In our fields above Monte Carasso (Bellinzona, Ticino) there are now about 200 different citrus trees planted in the ground, including 100 satsuma mandarin trees of various varieties.
On April 10, they all started their first growing season well, despite a cold snap last week. On satsumas, yuzus, pomelos and citrangequat, young shoots are multiplying.

Tiny leaves and flower embryos on a satsuma Owari (Citrus unshui).

The last cold weather (0 to 1 degree at night) did not stop the growth.

The yuzus (Citrus junos) have also started well. It is important to keep them well watered, given the lack of rain.

A No1 yuzu, a variety selected in the south of France, planted only one month ago.

It starts well its first year in the ground.

An Enzo grapefruit planted in early March (Citrus paradisi).
We removed all the leaves, to encourage a quick recovery and obviously it worked. This is a tree that we received bare root, which is always tricky with citrus. Unlike conventional fruit trees (apple, cherry, etc.) citrus trees are never completely dormant, their transportation in bare roots has advantages (of space) but also presents risks.

This one found itself immediately at ease, it develops new branches everywhere. Already 130cm high in April, it will probably be 180cm or more by the end of the summer.

These leaves of a few millimeters will be 10 to 15 cm in a few weeks. Citrus trees grow fast when the environment is right for them.

The satsumas on the other hand still have last year’s leaves, but they are preparing to renew them.

They have a bushy growth, with many new branches to the bottom of the trunk.
They should be allowed to grow as much as they want, especially not to remove the low branches during the first three years. We just shorten the branches that are too long in March.
The training pruning will start in the 4th year, with the selection of the master branches.

A Thomasville citrangequat (Fortunella x (Poncirus x Citrus sinensis)), also planted in early March this year. This one was in pot and very small (40cm), we left all its leaves.
The first citrangequats, trigenic hybrids kumquat-poncirus-orange, were created by W.T. Swingle in 1909. The Thomasville, named after the town in Georgia (USA) where it first bloomed, is probably the most popular, for its large fruits (it remains a kumquat… 4 to 6cm) and for its hardiness.

It starts quietly. The new shoots are concentrated at the top of the plant for the moment. We’ll see if he can already give some fruits this year.

We finish in colors: tulips and black cabbage (kale) in flower.