Rules and features of growing and caring for pomegranates

The pomegranate is a deciduous fruit shrub or tree from the pomegranate family. According to gardeners, the crop thrives under the southern sun in warmer regions of the country. However, in central Russia, growing pomegranates outdoors is difficult: planting and care require a great deal of attention. Adherence to proper agricultural practices allows for a bountiful harvest of large, juicy fruits, known in specialized literature as "granates."

Features of pomegranate and the nuances of growing it

This perennial plant is also known as "pomegranate" or "pomegranate tree." It thrives on warmth and light. In the wild, the fruits ripen as late as mid-autumn and are orange or reddish-brown in color. Based on typical species, breeders have developed numerous pomegranate varieties and hybrids. These are more winter-hardy and ripen earlier. However, even these improvements haven't made growing pomegranates in the Moscow region and central Russia easy.

The crown of this exotic plant is formed by thin, graceful shoots covered in thorns. When flowering, white or pink inflorescences are observed. The plant easily tolerates drought and short-term frosts. However, temperatures as low as -17°C can cause the above-ground parts to freeze. If such temperatures persist for several days, or the mercury drops below -18°C, the plant is at high risk of dying. The roots will freeze. Since pomegranates have low winter hardiness, comfortable winter temperatures are -10 to -15°C.

Overall, the plant is unpretentious. In conditions similar to natural ones, it develops quickly, not reacting sharply to soil composition, short-term drought, or slight waterlogging. For a pomegranate tree to be healthy and fruitful, the main thing is to choose the right site with well-drained, neutral soil. However, there are two basic rules for growing pomegranates outdoors: plenty of light and warmth. If there's insufficient light, during short, cool summers, growth will stall, and a sharp drop in temperature will simply kill the plant.

Methods of reproduction

Growing pomegranates in your garden isn't just about buying planting material from a garden center. There are a number of propagation methods. Species trees are propagated generatively and vegetatively. Cultivars are propagated exclusively using the latter method, which guarantees the preservation of their characteristics. Each method has its own specific characteristics.

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From the bone

To obtain a strong plant with good productive potential in three years, select a large, fully ripened fruit. Then proceed according to plan:

1. The seeds extracted from the pomegranates are thoroughly cleaned and placed in a pre-prepared solution with a growth stimulator for 10 hours.
2. At this time, the shallow box is filled with loose substrate.
3. The grains are distributed over the surface, lightly pressing down, and sprinkled with a 1.5 cm layer of earth.
4. A greenhouse is created over the crops using film or glass.
5. The covering material is systematically removed for ventilation and humidification.
6. After the seedlings appear, the glass (film) is removed.
7. When the seedlings reach a height of 3-5 cm, they are pricked out.
8. After 3 months, the procedure is repeated, leaving only strong, well-developed specimens.

Cuttings

A popular technique. Its popularity is due not only to its ease of execution but also to its high effectiveness. How to use:

1. In early spring, cuttings are taken - two-year-old shoots are used, from which the middle, 15-20 cm long, with 2-3 buds, is cut out.
2. Place the planting material in a growth stimulator for 2-4 hours to accelerate root formation.
3. The prepared cuttings are planted 10 cm deep in drained, fertile and pre-warmed soil.
4. The plantings are covered with cut bottles, creating greenhouse conditions.
5. After 3-4 months, with regular ventilation and watering, the plants will take root - the pomegranate seedlings can be transplanted into larger containers.
6. The culture is kept indoors until late spring.
7. When the soil warms up and the threat of recurrent frosts has passed, pomegranates are planted in the garden.

Layering

This method is suitable if the site already has a mature plant that has developed into a bush. In mid-spring, when the soil has warmed, a trench is dug near a suitable shoot from the lower tier, into which it is placed after making a cut. It is secured with staples and covered with soil. Throughout the season, the cutting is cared for like the mature plant. If proper cultivation practices are followed, the rooted pomegranate shoot can be planted in its permanent location as early as the following year.

By vaccination

Experienced gardeners resort to a more complex propagation method that guarantees a 100% result (but only if performed correctly). There are several types of grafting: splitting, underbark grafting, and budding. The first two methods are suitable for early spring, while the last is performed only in the fall, when a 15-cm-long cutting from a young plant is prepared and inserted into the tree from the north side. The pomegranate will bloom, confirming successful grafting, after just three years.

Planting a crop

This heat-loving crop is undemanding regarding soil composition and slight waterlogging. However, this doesn't mean one can neglect agricultural requirements, including pomegranate planting guidelines. An important detail is precise timing. This determines the crop's survival and the speed at which it enters the fruiting phase.

