Nectarine 'Crystal Rose'

This tree has lovely, showy blooms which are most plentiful in early-April.

Nectarine trees are small to medium-sized shor...Read Moret-lived trees, only living for about 12 years. They are often grafted onto other rootstocks, similar to apple trees, which controls maximum height. This is almost always the case with cultivars such as Crystal Rose. Pruning also determines the height. Most folks prune the tree so that fruits can always be harvested from the ground. Pruning in this way does not seem to affect fruit yield.

As for fruit yield, nectarine trees have a tendancy to produce more fruit than the tree can bear. Thinning fruit just after fruits are set can do several things. First, thinning fruit will allow air to circulate better, thus the concerns with fruit rots will be minimized. Second, it will provide for the remaining fruit to be tastier and have better color. Last, it is actually better for the tree. If too many fruits reach maturity, it can cause the branches to break.