JD Van Deventer's Kwekery/Nursery
Cultivar; Sunlite
Clone Number; SL 593
Origin;USA, (Okinawa x Panamint) 1974
Royalties/ Levies; not enough data
Yield; good, 15kg
Fruit use; fresh,
Type;free
Shelf-life; 3 weeks at -0.5 C
Water requirements; 7155 m3/ha
Sun requirements; at least six hours of full sun, a nectarine tree that is grown in partial shade will not bear as prolifically.
Chill hours; 400 to 600 hours
Pruning; cut off dead or diseased limbs, those that cause the tree to grow too high, you want to keep the nectarine tree short and allow for sunlight to reach as much of the tree as possible... Over pruning can affect yield.
soil requirements; well-draining soils of a pH of 6 to 6.5, sandy or loamy soils are preferable.
Soil depth; at least 600mm
Care; don't mulch against the tree trunk as this can cause disease.
Fertiliser requirements; nitrogen (for encouraging growth), phosphorous/phosphates and potassium are recommended to encourage growth, calcium improves leaf and fruit quality.
Pollination requirements; self-fertile
Successful test-crosses; not necessary
Bloom time;J August
Harvest time; November
Vigor; moderate/ strong
Size and shape; semi upright
Tree age; will start to fruit at 3 to 4 years, and will reach peak yields at the age of 6 to 8.
Average life span; approximately 12 years depending on the rootstock used.
Susceptibility to pests and disease; normal
General notes; can be used for local and export markets, fruit is small.