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Today, many are fond of growing exotic crops. Today it is not only unusual and beautiful, but also very affordable. It is easy to buy seedlings of tropical plants in any specialized store. You can even prepare the seed yourself. Gardeners have increasingly begun to grow pomegranate trees on the windowsill or even in the open field. The pomegranate tree blooms very luxuriantly and beautifully, so such a plant will not only please the eye, but will also bring fragrant and tasty fruits.
Biological characteristics
It is customary to say “pomegranate tree”. However, not all gardeners agree with this definition, rightly considering the plant a bush. There is no unambiguous definition of the plant form of the pomegranate. Indeed, even in the relevant specialized literature, culture is defined as a tree-bush. Pomegranate grows in several shoots emanating from one root, which is the leading characteristic of the bush. However, it is possible to successfully grow fruit in one trunk, that is, in the form of a tree.
The pomegranate tree has a powerful root system that reaches great depths in the ground. The plant quickly takes root in a container, so it needs frequent (annual) transplants.
In unprotected soil, the plant is able to reach a height of 3 to 5 meters, and individuals grown at home – about 1,5 meters. There are also so-called dwarf varieties, which are usually used as houseplants.
The pomegranate has a false berry type fruit. It is usually round or oval. The size ranges from 2 cm diameter for domestic varieties to 12 cm intended for human consumption. The weight of one fruit ranges from 0,2 to 0,5 kilograms.
The pomegranate tree is considered to be a long-liver plant – at home it can live for about half a century and consistently bear fruit. In nature, century-old individuals can also bear fruit. Some recognized centenarians are about 300 years old.
Pomegranates ripen on a tree gradually, so you need to harvest in stages, watching the color of the skin. When the air temperature drops, the leaves fall off. However, individuals growing at home behave like evergreens. But still, it is recommended to create a dormant period for the plant, not allowing it to bloom until March (plucking flowers).
Pomegranate is a subtropical plant, where, even in a severe winter, the air temperature does not fall below 10°C. However, an adult can easily withstand even a 15-degree frost without shelter. But still, the culture for the winter should at least be sprinkled with earth.
Video “Growing”
From the video you will learn how to grow pomegranate at home.
Growing as a covering crop
Pomegranate grows and blooms in any soil, even rocky and sandy. Culture does not get along only in saline and swampy areas. The fruit survives drought much better. In addition, he even “loves” her. The place where the fruit is planned to be planted should be well lit, because any shadow negatively affects the fruit. Individuals should also be protected from cold northern winds. On poor soils, it is better to follow the 4×2 planting pattern, and on fertile soils – 5×2 or 5×3, which will help grow more powerful bush-trees.
When growing pomegranates at home, it is worth digging a hole 0,6 meters wide, long and deep, and placing a 10-centimeter layer of grass and the top (most fertile) layer of earth at its bottom. Next, place a bush in the “hole”, deepening another 0,1 meters lower than it grew earlier, and cover it with clay soil with the addition of sand. Experienced gardeners advise planting pomegranates at an angle of 45 °. Indeed, in this way, the plant will form many additional roots, which will increase the strength of the bush and its productivity. In addition, such a bush is easier to cover in winter.
It is worth noting that it is unacceptable to apply fertilizers of any nature to the pits intended for planting individuals.
In the area of u0,1buXNUMXbthe root system, the soil must be compacted and filled with water so that there are no voids between the lobes. Moisturizing is repeated the next day, and the land around the planting is mulched with sawdust or mowed grass (a layer of at least XNUMX meters).
Watering should be done in case of urgent need, but not more often than weekly. In the first year of life, fertilizer individuals are applied foliarly on a green leaf in May and June. It is advisable to use top dressing of a mineral nature (in no case organic). It is permissible to apply Crystalon in the amount of 2 grams per liter of water per bush. The soil is treated superficially to avoid damage to the roots close to the surface. In the second spring of the plant’s life, half a bucket of manure should be poured under the bush. The procedure must be repeated every year.
How to cover in open ground?
It is worth starting the shelter procedure in early November. To do this, wooden stakes are driven in close to the individual, to which an inclined bush is tied. Next, it must be covered with earth with a layer of about 0,15 meters. Over time, the soil will wash out and settle, but such a layer is enough for the pomegranate to survive frosts down to -20 °. It is worth removing shelter from the bushes only after the frosts end completely (usually this is the beginning of May). Until shelters are removed, individuals are at rest. It is not necessary to completely remove them from the ground, it is enough to cut the branches near the stakes and shake off the ground from them, because all the remnants will be washed away by the rains.
Trimming
It is necessary to trim the fruit bushes, as they will only bear fruit on the shoots of this year. Old branches will not bear fruit, so they need to be cut as low as possible. Then there will be many branches with fruits.
Growing in tubs
For growing in tubs, the plant can be formed as a trunk with 5 skeletal branches or a bush with 4 trunks. In this case, the height of the plant should be 0,5 – 0,6 meters. Old dry shoots are eliminated in May.
Particular attention should be paid to shoots growing inward. After the culture drops its leaves, the tub is brought into a cold cellar.
Pomegranate does not need chemical treatments, since in our territories the plant is not exposed to diseases and pest attacks.
Reproduction
Growing a pomegranate bush from a seed is very simple, but an individual does not always inherit parental qualities. From the seed of a large and sweet fruit, you can get seedlings with fruits that cannot be consumed. Therefore, it is worth buying harvested seedlings at specialized points of sale.
When choosing seedlings, it is worth considering that the following varieties are best suited for growing at home:
- Crimean striped, which has large dark red fruits and a thin peel. Such fruits ripen early enough.
- Gulosha pink – a variety bred in Turkmenistan. It has large, oval light pink fruits with a thin skin. Their maturity is medium.
So, pomegranate is suitable for home cultivation of organic fruits. And its flowering bush will delight you with a pleasant aroma.
Video “Reproduction”
From the video you will learn how to propagate pomegranates.