Deadlines

Spring is the best time to plant fruit trees in the garden. Typically, the optimal time is late April to early May. The main factor to consider is temperature. If the air has warmed to 10-14°C, you can begin planting. At this temperature, daylight hours increase significantly. If temperatures are unstable, it's best to wait: even short frosts before the pomegranate is fully established can kill it.

Selecting a site and preparing the soil

The plant prefers sunny locations. Heat-loving pomegranates should be grown in a well-lit location, protected from the wind. The plant also thrives in loamy or sandy loam soils with good drainage. To ensure free oxygen access to the roots, the soil structure should be loose. The ideal pH for pomegranate trees is neutral or slightly acidic.

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Prepare the soil for planting at least a month in advance. Clear the area of ​​weeds and dig it over, spreading the compost evenly beforehand. Apply 5 m3/m3.²Organic matter acts as an excellent loosening agent and also enriches the soil with beneficial macronutrients. If the soil is alkaline, superphosphate or high-moor peat is added. The area is then covered with an impermeable material, which allows beneficial microflora to develop.

Open ground planting technology

Once the time has passed, you can plant the pomegranate tree. Here's how:

1. On the prepared site, dig a planting hole with dimensions of 80 x 60 cm, where the first value is the depth, the second is the diameter.
2. A straight and strong peg is installed in the center.
3. Lay a 10 cm drainage layer of expanded clay or gravel (you can even use broken brick).
4. A mound is formed from a fertile soil mixture, which consists of equal proportions of garden soil, humus and sand.
5. Place the seedling on the embankment, straighten the roots and fill the hole with substrate.
6. The plant is tied up.
7. The soil in the tree trunk circle is lightly compacted to avoid air pockets around the roots, which can lead to the development of fungus, and watered.

What to do if it doesn't take root

The pomegranate tree has a high survival rate. If all planting conditions are met correctly, the seedling will root quickly. If the plant wilts after being planted outdoors, ensure all requirements are met. Possible causes:

• an area in heavy shade;
• poor soil composition;
• acidic soil;
• windy place.

If a gardener notices early that a plant isn't taking root after planting, the situation can be rectified. If nutritional deficiencies are present, the soil around the tree trunk is enriched with nitrogen, which stimulates root and aboveground growth, as well as phosphorus and potassium, which ensure normal metabolism and accelerate photosynthesis, transporting essential macro- and micronutrients to the plant's most needed parts.

How to care for a planted pomegranate

Planting a pomegranate in a plot is important, but only the first step. The yield also depends on the quality and regularity of care provided to pomegranates in the open ground. Cultivation techniques include a number of measures: irrigation, loosening, crown formation, and enriching the soil with nutrients, without which full and rapid development is simply impossible. Attention must also be paid to an integrated system of plant protection against harmful insects.

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Soil treatment

To ensure good aeration, the soil is loosened regularly. This cultivation is carried out only after irrigation, which helps avoid damaging the root system. The soil under the bush should be kept clean, promptly removing any emerging weeds. To slow weed growth and maintain a loose soil structure for longer, it is recommended to cover the soil around the tree trunk with mulch.

Watering

Since pomegranate is a drought-resistant plant, it can be watered without watering at all if there is occasional rainfall during the growing season. However, to promote more vigorous growth and fruiting, gardeners water the plant so that the soil around the trunk remains constantly slightly moist. Avoid waterlogging. A signal to add another portion of settled, room-temperature water is when the surface layer dries to a depth of 1-2 cm.

Top dressing and fertilizers

If nutrients were added at planting, the plant should not be fed until the following season. To stimulate vegetative growth, use nitrogen-containing organic fertilizers and fertilizers such as mullein infusion, bird droppings, ammonium nitrate, or urea. Before budding, high-nitrogen fertilizers are replaced with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Superphosphate, nitrophoska, and wood ash have shown good results. Fertilizers can be applied directly to the roots. Fertilizers can be distributed in solid form around the trunk, finishing with watering, or used as a "nutrient irrigation."

Crown formation and pruning

Pomegranates are grown as either trees or shrubs. In the former case, a low trunk is formed, beginning pruning of the central stem once it reaches a height of 75 cm. Low-growing branches are removed, leaving 4-5 developed branches as skeletal branches. Pomegranates are pruned annually for sanitary purposes, removing dry, broken, and weak shoots. New growth is shortened by a third in the fall, stimulating further growth and branching.

Protection from diseases and pests

This exotic plant has excellent immunity. Among its diseases, only one common one stands out: branch canker. Its development is triggered by severe frost. The disease manifests itself as cracking of the bark and ulcers. If a gardener detects this, the diseased shoots are removed down to healthy tissue, and the cuts are treated with a fungicide. Pests that attack pomegranate trees include aphids and codling moths.

