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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