Arctic Star Nectarine Harvest, 2012
Right now, I'm about half way through my Arctic Star harvest, a harvest that has been nicely spread out over a few weeks and still has time to go. When I was thinking about this tree, I hemmed and hawed, considering this against other varieties. I'm not sure what made me choose Arctic Star over other white nectarines, but I am glad I did. Though the fruit sometimes scald and split, to me, that isn't a problem; the split fruit tend to be even sweeter. The splitting and scalding seem to toughen the skin and sweeten the flesh. The skin is a deep red all over, and some parts of the ripe flesh of a nectarine blush pink. They have a lot of lovely color for a white nectarine.
This tree is on Nemaguard, a rootstock that has very powerfully outperformed the more common Citation rootstock in my garden. The trees on Nemaguard are less precocious, but grow much more aggressively, and deal more effectively with both drought and gopher attack.
On my young tree, I had about four dozen fruit this year. The clingstone fruit are like candy: not sweet and insipid like some other white fleshed peaches and nectarines, but intensely sweet with a bounce of bitter to balance. It seems like bitter would be bad, but in this case it is so, so good, and it isn't much, just enough to keep the fruit very interesting.
This fruit can be eaten while still firm, and it will be sweet and crunchy, but I like them soft ripe and drippy with sugar-juice. I can't imagine a preserve that would maintain the integrity of the special flavor of this fruit, and the fruit is so good, I'm quite happy to eat my harvest fresh. I thought I might share some of these guys this year, but I've been greedy. E and I have been eating all of them except for one, which I gave to a friend while trying to convince him to plant his own Arctic Star.
Tree Details:
This tree is on Nemaguard, a rootstock that has very powerfully outperformed the more common Citation rootstock in my garden. The trees on Nemaguard are less precocious, but grow much more aggressively, and deal more effectively with both drought and gopher attack.
On my young tree, I had about four dozen fruit this year. The clingstone fruit are like candy: not sweet and insipid like some other white fleshed peaches and nectarines, but intensely sweet with a bounce of bitter to balance. It seems like bitter would be bad, but in this case it is so, so good, and it isn't much, just enough to keep the fruit very interesting.
This fruit can be eaten while still firm, and it will be sweet and crunchy, but I like them soft ripe and drippy with sugar-juice. I can't imagine a preserve that would maintain the integrity of the special flavor of this fruit, and the fruit is so good, I'm quite happy to eat my harvest fresh. I thought I might share some of these guys this year, but I've been greedy. E and I have been eating all of them except for one, which I gave to a friend while trying to convince him to plant his own Arctic Star.
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- Arctic Star, a Zaiger introduction patented in 1995, has been in the ground at this property since early 2010.
- It is on Nemaguard rootstock.
- It is heavily mulched, and, during the warm months, watered twice a week on a drip system.
- This is its second crop.
Comments
Michelle: Yes. Hey, are your poppies blooming yet? This year has been a very good year for me, and I am looking at multiple quarts of seed again--so much better than my no-poppy year of 2011.
Erik: if you can, remove and put in the garbage the affected leaves so you help eliminate the fungus from your property so it has less of a chance to carry over next year. Boost the fertilizer to get good growth to make up for all the diseased leaves that aren't doing much of what they are supposed to this year. With what did you spray this winter? I am really sorry to hear about your tree--so frustrating!
I still haven't gotten my plants in the ground (including a Strawberry Guavea and a common variety pomegranate
What I like about home despot is the generous return policy. They have an entire year they give you to kill your purchase - and still get your money back.
I'll have to look up these growers. Thanks for taking the time to tell me about them