Indoor pomegranate: cultivation, reproduction. Indoor pomegranate: how to care

Ornamental plant indoor pomegranate (Punica) - the most unpretentious dwarf shrub for growing on a windowsill or in a greenhouse. In the homeland of the pomegranate, in countries with a hot and humid climate, it is planted in open ground, decorating lawns with perennial deciduous shrubs. An ornamental plant is quite unpretentious to the composition of the soil and does not require frequent watering. During the flowering period, it is almost completely covered with red inflorescences, which ripen into small pomegranates - a symbol of passionate love among the ancient Greeks.

indoor pomegranate. Care

Varieties of indoor pomegranate

Several varietal types of indoor pomegranate are adapted for home floriculture:

• Punica Granatum "NANA" (Dwarf pomegranate);
• Baby;
• Carthage.

They differ in height (from 30 cm to 100 cm) and fruit size (5-7 cm in diameter).

Secrets of indoor pomegranate care

Lovers of indoor potted flowers appreciate the decorative dwarf plant not only for its exceptional external qualities, but also because indoor pomegranate care does not require special skills. If you follow some rules and create a minimum of conditions for a dwarf shrub, it will thank lush bloom from November to the end of January.

In summer, indoor pomegranate "lives" perfectly in the garden or on the balcony. To avoid burning the leaves, do not plant it in the sunny side. The best place- tree-shaded east or west side.

Care for indoor pomegranate at home. Photo

In the hot season, the plant requires abundant glaze and spraying.

In order for the mini-shrub to increase the number of green leaves for indoor pomegranate care at home, it is better to choose nitrogen fertilizers, and in order for the fruits to appear - phosphorus supplements. You can choose a mineral mixture at any specialized flower shop.

The loss of leaves from a plant may not always be a sign of its poor health. Pomegranate sheds its leaves before winter, freeing itself from dense greenery. At this time, you must feed its potash fertilizer.

Care for indoor pomegranate adults and young is different. Young plants need watering more often, while adults can be watered once every 10 days.

For wintering not a hot place is better, even glazed loggia. An important requirement is the absence of drafts and very low temperatures;

At transplant plants should be chosen black soil with the addition of turf. Complex soil is ideal;

At the bottom of the pot into which the plant is transplanted, it is necessary to lay drainage so that the roots don't rot.

Bush formation

At proper cultivation indoor pomegranate, the plant will look beautiful and original. To achieve an aesthetic shape and a neat look, flower growers cut off excess shoots and form a bush. It is best to prune at the beginning of the active growth period or before wintering - in spring and autumn.

Caring for indoor pomegranate at home involves pruning:

• dry twigs;
• fattening (not developing) shoots;
• branches that grow in the direction deep into the bush.

External shoots, if they are healthy, should not be pruned. To get a beautiful, full-fledged bush, it is better to start pruning for formation in adult plants that are already over 3 years old. Young pomegranate in room conditions must be transplanted. Do this annually to replace depleted soil with fresh.

The secrets of breeding indoor pomegranate

A dwarf shrub is a fairly common plant that can be purchased at any flower shop and, when brought home, transplanted into a suitable pot. But it is much more interesting to grow this flower yourself, especially since it reproduces well both by cuttings and seeds.

Reproduction by seeds

Growing a plant from seeds is very easy. The main thing is to create right conditions. Flower growers recommend taking seeds young plant, they have greater vitality and germinate better.

Pour any store-bought plant growth stimulant into a small bowl and soak the seeds in it.

When they swell, plant them in the ground, covering the container with the ground with a film.

Remove the polyethylene when the first sprouts appear, and place the container on the windowsill on the sunny side.

A stronger plant can be transplanted into a separate pot.

Reproduction by cuttings

Reproduction and cultivation of indoor pomegranate from a cutting has one secret. If you do not choose the right branch for cuttings, then the plant will not bear fruit. To cut off a cutting, select a fruiting branch that already had small pomegranates on it.

Place the cutting in a jar with a growth stimulator.

When the lower cut swells, take out the cutting and transplant it into a container with soil, covering it with a film.

As soon as new shoots appear on the branch, the film can be removed and the pot placed in a well-lit, warm place.

When the plant begins to form and young branches appear, pomegranate shoots need pinch. In this case, it will increase the number of branches, it will be lush and beautiful. Do not do this only if they plan to use the flower as a bansai.

Many believe that it is very difficult to achieve pomegranate flowering in room conditions, and even more so that it bears fruit. Actually, it is not. If you properly care for the plant, then even a small pomegranate can bloom in the first year. As for the flowers, few people know that pomegranates have male and female flowers. You can tell them apart by looking at the base. In male flowers, it is thin, while in female flowers it is thicker. In addition, male flowers fall off almost immediately after opening, while female flowers round off during flowering, forming a pomegranate fruit.

