1 yr Old Nectarine Tree In A Pot – How To Care For It During The Winter Months?

Question

Hello, I have a 1 yr old nectarine tree that I germinated the seeds myself last winter and did the cold stratification in the fridge for a few months. Since then, they have live in pots mainly outside in the spring and summer. Now that winter is approaching us, I’m wondering if it will survive the cold and if I should keep it indoors or not. My concern is that it wont get adequate sunlight inside and could freeze and die if left outside. Do you have any recommendations for how I can keep this young tree alive? Thank you for your time. Thanks, Chris [e-mail] www.cyticre.com

Answer 1

They are hardy in your area, and will benefit from that cold. In container, for the first year or two, you will leave it out to go dormant. Once it gets to the coldest part of the year, you can bring it indoors. Put it in the sunniest location possible, or use horticultural lighting to bring it out of dormancy. Once the temperatures stay above freezing, consistently, you can take it outdoors and plant it in ground. You can also choose to keep it in container, but it will be time to transplant to a bigger one, at that point.

Here is an article to help you care for them in container:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/nectarines/growing-nectarines-in-containers.htm