Nectarine tree grown from seed

The result after eight years.








Crunchy (so not yet fully ripe) but sweet and flavoursome.





I've already started work on propagating another tree:

 

Now that’s impressive, which supermarket did you get the pot from lol

 

I am not certain but it was discarded as waste on the road side. It was saved from landfill and given a new purpose.

 

The flowering period (mid March to early April).






The Morello cherries (white flowers) bloom a little later.





But, they set fruit first:





The nectarines come later.

 

I am not certain but it was discarded and filled with rubbish ready for the bin men to collect. I just rescued it from landfill and repurposed it.

 

To speed up germination, I found it necessary to extract the seed from inside the stone before sowing.




To do this, carefully nip away at the edges to reveal the natural split in the stone with the sidecutters.




Then open the split.




The stones came from a punnet of Morrisons nectarines saved in 2016 and sown in April 2017.

All five germinated within three weeks.

Two died early from extreme weather conditions in 2018 (Beast of The East) and two made it past four years only to killed off by disease introduced through open wounds caused by pests.

The remaining tree spent five years growing in a 2L pot before being transplanted into the basket container pictured above.

 

I've grown peaches from seed, I was sent some stones by @Victoria sister quite a few years ago,it was Indian red peach, I still have a couple of trees but leaf curl is always a problem, though not so much this year.

My apricot grown from seed is loaded with fruit this year .

 

My sister also sent pips to our cousin in Bedfordshire and I understand they had lots of fruit.

 

Many years ago my grandmother grew a peach tree from a stone. It was grown in a consevatory and eventually went on the produce the most wonderful white fleshed, juicy fruit.
It is more hit and miss these days with hybridisation and fruit not coming true, also leaf curl is a big problem everywhere, although maybe with climate changes this may change..
Well done. Eat and enjoy.

 

Do I see old plastic laundry baskets used as planters too? Very creative. The nectarines look amazing.

 

I'm currently eating my way through a kilo of apricots and a kilo of peaches from Lidl, I will have to save seed from both. I adore apricots.

 

My apricots, definitely not ripe yet but have changed colour.

 

I have had several nectarines or peaches germinate in the compost over the years. I remember Geoff Hamilton saying he never had a bad peach from a seed. Usually I pass them on to people with more room than me but your way of growing looks a good idea. One peach I grew against my garage wall but that is east facing and it succumbed to The Beast From The East.

 

I have problems with leaf curl too. About 10-15% of the leaves are affected in a normal year.

Last year was the worst with 60% affected because of the variable and damp weather. It looked so bad by early summer that I completely defoiliated the tree which forced it to produce a second crop of healthier leaves.

This year has been perfect growing conditions with under 10 leaves (not 10%) affected.

 

I am in year 7 of the 'project' with nectarine, peach, and apricot from supermarket fruit. A peach flowered this year, the first seen.
Unfortunately, I arose early one morning to see the tame garden pigeon enjoying the blossoms as his breakfast.
Flying steak sandwich anyone ?

Aside, does anyone know if these trees are likely to cross- pollinate ?