A couple of happy late surprises to report. I started a dozen of the Fiaschetto X Black Cherry F2's, but only ended up growing seven of them - not nearly enough to expect to find a determinate black cherry... but I have one!
The 'determinate' growth habit is on the lanky side, but I'll take it, one to two leaves between clusters means more fruit per yardage, that's what I wanted. So one of two determinates in that group of seven has ripened and is black... yippee! It also ripened the first fruit while it is still flowering and setting - a trait that I like, which is missing in the determinate parent Napoli a Fiaschetto (ripens only after flowering has stopped).
Next happy surprise is that a couple of late crosses with this determinate black F2 have taken and are starting to swell. After a lot of mulling over the words of the experienced breeders, I decided to cross the determinate F2 with the Fiabche F1, to get seed in which 1 of 2 would be determinate. That cross has taken, and 1 of 2 will also be black.
So if there are any traits that need going back to the parent stock, this seed will be a shortcut to the determinate/black combination, one of four instead of one in sixteen.
I also crossed the determinate black F2 with my Zosbe F1 (Zolotoe Serdtse X Black Early) and this one has taken too. I'm not sure what the interplay of semideterminate/determinate trait will be but presuming (okay hoping
) they will act together and produce 1 of 2 semideterminate/determinate plants. 1 of two should be black as well, and one in four should have gf/gf and one Beta allele, producing some interesting combination of orange and black colour. As regards size and shape.... I have no idea.
Perhaps one in four will be a non-cherry.
Anyway, super thrilled to get my 1/16 out of seven plants. Fingers crossed for the little crossed fruit too, that they don't be harmed by any late season pest or disease.
