year and would like to hear
comments from anyone that grows it. Thanks
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One of our better nectarines that blooms late and harvests fairly early, around July 1st here. Cold hardy, large beautiful blossoms, tolerant of bacterial spot and brown rot. Ours sets a lot of fruit every year here without fail, great nectarine, recommended! I could send you scion wood this winter if you want, let me know.
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Jon,
Thanks very much for your comments and your generous offer, but
my success rate in grafting nectarines has not been good. So, I’ve
decided to buy a tree.
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Did you ever get a Harko nectarine?
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Harko on Lovell rootstock has been good. Nice flowers and heavy fruit load.
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I’m also 8A, i.e. PNW coast, so less heat than your east coast 8A.
This was my Harko posting from this summer.
left Hardired - brix 14…right Harko- brix 16
After 2 successive years of success, I’m enamored with nectarines. Their blemish-free finish is nearly perfect, with little of the spotting and bruising that I see on my less sweet Avalon Pride peaches. I wrapped most of the nectarines with footies to foil the thrips, but even the unwrapped ones showed no scarring. I did hang sachets of Amblyseius cucumeris to feed on immature stages of thrips - so maybe in the future that will be enough protection.
Trees are planted in open bottom planters within a 10’ high EMT structure with a poly tarp cover. The downside is that the confines of the structure limits production and frequent summer pruning is needed to keep trees within bounds.
It could be that the drought conditions of the past 2 years favored their growth. But if that’s the new normal, I’m into nectarines!
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My Harko has done well for me, but it does not bloom late as
is advertised. It blooms the same time as all of my other trees.
You have to pick it as soon as it starts to soften or it will be a brown
rot disaster.
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I agree with your picking schedule. As with most peaches, you can’t let these nectarines ripen on tree. You also can’t refrigerate right after picking. From past experience, immediate refrigeration results in mealy fruit once they soften on counter.
So my best schedule is to pick at slight pressure, ripen on counter for 2 days, and then refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. So good!
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I am sorry I missed your post somehow, beautiful fruits!!! Wish I could print out the pic and eat one.
I have one Harko nectarine, one Rio Oso peach and one Silver Logan peach. No fruit yet, recently put in the ground.
The Harko is by far the biggest, we had it in a pot over a year (25 gallon). This will be its 3rd winter with us but 1st winter in the ground instead of a pot.
I heard great things about the peach varieties i picked but I have always preferred nectarine skin over fuzzy peach skin.
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What part of the country are you in? I’m trying to grow near Eugene, Oregon and wondering if outside is fine or in a green house?
Sorry I’m trying to understand how you grow these nectarines. I live near Eugene, Oregon. Would you recommend in a green house or is outside ok?
I’ve grown Hardired and Harcot nectarines in ground under a 9’ poly cover for the past 7 years. Lots of fruit production last 4 years. Brix of 12-14 which is pretty good for my cool climate. Eugene’s summer heat should give you higher brix.
This year will remove cover since the trees are pushing against upper limit of structure. Under cover no problem with PLC or bacterial canker.
Growing in open I will need to spray for PLC control. Not sure whether bacterial canker will be a problem.
Thank you! I just bought 2 Harkos, I was hoping to just grow them outside but seems like having a cover would be better. I really appreciate your help!
Ok one more question- I have 2 harko nectarines and 2 nectaplums that I will try to do what you did with planning outside with a clear plastic canopy over. I have the trees to plant now, will they be fine without cover until fall as far as the fungal issues or would it be best to get them covered ASAP? We can have pretty wet springs but financially would be nice if it would wait until the fall. We can swing getting the covering if we need to though, would really like to try to avoid the pests!
They should be fine until fall. TBH - You really can’t avoid pest issues unless it’s a fully covered green house.
I am in Nor Cal and Harko does great here. The nurseries in the hills here market this one as doing better than most in lower zones than my zone 9. It should do well in Eugene outdoors in full sun if possible. It is a Canadian variety that is rated by Dave Wilson nursery as a cold country favorite. Spray with copper 3 times in winter for PLC and you won’t ever have to cover it and save yourself some money.
Ok thank you! Do you think it’s worth trying to get them into a greenhouse then? Or just spray and not stress about it?
Thanks! Do you not stress about the spray being toxic?
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Personally I think it is definitely worth growing peach/nectarine/pluots in a fully covered green house. IME, besides the avoiding roster of diseases a green house will improve fruit set in a non-existent PNW spring weather.
thanks so much!