JD Van Deventer's Kwekery/Nursery

Cultivar; Bella Nova -NG 226

Clone Number; NG 226

Origin;ARC, SA

Royalties/ Levies; ZAR 7.72 RR2000/ha - 3rd yr, R4000/ha from yr 4

Yield; good, 15kg per tree

Fruit use; dessert nectarine, fresh market

Type; cling

Shelf-life;good, stores and resists bruising well 3 to 5 days in a refrigerator or cold storage

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 lkeep the nectarine tree short and allow for sunlight to reach as much of the tree as possible... Overpruning 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; September

Harvest time; January

Vigor; strong

Size and shape; semi upright tree

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; should be suitable for high density orchards