I’ve read nothing but great things about the honey nectarine series here, but can only seem to find Honey Kist, not Royale or Blaze, in online nurseries.
I’ve contacted a few members privately looking for scion when I read their mention of it in posts from years back but nothing firm materialized.
Both are off patents.
Why aren’t these trees widely available? Any suggestions for finding them? Where is fruit capitalism failing me? What am I missing?
It would seem like a successive ripening 3-1 tree (for sale or that I make) would be a great option.
Both of them are listed under varieties for commercial orchard and not home growers or nurseries (in DWN’s website). Just because they are off-patent doesn’t mean DWN will distribute them to nurseries. You are better off asking for scions of those varieties here than trying to find those trees offered online. Folks who got these varieties through commercial license, may share scions, if they are off-patent. This is unless there is a specific clause in their agreement that prevents that. If yes, that would surprise me!
With only 400 views… doesnt seem like this is very popular with folks. He says that they are very crunchy…and ‘they all are crunchy’ ‘they dont get more soft’. Sounds like they are eating a crispy apple.
Geez even Desmond Lane doesn’t know nectarines. These do get soft. All nectarines get soft when they are ripe. That’s really surprising. Lane hasn’t eaten a ripe nectarine!!!
They are good crunchy and better as they start to soften. The flavor that I like in the Honey series improves the softer they get. And left long enough they turn to mush.
The other thing is that with the right growing conditions, nectarines are better than peaches. Even Scott and Alan on the East coast have come to that conclusion. I started in my greenhouse with equal numbers of peach and nectarine varieties and more peaches since. There is only one peach left and many nectarines. Same with plums and pluots. Only one plum I’d still grow and numerous pluots.
The idea that nectarines don’t get soft is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard from a so called expert. And I’ve had a high opinion of Lane up to this point.
I’ve eaten them crunchy but they aren’t ripe when they are crunchy. They are good crunchy about two weeks before they soften. Some people really like them crunchy. I prefer them as they start to soften because they are sweeter and more flavorful.
You can eat low acid peaches crunchy as well. Acidic peaches and nectarines would be too acidic for most people if eaten crunchy.
Arctic Star had been talked about as being an excellent white Nectarine.I successfully grafted a scion to a Fantasia.
A couple of fruit grew one year and trying one,that may have just started to get supple,the impression was kind of a let down.The other was picked,maybe a week or two later,noticeably softer and that sold me.It was the best Nectarine I’ve had.
Because they still have commercial value. Meaning they’re still making big sales to commercial growers both here and abroad.
And, more importantly, they think releasing them to the public increases the chances that they’ll make it illegally to places like China.
For what it’s worth Honey Kist and Honey Blaze are very similar. Kist is available. I grew both at the same time and settled on Blaze but they’re not much different in taste or maturity date.
I’m the one and only fruitnut that brags about Honey series nectarines. That was me then and I feel the same now. These have the best flavor of anything I grow. But it’s not easy getting things just right.
Since i read this the past couple of days…its still fresh on my memory… its from 5 years ago… so if he doesnt mind me sharing to save him the trouble of searching.
For the experts to figure out. Cummins will offer Honey Royale Peach scion. As far as i can tell there is no such thing as a Honey Royale Peach…so it could be the nect.? Ive never ordered or dealt with them so maybe someone can figure it out if they want/