Amateur gardeners have long learned to grow at home many exotic plants that grow in nature only in certain climatic zones. Often on the windowsills you can find pineapple, lemon, figs and even peaches. Pomegranate tree was no exception.
This is a dwarf variety bred by selection. A plant standing on a windowsill can bring a holiday atmosphere into the house with just its appearance. Indeed, in a plant such as pomegranate, flowers of purple shades decorate the crown for a very long time, and even when the fruits are tied in their place and ripen, the beauty of the tree will not fade.
Pomegranate is a favorite of gardeners
But it enjoys popularity not only because of its exoticism and almost year-round flowering, which add zest to any interior, but also because of the very tasty fruits and the invaluable health benefits that bark and leaves give.
Perhaps no fruit tree can boast so many useful properties that a pomegranate has. One of the main advantages is the unpretentiousness of such a plant as indoor pomegranate. Growing at home does not require special care from gardeners.
Coming from the subtropics on our windowsills
The dwarf form of pomegranate has long and firmly settled on our windowsills. It grows only up to a meter in height and has a lush crown with narrow elongated leaves, which lends itself perfectly to formation. From it, by correct pruning, you can get a fluffy shrub, and a slender tree.
This became the indisputable advantage of the plant among bonsai lovers who received a lot of opportunities to realize their creative fantasies. Flowering pomegranate grown at home, takes a long time and is very exotic. If the right conditions are created for him, the whole crown will be strewn with scarlet flowers of two kinds for a long time.
The right plant choice and planting
When choosing a plant such as pomegranate, growing does not pose any particular problems. Indeed, in nature, it grows on rocky slopes. But if, in addition to decorativeness, you want to enjoy delicious fruits, you should not grow it from the seeds of just eaten fruit. From them will grow a wild game with inedible fruits.
The best option would be propagation by root offspring or cuttings, because in this case all the qualities that the mother plant has will be preserved. The best material for planting is considered to be the material that has from 5 to eight buds and matured wood. The bottom cut should be oblique and perfectly smooth, made with a scalpel or razor blade.
Rooted cuttings are very good. Especially if you soak them for 6 hours in the root stimulator. Planted with cuttings or root offspring of pomegranate room care requires minimal from the very first days. The main condition is fertile soil, which in equal parts includes coarse river sand, leaf humus, dung compost and turf land.
Crown Formation Rules
The tree grown at home lends itself very well to molding, so it gives a very large scope for the embodiment of the fantasies of all bonsai art lovers. To do this, home grenades from the very first year of life need to be cut.
A regular “haircut” will make it possible to form a fairly lush crown, which has a large number of skeletal branches. This should be done in early February, then in early spring there will be young shoots that will bloom and bear fruit. When forming, it should be borne in mind that weak shoots must be completely removed, and the rest should be shortened by half.
Dwarf Pomegranate Care Nuances
Flowers grown in this way will release flowers for 2-3 years of life, but you should still pay attention to caring for the plant. Although it is quite simple, it has its own subtleties:
- A pot for a pomegranate tree should be chosen narrow. This contributes to more abundant fruiting.
- Since in nature it grows on rocky slopes, it is completely undemanding to soil fertility at home. It is enough to mix in equal parts sheet humus, river sand, peat and turf land.
- Abundant watering is necessary for this plant, but it should be borne in mind that pomegranate does not tolerate waterlogged soils. Therefore, it is necessary to water a plant well only when the top layer of the earth is sufficiently dried up. And in the spring and summer to combine it with liquid top dressing.
- Only a young tree needs annual transplants, and an adult will need to be transplanted only once every four years.
- Since pomegranate belongs to deciduous culture, after falling leaves for the entire dormant period, it should be rearranged in a cool room. The last can serve as a loggia, porch or cellar.
In such a completely undemanding plant as pomegranate, leaving during the growing season involves "walking." With the onset of constant heat, it can be taken out to the garden or placed on the balcony.
What diseases can this tree have
Although unpretentious dwarf pomegranate, growing at home can contribute to the development of some diseases. The most common is the appearance of a spider mite. You can get rid of it by periodically spraying the plant with an oil emulsion or tincture of garlic. But during this procedure, you should carefully cover the ground with a film to avoid getting funds on it. The temperature of the solutions should not be higher than 30 degrees.
Strong yellowing and falling of leaves can also begin, before the growing season has ended. Most often, this disease is caused by a whitefly that feeds on the sap of the plant. When dealing with it, only the Derris product can help, the processing of which must be carried out several times.
Abundant flowering is the key to good fruiting
Pomegranate flowers grown correctly at home have 2 types - male, the majority of which, and female, often collected in inflorescences. They are slightly different in shape, which makes the plant even more exotic, because at this time the whole tree was simply strewn with bright purple flowers with a large number of stamens. Simplicity in caring for it creates and undemanding for additional pollination.
Those who want to have more fruits need to know the small subtlety used in the growing process. It lies in the fact that the plant needs cool water, and during flowering, the room temperature should not exceed 20 degrees. A pot so that the pomegranate does not fatten, growing a large number of tops, and does not produce many male flowers, you need to take a narrow and small one.
Many gardeners use another trick - they reduce watering. But you should be careful not to overdo it. It is better to have not so many ovaries than to allow the plant to die from thirst.
The uniqueness of the properties of indoor pomegranate
Not for nothing that many flower growers seek to grow pomegranate houses. This plant is not only very beautiful and decorative, but also has healing properties. In ancient times, it was considered a medicine that can cure 100 diseases. It helps with many ailments.
Fetal membranes are used to lower blood pressure, and also as a sedative. Pomegranate juice is also used as an excellent remedy for anemia, and is also recommended for people living in areas with increased radiation background. With any inflammatory or catarrhal diseases, pomegranates will help relieve pain and quickly bring down the temperature.
In folk cosmetology, paste from rubbed leaves found wide application. It helps to get rid of pigmentation, reduces oily skin and strengthens hair. And in cooking, they use not only the juice and grains of this plant, but also flowers.
Growing Secrets
When pomegranate flowers are tied in large quantities, and the fruit formation is minimal, it is worth paying attention to the capacity in which it grows. Need, as already mentioned, narrow and small in size. Also, for the period of wintering, it is required to transfer the tree to a fairly cool room. Branches that are quite thin can break under his weight. To avoid this, you need to use props.
And if the leaves were covered with brown spots and began to fall off, it means that the soil at the tree has dried out. Accordingly, the watering regime should be changed. But in the period when the fruits ripen, watering should be moderate, so as to prevent cracking of the peel. The crown should be formed only before the start of the growing season, so as not to interfere with flowering.
In the case when the plant is grown not from cuttings, but from the seeds, only grains with pulp should be taken. Dried bones lose the ability to good germination. Many experienced flower growers who have long been growing dwarf pomegranate recommend soaking the seeds before planting overnight in a solution of stimulants or warm milk. This exotic plant is able to bring only joy to the house, so do not be afraid of those small difficulties that may arise.