Nectarine
Can I Grow Fantasia?
Fantasia is the classic backyard nectarine — large, freestone, with bright red-over-yellow skin and sweet, aromatic flesh. It's productive, relatively hardy, and the most widely planted nectarine variety.
Growing Requirements
Chill Hours
600
Hardiness Zones
5-6-7-8-9
Harvest
August
Results
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About Fantasia
Fantasia is the classic backyard nectarine — large, freestone, with bright red-over-yellow skin and sweet, aromatic flesh. It's productive, relatively hardy, and the most widely planted nectarine variety.
Fantasia requires 600 chill hours — the number of hours between 32°F and 45°F during winter dormancy. Without enough chill, the tree may fail to flower properly or produce poor fruit.
⚠️ Common Challenges
Smooth skin is more susceptible to brown rot and bacterial spot than fuzzy peaches; needs aggressive thinning.
❌ Common Misconception
Can I grow Fantasia in Zone 10 or warmer?
No. While Fantasia is listed for zones 5-9, it requires 600 chill hours to produce fruit. Warm zones like 10+ typically receive only 200-400 chill hours. The tree may survive but will not fruit reliably. Consider low-chill alternatives like Anna apple (200h) or Tropic Snow peach (200h) instead.
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Variety, rootstock, planting date — and every pruning and harvest after that. Future you will thank you.
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Other Nectarine Varieties
Chill hour data from Open-Meteo Historical Weather API. Variety information compiled from university extension services.