Technical sheet for the Honey Sugar® nectarine variety with yellow flesh
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Fruit flesh color: Yellow
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Skin color: Very bright shiny red
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Size and shape: Large caliber (2A), round and regular in shape
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Tree Size: Medium vigor with a semi-erect habit
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Fruit Maturity: Approximately 5 days after Honey Glo® variety
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Fruit taste: Sweet, aromatic, excellent
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Earliness of the variety: Seasonal
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Fruiting period In season
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Disease resistance and storage: Very good firmness with slow development after harvest.
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Variety yield: Very productive with high tonnage potential (up to 45 T/ha)
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Is this variety self-fertile? Yes
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Commercial use: Suitable for fresh consumption and processing (jams, desserts, juices). Good resistance for distribution and export.
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Is this a COV variety? Yes
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Comments: Modern fruit with exceptional taste qualities. Smooth and clean skin. Large free stone. Fast fruit set. Suitable for all production areas. Breeder Zaiger Genetics (USA).
Quick read / the essentials on Nectarinier Honey Sugar®
The Honey Sugar® variety is a late-season, yellow-fleshed nectarine, selected by Zaiger Genetics in California. It is now distributed in Europe by International Plant Selection (IPS), under VOC protection. The fruits have a size 2A , a very bright garnet red skin , and a juicy, firm and sweet yellow flesh , with a high Brix degree (14 to 16) . Their excellent post-harvest stability, combined with a slow development, makes them an ideal variety for long circuits and demanding markets.
Arboriverse , a specialist wholesale supplier of nectarine plants , offers you this highly profitable variety, perfectly suited to planting in France. Thanks to its semi-erect habit, moderate vigor, rapid fruiting (from the 2nd year) and self-fertility, Honey Sugar® is easy to grow and compatible with different growing systems.
Buying Honey Sugar® nectarine plants from Arboriverse means benefiting from certified plants, selected for their health and adaptability. As a specialist wholesale supplier of nectarine plants , we support you from soil and climate analysis to choosing the optimal rootstock (GF 677, Montclar, Cadaman®, Garnem, etc.). Buying Honey Sugar® nectarine plants means choosing a premium nectarine that is productive, aesthetically pleasing, and delicious.
Origin and status of the variety
The yellow-fleshed nectarine Honey Sugar® is a variety developed in California by Zaiger Genetics , a breeder renowned for its “Honey” series specializing in sweet and attractive varieties. It is protected by a Plant Variety Certificate (PVC) and distributed in Europe via International Plant Selection .
Fruit characteristics
The fruits have a size 2A , corresponding to a medium to large size, very popular on professional markets. The shape is round and regular , and the stone is free , of medium to large size.
The flesh is yellow , very sweet (Brix level 14 to 16 ), juicy and aromatic , with a firm texture. The taste is sweet , sometimes described as reminiscent of honey, in keeping with the taste signature of the HONEY range.
The skin is bright garnet red , very shiny and attractive , with a smooth and clean surface, which gives it an excellent commercial presentation . Although not described in all initial sources, this bright color seems to be confirmed by comparisons with other close varieties.
The fruit has very good firmness and slow post-harvest development , making it suitable for commercial logistics and export. This post-harvest stability allows for flexible packaging and extended storage .
Maturity period and harvest
Honey Sugar® is a late season variety , maturing about 5 days after Honey Glo® . In France, this typically places harvest between late July and early August , depending on regional weather conditions.
Fruiting is rapid , with production starting in the second or third year after planting, which optimizes the return on investment.
Tree and vegetative behavior
The tree displays medium to medium-low vigor , and a semi-erect habit . This architecture makes it suitable for modern training systems , facilitating pruning, thinning and harvesting.
The mature height of the tree is generally between 3 and 5 meters . No specific staking requirements have been identified, but it is still recommended to provide some in the first few years to support initial development.
Fertility and pollination
Honey Sugar® is a self-fertile variety , requiring no specific pollinator to fruit effectively. However, as with many fruit species, the presence of other compatible varieties can encourage cross-pollination and improve yields.
Resistances and sensitivities
Although little specific information is available on pathological resistance, good general disease tolerance is mentioned in one source. Nevertheless, vigilance is still required in the face of classic risks in nectarine trees: peach leaf curl, brown rot, powdery mildew . It is recommended to implement a reasoned preventive strategy.
No specific resistance to pests has been documented. Aphid, scale insect, and Mediterranean fruit fly populations should be monitored , particularly in spring and during the ripening period.
Sensitivities to drought, limestone and root asphyxiation are not specifically mentioned for this variety. These parameters will be largely determined by the choice of rootstock .
Compatible and recommended rootstocks
For cultivation in France, the following rootstocks are recognized as compatible with Honey Sugar® :
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GF 677 : very vigorous, suitable for calcareous and dry soils .
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Cadaman® : vigorous, well adapted to heavy soils and resistant to root asphyxiation .
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Montclar® : medium vigor, suitable for light and balanced soils .
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Rubira : not very vigorous, suitable for small gardens or dense cultivation.
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Saint Julien INRA 2 : well suited to clay and humid soils .
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Peach tree franc : recommended for deep, healthy soils with little limestone.
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Prunus Garnem : tolerant of poor and dry soils , resistant to nematodes .
The final choice of rootstock must be made according to the soil and climate conditions of the plot and the production objectives .
Economic and commercial potential
The average yield observed is estimated at 45 tonnes per hectare . Under optimal conditions, an adult tree can produce between 20 and 30 kg of fruit per year , with peaks of up to 68 kg depending on planting density and cultivation management.
The main use of Honey Sugar® is fresh consumption , thanks to its high taste quality , firmness , and exceptional presentation . It is particularly suitable for direct sales, mass distribution and export markets .
It can also be suitable for artisanal processing (juice, compotes, jams), but this is not its preferred outlet.
Conclusion
Honey Sugar® is a mid- to late-season yellow nectarine that is very sweet , firm and visually appealing , offering excellent potential for producers focused on the fresh market . Self-fertile, vigorous but easy to grow, it is ideal for a high-end commercial development strategy.
Thanks to its exceptional post-harvest performance , its attractive visual appearance and its stable productivity , it is a safe bet to include in a structured varietal calendar .
To summarize: Nectarine Honey Sugar®
Honey Sugar® is a yellow-fleshed nectarine variety designed to meet the needs of professional producers aiming for a high-quality and regular production in the period from late July to early August . It combines a high sugar content , stable commercial size , firm and juicy flesh , and an attractive garnet-red presentation . Suitable for fresh consumption, it effectively promotes short supply chains as well as export outlets.
Thanks to its self-fertility and rapid fruiting, it guarantees an early return on investment. Its compatibility with common rootstocks (GF 677, Cadaman®, Montclar, Saint Julien INRA 2, etc.) allows for optimized planting according to soil constraints and crop objectives.
Arboriverse , a specialist wholesale supplier of nectarine plants , offers Honey Sugar® in its range of premium varieties for French producers. With an average yield estimated at 45 tonnes/ha , and observed performances of up to 68 kg/tree , it is positioned as a safe bet in a structured production program.
Buying Honey Sugar® nectarine plants means ensuring a high-quality offer on the fresh produce market at the end of the season, while benefiting from the technical support and expertise of a specialist nectarine plant wholesaler . Buying Honey Sugar® nectarine plants means investing in a profitable, stable, and visually irresistible variety for the end consumer.