They are controlled using insecticides, following the manufacturer's instructions on the product packaging. Treatment should be carried out during the fruit formation stage, as the larvae infest pomegranates.

Preparing for winter

This is an important step, without which it will be impossible to grow a heat-loving plant in the temperate zone. Preparatory work consists of several steps:

1. After harvest, pomegranates are sprayed with a copper-containing fungicide to destroy any remaining pathogens.
2. Before the onset of cold weather, the lower branches are bent down and tied to pre-installed pegs to prevent them from straightening out.
3. The tree trunk circle is mulched with a thick layer of peat (15-20 cm).
4. Cover the pomegranate with spruce branches.

Remove the cover only after stable warm weather returns. While the threat of recurrent frosts persists, especially young plants, should not be uncovered. Although established pomegranates will survive frost at temperatures down to -15°C, they will not produce fruit. Furthermore, they face a lengthy recovery process, requiring more careful and constant care.

Harvesting

Most varieties begin bearing fruit in early autumn. However, harvesting begins only after the berries are fully ripe, which occurs in mid-October. The characteristic red-brown or yellow-pink color of the fruit indicates biological ripeness. Avoid leaving the fruit on the branches for too long, as this will cause it to crack, rot, and fall off.

Pomegranates have a long shelf life. When stored properly, they retain their flavor and marketability for months. The area where the harvest is stored should have good ventilation and a cool temperature of 2-3°C. Avoid allowing the mercury to drop below 0°C, as this will cause the berries to rot quickly. Therefore, storing the fruit on an open balcony is a bad idea.

Peculiarities of crop cultivation in different regions

The nuances of pomegranate cultivation techniques largely depend on agroclimatic conditions, and how closely they resemble those found in the pomegranate's natural habitats. The plant's subtropical nature means it thrives in warm regions with mild winters, but in temperate climates, harvesting a pomegranate requires considerable effort.

In Crimea

The entire peninsula, and especially the southern coast, is the most suitable area for growing pomegranate trees. The weather here is favorable for this fruit crop year-round. Cultivation techniques include regular watering, fertilizing, and formative, sanitary pruning. Because winters are mild, covering the trees, which begins in late October, consists of covering the trunk with a layer of mulch and the trunk with spruce branches.

Krasnodar Krai

Growing the plant in this zone differs little from the nuances of cultivation on the Crimean peninsula. Winter temperatures are generally above freezing. Severe frosts are the exception rather than the rule. In addition to basic watering, fertilizing, and pruning, special attention should be paid to preparing for the cold season. This additional protection will ensure a stable harvest.

Moscow region

In the temperate climate typical of the central regions of the country, pomegranates have difficulty establishing themselves. The main reason is prolonged periods of severe winter frosts—two to three weeks long. If the air temperature drops below 17°C for a long time, the pomegranate will freeze. In the worst case, it can even die—the plant's root system freezes. However, even if frost damages the above-ground part, recovery takes a very long time, making harvesting impossible.

To ensure a safe winter for this heat-loving plant, gardeners construct a proper "house" over it. They use materials that are impermeable to both snow and wind. The top of the "hut" is covered with spruce branches. When snow falls, they form a thick protective layer from it. However, pomegranates rarely bloom in such conditions. If they do produce fruit, they will be few in number. Furthermore, the berries may not have time to ripen.

Growing pomegranates in Siberia

Pomegranate trees don't thrive outdoors in harsh weather conditions. Even with excellent shelter, pomegranates cannot survive winters with severe, prolonged frosts and cold winds. In Siberia and the Urals, pomegranate trees are grown indoors in greenhouses and conservatories. With adequate humidity and lighting, pomegranates can even be grown indoors.

Reviews of plant cultivation

Alexander, 38 years old, Krasnodar:

"I've been growing pomegranate bushes for about seven years now. I haven't encountered any difficulties. Despite the mild winters, I cover the crop thoroughly. Thanks to this cultivation method, I've been getting a bountiful harvest of juicy, very large berries for three years now."

Marina, 43 years old, Moscow:

"Although the tree has been growing on my plot for four years, I haven't picked any fruit yet. Because I take insulation very seriously and use a lot of spruce branches, I've been able to keep it in the open ground. Otherwise, caring for the pomegranate is no different from caring for other fruit crops."

Pomegranate trees can be grown outdoors not only in Crimea or the Krasnodar Krai. This heat-loving plant also produces fruit in cooler climates. However, the gardener faces painstaking work, from planting to annual winter preparation.