There are few things more delicious than a juicy pomegranate in this world. The bright internal grains look like a lot of edible rubies. If you like this fruit, try growing pomegranate, or Punica granatum, yourself. Although its appearance is more like a shrub, you can help it take the shape of a tree. Read on to learn how you can grow your own pomegranate plant.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Plant the Pomegranate
Step 1. Choose a variety of pomegranate
Punica granatum is a small deciduous tree. It grows to about 2.5 meters in height and produces orange flowers during the summer season. The "Nana" variety grows less, up to about 1 meter and is best suited for growing in pots. Or, you can choose the "Beautiful" variety for its decorative flowers.
There are several ways to grow pomegranate: from a seedling, from a cutting or from the seed. If you want to grow it from seed, you don't always get a certain variety and will have to wait three or four years before it can bear fruit. If you want to know how to germinate pomegranate seeds, read this article
Step 2. Alternatively, get the pomegranate cutting or seedling
You can buy the seedling at the nursery in your area. Make sure you get a variety that produces edible fruit if you want to eat them. However, if you have a friend who has a pomegranate, you can also take a cut from his tree. Cut a branch of at least 25 centimeters. Cover the end of the cut with rooting hormone to help it grow.
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The ideal time to take the cutting is February or March, when the plant is dormant.
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Step 3. Find a sunny spot
Pomegranate trees love sunlight and only regularly produce their fruit when properly exposed to the sun. If you don't have a spot in your garden that is constantly in the sun during the day, choose at least the one with the least amount of shade.
Step 4. Choose well-draining soil
Pomegranate trees do not tolerate waterlogged soils and grow well where the soil drains well or is even sandy. Some growers argue that slightly acidic soil is better, although this plant does very well in moderately alkaline soils. In general, however, it grows well in any soil as long as it drains well.
Step 5. Protect the tree from wind and strong humidity
Plant it in a warm, dry place that is at least partially protected from strong winds. Do not place it in a humid, dark or unhealthy area of the garden. Remember that this is a plant that thrives in hot, dry climates.
Step 6. Plant the pomegranate
The best time is spring after the last frost. Gently remove the seedling from the container. Wash about 2.5 cm of the bottom of the root ball to remove any existing soil. This helps the seedling settle faster than those that are immediately transferred from the nursery container to the soil. Dig a hole 60cm deep and 60cm wide and insert your seedling.
If you want to grow pomegranate from cuttings, loosen the soil and plant the branch vertically so that the end of the cut goes about 5-6 cm into the soil, with the dormant buds facing up
Part 2 of 3: Caring for the Pomegranate
Step 1. Water the tree immediately after planting it
This will help stabilize the soil around the pomegranate. Then keep watering it every 2 or 3 days, until you notice new leaves start to grow. New growth means that the pomegranate is settling into the ground. At this point you can water it more infrequently and gradually get it wet every 7-10 days.
When it blooms or begins to bear fruit, water it abundantly and deeply every week. However, if it rains, it is not necessary
Step 2. Feed it once it has settled
A good fertilizer for pomegranates is the one based on ammonium sulfate. Sprinkle about ⅓ of a cup three times during the first year of growth (February, May and September are the best times).
Step 3. Keep the area around the tree clean
You need to prevent weeds or other plants from growing that could compete with pomegranate for soil nutrients. Remove all weeds or put organic mulch around the plant. Mulch helps eliminate weeds and weeds and at the same time retains moisture.
Part 3 of 3: Prune and Preserve the Pomegranate
Step 1. Help him assume the structure of a tree if you wish
Although, generally, pomegranates are more of a shrub shape, you can prune yours so that it looks like a tree, which in fact many people do. Use garden shears or scissors and cut the suckers (the smaller branches that help the plant take on the shape of a shrub) that grow at the base of the plant, so that it begins to take on more of a tree shape. This procedure should only be done after the pomegranate has settled. If you don't want to prune it to shape it like a tree, let it grow naturally.
Step 2. Remove dead or damaged parts
While pruning is generally not necessary for pomegranates, you should remove dead or dying branches in spring to help them grow better. You can also prune it if you deem it necessary.
If you are growing pomegranate in a pot, you need to prune it a little more extreme to keep it in the size and shape you want
Step 3. Keep your pomegranate healthy
It prevents mold from forming by watering it a little. The two main problems some pomegranates face are aphids and the pomegranate butterfly. You can get rid of aphids by using a spray that you can buy at nurseries or garden stores. The pomegranate butterfly is not very widespread and shouldn't be a problem. If it is, you can find a specific product on the market to rid your tree of larvae.
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Although butterflies are usually harmless, the larvae of this particular type of butterfly grow inside the pomegranate fruit, making it inedible.
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Advice
- Pomegranate fruits can be consumed in many ways, including syrups, juices, fruit salads, wine, vinegar, coffee, cocktails, salad dressings, and more.
- One pomegranate provides 40% of the daily requirement of vitamin C.
