How pomegranate blossoms and what pomegranate flowers look like

Trees

A blooming pomegranate is a truly beautiful sight. Before one flower has time to fall, a new one appears, and this process continues throughout the entire flowering period. However, not everyone succeeds in achieving buds and fruit sets. To ensure this happens, it's necessary to understand all the intricacies of this process, create favorable conditions, and provide the plant with proper care.

Plant characteristics

Pomegranate is a long-lived plant. Its maximum height ranges from 5 to 6 meters in the subtropics and up to 20 cm when grown indoors. Its distinctive characteristics include the following:

thin thorny branches;
oval leaves of green color, slightly shiny;
orange-red flowers in the shape of a bell or jug;
fruit with a brown-red or orange-yellow skin.

Fruit ripens only on mature plants over three years old. The total fruiting period, depending on age, ranges from seven to 40 years. Pomegranates bloom only under optimal conditions and with proper care.

Note!

Coffee tree, indoor lemon, orange, mango and date palm varieties grow well at home.

How it blooms and why it doesn't

The appearance of a pomegranate flower depends largely on its variety. When grown indoors, it blooms twice: first between mid-April and mid-May, then in early August. The blooming period is very short, lasting only 3-5 days, after which it sheds. One flower follows another, and so on ad infinitum. During this period, the pomegranate begins to present a luxurious bouquet. This may not happen for several reasons:

Damage and disease. Pomegranates usually fail to bloom due to powdery mildew, gray mold, phomozoma, whitefly, and codling moth. These can be controlled with specialized pesticides, such as Derris or Fitoverm.
Underwatering. Monitor the soil; if it remains dry for too long, the plant will quickly wither.
Freezing. Pomegranates thrive only at temperatures between 20-23 degrees Celsius. If exposed to unfavorable conditions, they will begin to die.
Poor lighting. The plant requires 8 hours of daily light; provide artificial lighting if necessary. If it remains in the shade for extended periods, flowering may not occur.
Dry air. If there's no humidifier in the room, mist the plant's leaves regularly and place flowers with large leaves nearby to evaporate the moisture.
Wrong variety. There are some pomegranate varieties that don't bloom. In that case, graft a cutting from a productive plant onto it.

Type of pomegranate flowers

Pomegranate flowering varieties differ from each other in photos and in reality. They vary in color, size, and shape. There are two main types:

Pitcher-shaped flowers. Distinguished by their elongated pistils, which later develop into fruits. They are self-pollinating. They are rarely found on a flower, occurring in 10% of cases.
Bell-shaped flowers. Characterized by short pistils, they are empty, and therefore do not produce fruit. They account for 90% of all pomegranate blossoms.

Only on the pitcher-shaped flower of the pomegranate tree does the fruit begin to form in the fall. When grown indoors, they are characterized by a dwarf size, and the skin of the edible fruit can range in color from orange to deep red. It is thin and difficult to peel.

Note!

Ripe, juicy pomegranates grow only in the subtropics. In central Russia, growing them outdoors is difficult. Even when grown indoors in flowerpots, even with proper care and proper conditions, they turn out sour.

Pomegranate blossoms in nature

The pomegranate tree is native to Iran, so its natural habitat is a dry desert climate. Its flowering period presents an unparalleled landscape. First, abundant foliage appears, ranging in color from a soft yellow to a vibrant emerald. A few days later, buds emerge. This occurs from early summer to early fall. This process is continuous, so a single branch may simultaneously contain developing and ripened fruits, buds, and unopened buds.

What do the deadlines depend on?

The timing and nature of pomegranate blossom bloom depends solely on the growing conditions. In warm climates, this occurs in the summer, for example in Georgia, Abkhazia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, while in subtropical regions, it can continue year-round. When growing in unfavorable climates, provide the plant with artificial light and heat. However, even in this case, only empty "male" flowers, which are incapable of forming ovaries, may develop.

How many years does it take for a pomegranate to bloom after planting?

The initial method for growing a flowering pomegranate is by planting a seed. After this, the plant grows and matures, becoming capable of flowering and fruiting in 3-5 years. Propagation by cuttings proceeds more quickly, with flowering occurring within 1-2 years, but the first fruits will only appear after 3-4 years.

How to improve flowering

Fruit plants look beautiful in photographs, but in reality, they don't always bloom. This process can be influenced by several agricultural practices:

From March to August, feed the plant every 10-15 days with a special fertilizer. Dilute cowsfoot and water in a 1:15 ratio, adding 1 g of nitrogen fertilizer, 0.5 g of potassium fertilizer, and 1.2 g of superphosphate.
When growing indoors, transplant the tree into a larger container. You can also replace the soil. The plant grows best in a light, nutritious soil, a mixture of equal parts turf, leaf mold, and humus. Additionally, fertilize it with lime plaster, sand, and bone meal.
If your pomegranate is blooming for the first time, pinch off the buds before they open. This will artificially give it a rest period, resulting in more flowers next season.
During the dormant period, move the pomegranate to a cool location with temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius. Reduce soil watering to once a day for young trees and once a month for mature plants.

During flowering, the plant may begin to drop heavily. This is a natural process when sterile, male flowers fall to the ground. Flowers capable of producing fruit may drop only due to adverse factors, such as soil depletion, improper care, disease, and pests.

Care tips

To succeed in growing pomegranates and have them bloom beautifully, consider a few important points:

As autumn approaches, reduce the amount of watering and fertilizing and let the plant rest;
Before the period of ovary formation, additionally feed it with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer;
During the flowering period, leave only large and viable ovaries, remove the rest so that they do not interfere with the full growth of the fruit;
Prune regularly, removing small branches.

The pomegranate's native land is the warm tropics; it thrives only with prolonged exposure to sunlight and a warm climate. However, tasty, juicy fruits can also be grown in a greenhouse in central Russia or at home, provided the plant is provided with suitable conditions and proper care.