Oh Fruitnut, once again, you've outdone yourself. What I like about your photos is that you make the fruit look as if we can taste it! It would make a fabulous tart without the need of sugar I bet! Wish I could grow nectarines. Brix?

These are about 20-22 brix which gives great fruit on this variety. The tree is 8 yrs old, deep rooted, and has had the top cut back a lot. That doesn't allow the real high brix as I can't stress the tree enough.

Fruit-

What is your latest ripening nectarine? What is your latest ripening stonefruit?

I need to grow one of these Honey series fruits..

Arctic Snow is my latest about September first. Flavor Treat pluot is about a month later.

You could grow Honey Royale if you manage Flavor King this year. As it's earlier by about a week. They'd both probably do better in that high tunnel you have planned.

If only one get Honey Royale from ACN. Otherwise get both Honey Blaze and Royale. For anyone who doesn't know both are available from Adam's County Nursery.

Clemson University had this to say for 2012 (grown at Musser Research Farm):

"Notes

Low set, suture bulge, split pits, uneven halves, oblong, tips, good sweet taste
Description

Plant Patent #12008 (Zaiger Genetics, Modesto, CA, 2001). A new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which is of large size, vigorous, upright growth and a regular and productive bearer of large, freestone, yellow flesh fruit with excellent flavor and eating quality. The fruit is further characterized by having firm flesh with good handling and shipping quality, the flesh being moderately juicy with a mild, sweet, sub-acid flavor, with the ability to hold firm on the tree for 2 weeks after maturity (shipping ripe), and having a high degree of attractive red skin color. In comparison to the Honey Kist Nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,333), which has a similar mild, sweet, sub-acid flavor, the new variety produces fruit that is larger in size and is approximately 25 days later in maturity. "

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Adams County does not ship to California (how I WISH these places would put that on their main web page instead of burying it on the "check out" page)

Carla in Sac

Frank:

That description admits that they pick two weeks before ripe. Picked that early I think the quality can't possibly be all that good.

Carla:

Not sure why DWN won't sell Honey Royale or Honey Blaze retail in CA when they allow ACN to sell it all across the rest of the country. Maybe they don't rate it high enough quality. I'm eating Arctic Jay also right now and I prefer the Royale based on flavor not sweetness, both are very sweet.

Quality could be different in CA.