About Orange Tree

Orange, the delectable pulpy fruit, belongs to the genus citrus, the other famous members of which include the lemon, lime and grapefruit.

The scientific name of the sweet variety of orange is citrus sinensis, while the bitter variety is called citrus aurantium. The name of the fruit is presumably derived from the Sanskrit Nāraṅgaḥ and Telugu Naringa, which after moving through different languages such as Persian, Armenian, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Latin, Italian and French, ultimately become orange in English. The fruit is covered by a bright yellow to orange-colored skin, known as the epicarp and a thick, spongy mesocarp that lies beneath the epicarp. The internal part is called the pulp, which is divided into several individual segments, that contain the actual pulp and the juicy fruit. The orange plant is believed to be a native of Southeast Asia, mainly in southeast and northeast India. Different varieties were grown in both the regions of India, which dates back almost 7000 years. The fruit was mainly used in various dishes, for the excellent flavor that it imparts. Many historians are of the opinion that it was grown in the orchards of China by the beginning of the 1st century millennium. Soon, the nobility grew fond of this delightful fruit, which gave rise to a growing competition among cultivators to produce larger and tastier oranges in order to please them.
l

About Sunflower

Helianthus, is the genus to which the sunflower belongs. It is a combination of two words viz., Helios meaning sun and Anthos meaning flower. It is the national flower of Ukraine and dates back to nearly 3000 years.

The Great Russian ruler Peter, while visiting Holland, was so fascinated by its charm, that he took sunflower seeds back with him to Russia. The first evidence of domestication of the sunflower as a crop comes from the region called Mesoamerica, as early as 2600 B.C. It has been found that the natives of this region consumed the seeds of the sunflower plant as they were rich in calcium. Apart from being used for consumption purposes, the plant had numerous other uses, especially for native Americans - a dye of yellow color was extracted from its petals, oil that was extracted was used for painting the body during religious ceremonies, the stems produced an extraordinarily light fiber, and the time of the blooming of the flowers determined dates in the hunting calendar. A sunflower head is made up of 1,000 to 2,000 individual flowers, that are joined at the base. The large petals that are found around the edge are individual ray flowers, which do not develop into seeds. A single sunflower can have up to 2,000 seeds.
A domesticated sunflower has a single stem and a large seed-head. This is in contrast to the wild variety that is highly branched with small heads and seeds. A sunflower plant can grow from 3 feet to 18 feet tall, and requires only 90 to 100 days to mature.

About Blueberry

It is a popular fruit the world over, which is why blueberry cultivation spread from the US to many other countries. The blueberry bush is native to North America. Technically, the blueberry is a flowering plant. It belongs to the Vaccinium genus and the Cyanococcus section. According to their sizes the blueberry plants are divided into two sections. The first is the wild blueberry or the "low bush blueberries". The second section is that of the "high bush blueberry". The average height of any blueberry bush is about 10 cm to 4 m. The leaves can be either deciduous or evergreen. The blueberry bush starts bearing fruits in late April and this continues till the month of June. The best quality of these berries are seen in July, which is the National Blueberry Month in nations like United States of America and Germany The diameter of a blueberry is about 5 to 16 mm. There is a flared up crown at the end of the fruit. The blueberry at the initial period of its growth is greenish in color. Tasting such a greenish berry is not very advisable as the berry tends to be very sour and sticky on the inside.

The berry then bears a reddish-purple kind of shade. The blueberries upon ripening, turn into a shade of indigo and also taste sweet, along with a slight tinge of sourness. By the end of June and beginning of July you can finally relish the blueberry.

About Cherry

The cherry fruit is part of the Rosaceae family which also includes almonds, peaches, apricots and plums.

They are small and fleshy, red or reddish black fruits that contain a hard seed on the inside. It is believed the Romans discovered this fruit in Asia Minor around 70 BC. They then introduced these cherries to Britain in the first century AD. Available in many species, the two kinds that are commonly eaten are the wild or sweet cherry Prunus avium and the sour cherry Prunus Cerasus. Cherries are known to have a very short fruiting season. Areas of Northern America see these cherries as the first ones to ripen amongst other fruits; therefore the term 'in cherry condition' has been derived which means something new.
Michigan has around 35,000 acres of tart cherry trees. This place grows almost 75% of the tart cherries which are produced in the United States. The Traverse City is therefore called the Cherry Capital of the World. Depending on the conditions of the growth, about 7,000 cherries grow on an average tart cherry tree. A cherry pie is made out of about 250 cherries. Thus, 28 pies can be made with the cherries from one tree.
150 to 200 pounds of tart cherries are produced annually in Michigan which has almost 4 million cherry trees.

About Raspberry

Raspberry agreeably tastes best in its original form as is the case with many other fruits, it can also be used to make some scrumptious desserts.

Raspberry can be grown in vegetable gardens or greenhouses. In terms of fruit bearing, there are two raspberry types, namely, June-bearing and fall. The former crop, as the name suggests, bears fruit in June or July; whereas, the latter crop is ever bearing and bears two harvests per season. For better crop yield, it is important that the fruits are not exposed to extreme climates like very hot or cold conditions. Besides this, if the soil is too wet, then the fruits are susceptible to fungal infections. Keeping this in mind, many cultivators prefer crop cultivation during spring or summer. For proper maintenance of the Raspberry plants, it is advisable to prune them to a manageable size using sharp garden tools. While doing so, it is advisable to wear thick gloves to protect from the thorns. Raspberry pruning is done twice a year, first in the late winter or early spring and second in summer.

About Strawberry

Strawberry is a small, sweet, fleshy red fruit dotted with small seeds and a tiny green leafy cap.

Strawberries are one of the most attractive fruits and a sure shot favorite of millions. This guide provides information and tips on growing strawberry plants, planting strawberry varieties, how to plant and grow strawberries in containers and hanging pots, and interesting facts about strawberries.The strawberry is a native plant of North America. The name 'strawberry', that it holds is derived from a farmers' practice of mulching the plant with straw. There is one more theory about the origin of the word strawberry. Strawberries being abundant in nature, was not cultivated as a cash-crop. Strawberries strewn among fallen leaves was a common sight in olden days. This might have led to the development of the word strawberry from the two words, 'strewn' and 'berries'. In England, children used to pick strawberries scattered in the wild and sell them in local markets. In order to handle them properly, the strawberries were tied to pieces of straws. Varieties of strawberries are also found in Europe. The history of strawberry in Italy can be traced back to 234 BC.

About Pear Tree

Pear trees start from seeds. The process is slow, taking several years to get from seedling to a small tree that can be transplanted in the soil.

It takes at least 4 years for a pear tree to reach maturity and start producing fruit.Slightly acidic soil that is well drained is the best place to position these trees. They do especially well in the cool temperatures but can also thrive in full sun, giving testament to their versatility.The particular type of pear tree is also a factor in the environment in which they do best. It's best to research the ideal growing conditions for each variety. Pears not only taste delicious, they are also part of a healthy diet. Containing high levels of vitamins A and C, as well as a significant level of copper and potassium, the pear can add important nutrients to the daily diet.