I put my nectarine (container grown) in the polytunnel last autumn to try and avoid the peach leaf curl which kept attacking the plant. That worked, but all the fruit gradually fell off. Does anyone know if the tunnel is just too hot for nectarines? I put my figs in there too and they are doing amazingly well. I'd been thinking about transferring an apricot and a cherry into the tunnel, as the deer keep stripping the branches outside, but perhaps the tunnel is too hot for such fruits (it's big, a 76 footer, and doors at each end kept open as much as possible).
On another note, the sweet corn I planted in tubs in the tunnel (tubs half filled with garden compost and half with bought compost) have been wonderful. They are only planted about 8 inches apart, but each plant has 3-4 cobs, some of which I've already harvested.
Nectarines and other fruits in polytunnel
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FelixLeiter
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mrsbirdland wrote:Does anyone know if the tunnel is just too hot for nectarines?
Not usually. Is it getting enough water? Peach and nectarine fruits should not ever be touched while they are developing, is another factor to consider.
On another note, the sweet corn I planted in tubs in the tunnel (tubs half filled with garden compost and half with bought compost) have been wonderful.
Nice one. I'm assuming the soil in your tunnel is unsuitable for them to be planted out directly.
Allotment, but little achieved.
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mrsbirdland
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Thanks. The no touching rule could be the explanation. I suspect I stroked the lot in my delight at seeing them develop.
And yes, no soil at all. It's on an old sawmill site, and nothing but rocks for about 5 foot down. Very sad.
And yes, no soil at all. It's on an old sawmill site, and nothing but rocks for about 5 foot down. Very sad.
Hi mrsbirdland I have 2 nectarines in my poly tunnel one bought in and the other from a Tesco stone, The bought one has been in for about 4 years and this is the third year of fruiting The one grown from a stone was planted in a pot about 6 years ago? and planted in the tunnel 3 years ago, both have been prolific this year and I sell my spare fruit to my local veg in a box shop, they get lots of queries about "Scottish" Nectarines I also have an Apricot which does well but I think I will have to dig it out because of the room it's taking up even though the fruit is delicious.
It's a 30ft X 14ft tunnel and the bushes take up 12ft of that,very close as you can imagine, drastic pruning is called for but the roof of the tunnel trains the branches in an arch.
Pity you don't have soil in your tunnel so you could grow them to their full potential
Arthur
It's a 30ft X 14ft tunnel and the bushes take up 12ft of that,very close as you can imagine, drastic pruning is called for but the roof of the tunnel trains the branches in an arch.
Pity you don't have soil in your tunnel so you could grow them to their full potential
Arthur
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mrsbirdland
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Hi Arthur. That's reassuring- wish I could have mine in the ground. I won't give up on the nectarine though and I might just try transplanting my apricot into a huge pot and put it in the tunnel. The fig is working so well - just had my first of the season yesterday - but I'm much keener on nectarines and apricots.
Do you feed them anything special by the way? Sounds like your trees are very productive!
Do you feed them anything special by the way? Sounds like your trees are very productive!
No nothing special just a watering can of growmore liquid feed 2 or 3 times during the season.I missed out thinning one branch enough this year and the weight of fruit broke the branch, as it wasn't snapped off altogether I just tied it up to the crop bars and it is still fruiting nicely but a bit behind the rest of the tree which has extended its season by a fortnight.
Arthur
Arthur