HARDY PLANTS

Fruit trees setting

In Ticino, for most fruit trees, the second half of April is the time of fruit set, that critical phase when the fruits are formed and the harvest is already decided. Of course, afterwards, many disasters can still happen, such as hail, diseases or pests, but if the fruit set is missed, nothing can make up for it. Let’s take a tour to observe these tiny fruits and their promise.

Apple trees (Malus communis)

Good number of small fruits on the earliest trees.
They have resisted well to the heavy rains of the last days. This one is a Fuji apple tree.

Paw-Paw (Asimina triloba)

The paw-paws are not yet in the fruit set stage, they have just come out with their flowers. The fruits will be ready in the fall, they look like mangoes but taste like bananas.

Peach trees (Prunus persica)

The floors are well loaded. Unfortunately there is a little blistering. The garlic juice did not work, despite repeated applications. We’ll have to try something else next year.
But this did not compromise the fruit set.

Plum tree (Prunus domestica)

Very few small fruits on the plum trees. This one is the only one to carry some.
The plum trees bloom early. The flowers suffered from the last cold weather, around April 12 it was 0/-1 degrees during the night. Unfortunately, this is common.

Bilberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)

American blueberries (giant blueberries) are covered in clusters.
They are very reliable and produce a lot every year. The real test is the harvest. One by one.

Aronia (Aronia melanocarpa)

The aronia is still in bloom. This plant is 8 years old and 2.5 meters high.
The aronia is sought after for its anti-oxidant properties. The fruit is like tiny black apples, very astringent, we haven’t figured out how to use it yet, because even the jam is astringent, rather unpleasant.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia, Amelanchier canadensis)

This saskatoon tree is ten years old and over three meters high. It is an alnifolia grafted on a canadensis. Some canadensis regrowth came out at the base and I let it grow, which is something you usually avoid.
Fruits of canadensis. I find them better than those of the alnifolia. But you have to pick them one by one, while the alnifolia can be picked in whole bunches. The tree carries both, everyone can choose their favorite.

Wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca)

Some wild strawberries are already ripe. They grow spontaneously.
The plants will continue to produce them until the first heat. Then everything dries and it’s over until the next spring.

Currants (Ribes rubrum)

The currants are well advanced.
The currant bushes are very reliable, with a little more fruit each year, both red and white.

Fig tree (Ficus carica)

This fig tree is a biferous, which means that it produces twice a year.
These figs are from last year and spent the winter on the branch. They are picked in June. Many more figs will appear soon, to be picked in September.

Japanese medlar (Eriobotrya japonica)

This tree is 20 years old and exceeds 5 meters in height and width.
The flowering is in the middle of winter and the fruit production is rather low. This year he has more than usual.

Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa)

The uva-crispa is very thorny and spreads by itself.
Not much fruit so far, but it is still early in the season.

Mountain ash (Sorbus domestica)

The bunches that appeared at the beginning of April were not fruits but flowers.
It is the first year that it blooms, everything is to discover.
On the other side of the valley, the intense rains of the last few days have left some snow on the summits, above 2000 meters.
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