Nectarine 'Madame Blanchette'Prunus persica var. nectarina

These plants are lifted from the nursery field when dormant, and sent to you in late autumn or spring for planting. They often look dead on arrival, but they are just resting in the dormant period and will establish quickly for a strong start in the garden come spring. Set out in prepared soil in holes wide enough and deep enough to lay out the roots. Tread down the planting soil to knock out air pockets. Water well to settle. Apply a mulch to protect roots from cold temperatures. If conditions prevent immediate planting, set roughly into loose soil or a pot of compost (‘heeling in’) to protect the roots. Set these at the same level as they were in the nursery field – you should see a soil line at the base of the stem. Stake trees, taller shrubs and roses to prevent root disturbance.

For more information and guidance check out our Gardening Guides.

Fruit trees do not suffer weed competition well. Keep weeds and grass clear from within a 30cm radius of base of the tree. In spring, while the ground is moist, apply a mulch of well rotted manure or garden compost around the base of the tree, taking care not to mound it up against the stem. This will help to retain moisture throughout the summer. Feed and water nectarine trees regularly during particularly dry periods.

Nectarine may be fan trained against a wall or grown as a bush. When pruning nectarine trees it is important to avoid winter pruning as this leaves them prone to silver leaf disease. To bush train: In the first spring after planting, select 3 or 4 well spaced branches on a clear trunk of at least 75cm (29"), and shorten them by two thirds. Remove the central stem to just above the highest of the selected branches. Remove any laterals below the selected branches.

In the following spring, select 3 or 4 sub laterals on each branch and shorten these by half to create a balanced, open framework. In future years nectarines will require only occasional pruning to remove damaged, badly placed or diseased wood. This should be carried out during April. When fruits are walnut sized they should be thinned to one fruit per cluster, at a spacing of 15cm (6") apart.

Seeds and garden supplies will normally be delivered within the time period stated against each product as detailed above. Plants, bulbs, corms, tubers, shrubs, trees, potatoes, etc. are delivered at the appropriate time for planting or potting on. Delivery times will be stated on the product page above, or in your order acknowledgement page and email.

Orders for packets of seed incur a delivery charge of £2.99.

Orders which include any other products will incur a delivery charge of £6.99.

Where an order includes both packets of seeds and other products, a maximum delivery charge of £7.99 will apply - regardless of the number of items ordered.

Large Non-standard items may incur a higher, lorry delivery charge. Charges will be calculated at checkout, but an example of the lorry charges are listed below.

• Red - £9.99.
• Purple - £2.99.

For more information please visit our delivery charges information page by clicking here.

For more information on how we send your plants please visit our Helpful Guide on plant sizes.