They say there is no perfection in the world. Have you seen how grenades grow? Without exaggeration, this tree and its fruits can be called a refutation of the truth. Beauty, fertility, exquisite taste, benefits - all this is about him.
Sing an Ode to the Grenade
This fruit, which is actually considered a false berry, is called the king of fruits - for its luxurious appearance, bright color and a carved corolla in the shape of a crown. Everything is valuable in it: seeds, juice, peel, partitions between seeds, seeds. Anyone who likes to eat pomegranates, retains youthful skin and blood vessels for a long time, does not suffer from depression, anemia and low hemoglobin, does not suffer from intestinal disorders ... You can list to infinity. To top it all, pomegranates are among the aphrodisiacs, which is why lovers love it so much. The ancient Greek priests used its flowers and leaves in love magic. However, it is time to move on to the question of how pomegranates grow and whether there is an opportunity not for a celestial, but for an average Russian to grow this semi-shrub tree.
Where is he from
Firstly, it comes from prehistoric times. There is a version that the biblical Adam's apple and the contentious apple of Paris was just a pomegranate. This fruit is mentioned in ancient Greek mythology and in the writings of ancient healers. It’s quite difficult to say exactly where culture came from around the world, because pomegranates grow anywhere in the world in tropical or subtropical zones - in Tunisia, Egypt, Italy, southern France, and Spain. These trees are successfully grown in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Abkhazia. In some places pomegranates grow in Russia - in the south of the Krasnodar Territory, in the Crimea, the Sea of Azov, and smaller varieties have taken root in the republics of the North Caucasus, in the warmer foothills. The most daring gardeners are trying to adapt new, more cold-resistant varieties of this crop in areas of the middle zone and Moscow region.
Is it possible to grow pomegranates at home?
Why not? If you live in a good mild climate with long daylight hours , with soft, drained soil, you can even take the risk of growing pomegranate in the open ground. There are several important points to consider. Pomegranate loves warmth - it's a child of the tropics! Therefore, at winter temperatures below 12-15 degrees Celsius, it is better not to risk it and be content with a small indoor tree. But more on that later.
To plant a pomegranate in the ground, you need to prepare the soil for a long time, for several months. Plow the earth, mix it with sand and peat, and add mineral and organic fertilizers. Fertile soil and the sunny side of the garden are the only conditions suitable for this fruit crop. Seedlings are best planted in the spring. Although pomegranate is a child of deserts and hot foothills, it tolerates high humidity well. In summer, the tree loves regular watering. But for the winter it is better to wrap it up, wrap the trunk and warm the roots. Some gardeners practice planting with a slope so that in winter you can bend the seedling to the ground and cover like grapes.
Vegetation period
Pomegranate tree can live up to a hundred years. It is possible to form a crown both by regular pruning of old shoots, and by rare rejuvenating pruning once every several years. Most often you can see a bushy shape, in five or six trunks.
If a sufficiently developed seedling has been planted in the soil, shoots will already form on it by the first fall, on which fruit buds will be laid by the next season. True, for the first time it will most likely be flower buds that open simultaneously with leaf buds. It will be very beautiful, albeit without fruit. And then, on two-year-old shoots, real fruit buds will appear. How do pomegranates grow during flowering? This is an indescribable sight! Most of the magnificent bell-shaped flowers will outlive their age and become showered, but do not get upset. A tree will leave exactly as many fruits as it can withstand. Pomegranate flowers are self-pollinated, which facilitates their cultivation indoors - in the house or greenhouse.
Growing Pomegranate Indoors
Unfortunately, there are not many places where pomegranates grow in Russia in free air. More often they are found in the form of pot culture. At home, you can grow a very beautiful fruiting tree up to a meter high, and even up to one and a half meters. It takes only time and patience.
There are several landing options. You can buy sprouted seedlings in the nursery or for shipment. You can plant cuttings 10 cm long in spring or early summer in a pot. And you can take a chance and decide to grow pomegranate from stone.
First of all, you should take care of the soil. Pomegranate does not like fatty ground, so the soil purchased must be mixed with sand, and a layer of drainage should be put on the bottom of the pot. Dishes do not have to be bulky, as the plant still needs to be transplanted as it grows.
Landing methods
If a stalk is planted, it can be covered with a jar for better rooting, but from time to time open for air. If the choice fell on propagation by seeds, they need to be buried in well-spilled soil to a depth of not more than 1 cm and covered with a film for fast germination. Sprouts appear in two to three weeks, and after that the film needs to be removed. The pot should stand on the brightest window, but without direct sunlight. There are different opinions about this method. Someone claims that the seeds need to be cleaned from the pulp before planting, another believes that the seed germinates better in the pulp. In any case, you need to plant several seeds, so there is a reason to try both options.
Bones for planting should be taken from a healthy, fresh pomegranate. For information: ripe pomegranate has a dry peel, tight-fitting fruits. If the peel is dense and shiny, it means that the fruits are ripened unripe, and it is better not to use seeds for planting.
Water the seedling regularly. He should not suffer from a lack of heat and light. The temperature in the room below 12 degrees can not stand the grenades, optimally for it - 25-26 degrees. And that’s it, for many years you can admire how pomegranates grow. A sectional view of a flowering bush or fruit is impressive, but what can we say about a living flowering tree. The Japanese say that you can be happy by growing bonsai. Pomegranate may well become a bonsai, especially if it is grown with your own hands and cares.