It’s June and we don’t have a nectarine thread yet, so I’ll get us started. Snack time is my first nectarine to ripen. It is sweet enough to eat crunchy, but really shines when it first starts to soften. What are your favorite early nectarines?
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I like Arctic Star better than Snack Time. Arctic Star is about a week earlier, low acid, and sweeter. Snack time is good if one likes the acidic taste. I like it just not as well. Yours are bigger than mine. And I’m surprised they’re ripe already in Z7.
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I grafted Arctic star this spring, really looking forward to it.
As far as ripening time, we had zero, zilch, nada freeze events after the tree started blooming in early march so all the flowers survived. That is probably why it has ripe fruit this soon. And it’s truly ripe, no split pits or bug damage.
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I purchased Honey Halo last year. The leaves was blue and it hardly grew. I blame the nursery for over fertilizing the tree. This year the leaves are green and it’s growing again. It was the first to flowers this year, but it looks to be the last one to finish.
The Snow Queen looks to finish before the Honey Halo. There is only one nectarine and it’s a sample. Got it from Walmart this year. The nursery pruned the tree like a pencil to maximum shipping. I can’t blame the tree this year, but it better produce better next year. At least it’s growing the 1st year, unlike Honey Halo.
The nectarine that came with the house will be the champion. There was significant trunk damage because of borers. Over the 2 - 3 years, it was grafted to peach, almond trees, and to its own suckers. This year the trunk was cut down to chest high with one small branch. That one small branch and suckers that was grafted grow and able to produce big nectarines. It’s the ultimate thinning and will be the 1st one to finish. In addition, the 2 cuttings from 2 -3 years ago are producing fruits too.
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Honey Halo was a shy bearer for me this year. It has about 10% of the fruit density that snack time has, same age and size trees, and spring freezes arent the issue. Maybe the buds are more sensitive to mid winter lows than any other nectarine.
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My Honey Halo has good fruit set, not very heavy and not very light. It is excellent tasting, one of the best yellow flesh, low acid nectarines. I actually have a tree and half of it.
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I’m curious if anyone has seen greater difficulty in growing a nectarine tree to maturity from seed, as opposed to a peach? I know they’re effectively the same thing, with nectarines just having a single recessive gene as opposed to (fuzzy) peaches. But…
Last year I started some nectarine seeds in a pot and thinned out the weaker ones leaving only one strong candidate. It got to perhaps 18" tall and was looking good, then all of a sudden wilted and died. This year I put more nectarine seeds in a pot and when 3 sprouted, did not thin any. I intended to leave all and plant them out in my orchard and only thin to one much later.
All reached perhaps the 5" point before one of them wilted and died ~2 weeks ago, and now another one today. So just curious if this a common occurrence with them.
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Any thoughts on Carene or Jade? Are they in the same window as arctic star?
I have about 100 seedlings going this spring but they were all mixed in with peach so no conclusions can be made.
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Honey Halo fruit is light compare to the other nectarines. Maybe it have a small pit? Since my tree is young, a heavy fruit set is not ideal. Hopefully the taste will stand out. I got it because it’s different and it’s my 1st doughnut shape nectarine. I hope to taste one late June or early July.
My faves are Harko and Mericrest. The white nectarines I’ve tried are too bland for me. I like the ones with some ZIP!
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Where are all the photos, “guys”??? Show us whatcha got! 
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This is not the show me you pics thread. Per your request, post some naked nectarines for your pleasure and then some. I may post the rest later on.
Small tree from cutting. Despite its size, it’s able to bear fruits.
This parent nectarine was cut chest high this year. The grafted suckers and the single nectarine branch was able to produce fruits.
Honey Halo after 1 year. May finally be able to taste one by the end of June.
My only Snow Queen fruit. According to DWN, it’s one of the best taste.
Since you like Pom, here is my Pom.
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Beautiful view! Nice nectarines. Cute kid!
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Where did you guys get the Honey Halo nectarine trees?
Same here the last frost was last frost and about a week earlier than the average last frost. But Lord has it ever been wet every since. Just the past two days, we got 2.5 inches of rain Friday and well over 1 inch last night. Ground is too wet to mow the grass. I was watching the honey bees loving all the dutch white clover.
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I bought a tree from tommorrows harvest the last spring before it became a zombie website.
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I had a friend send me scions, and I grafted it to a tree and half. I can send you scions in the winter, but I thought you had it.
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