Do not wait for flowering and the formation of fruits on young, newly appeared twigs. As a rule, they appear on the longest, adult shoots. Knowing all these simple secrets, you can easily grow a "flower of passion" on your windowsill.

Growing indoor pomegranate video

In the image and likeness of a pomegranate. It is believed that the crown on the fruit was the inspiration for the creators of the crown. The headdress appeared in the East, where pomegranate fruits grow.

Due to the scarlet color, like rubies, they were considered symbols of power. So they turned the crown of fruits into a crown. Do you want to see the sign of the kings in your home? Learning to grow homemade pomegranate.

Pomegranate from the stone at home

The pomegranate belongs to the genus Derbennikovs of the Myrtaceae family. It includes small shrubs and trees. Pomegranate belongs to the latter. In its natural environment, the tree grows in southeastern Europe and Asia.

According to climatic conditions, culture is satisfied with lands where there are no temperatures below -15 degrees. There grenades reach 6 meters in height. At home, trees usually do not exceed one and a half meters. standard height bushes in pots - 90-100 centimeters.

You can grow a culture from the seed of a fruit bought in the market or in a store. However, they sell from large trees. It is better to look into the seed shop and find the name “Dwarf Pomegranate” there, more precisely, its varieties “Carthage” and “Baby”. They are adapted for home keeping, with proper lighting and pruning, they stay within 40 centimeters.

grow up pomegranate at home from the seed of a large, smooth fruit without dents on the peel, mold and rot. Frozen grenades are also not good. Bones in other fruits germinate in 95% of cases.

So, there is no need to select a lot of seeds for planting, 2-3 is enough. The flesh around them should be elastic, scarlet. Green grains are not ready for germination.

Before planting the seeds, the pulp is removed from them, or rather, washed off with slightly warm running water. After that, we take a settled liquid at room temperature, adding a couple of drops of a growth stimulator, for example, Epin, to a teaspoon.

In its solution, the seeds are kept for 12 hours. At this time, we are preparing the soil. Suitable flower from the store. If possible, make up the substrate yourself, take peat, river sand and fertile soil, that is, humus.

We mix the components in equal proportions and put them in plastic pots or cups with the addition of drainage at the bottom. The bottom of the containers is perforated for the outflow of water.

We lay the seeds in pots for 1-1.5 centimeters, sprinkle with earth and spray abundantly with warm water. For the effect of a greenhouse, cover with a film or a cut of a plastic bottle. We need humidity and air temperature of about 25-30 degrees Celsius.

We are waiting for sprouts. When planting in late autumn or early spring, they should appear in a couple of weeks. Seeds planted in the ground at other times hatch from a month to 3.

With the advent of the first leaf, we remove the covering material and put the pot in a sunny place, not forgetting to periodically moisten the ground with a spray bottle. The soil should not dry out. After the development of the 8th leaf, we transplant the tree into the main pot.

Ceramic is preferred. Enough shallow capacity. Homemade pomegranate seeds has a superficial root system. The substrate from the bottom of the pot remains unclaimed.

Growing pomegranate cuttings

A cutting is a cut branch intended for vegetative propagation. A vegetative distribution is called vegetative, without seeds. Pomegranate cuttings are separated in summer or February.

In winter, completely stiff shoots are taken, and in summer - only half. The latter fit better. However, in the middle of summer the plant is covered with flowers. Many do not regret cutting off beauty.

The buds look like Red roses, sometimes, have an elongated shape close to the funnel. The petals are scarlet, like the fruits of the pomegranate. Some varieties of culture are bred solely for the sake of buds. In general, no one will judge if the cutting is taken from winter plant. A separated branch must have at least 4 internodes.

Maybe it's better to focus on the question, how to plant a pomegranate seed at home. Pomegranate cuttings survive 45% less often. Every second will take root. You can increase the rate by treating the stem cut with a rooting stimulator. We find it in gardening stores.

In the photo shoots homemade pomegranate

The roots of pomegranate cuttings are also given in water. For fidelity, you can make a substrate of sand and, sticking a shoot into it for about 3 buds. We will observe a 45-degree angle with respect to the soil. Upright cuttings rarely take root.

Having planted the stalk, cover the pot with a film and put it in a well-lit place. We keep the temperature at the level of 23-27 degrees. Once a day, remove the film for 20-30 minutes for ventilation.

If the cutting takes root, it will happen faster than in the case of seeds. Usually, the branch seizes with the soil in a week and a half. After another three weeks, rooting is completed.

Evidence of this - new kidneys. We wait for 3-4-ex and shorten the escape by a third. This will lead to branching of the tree, the formation of a lush crown. The formation of 2-3 lateral branches gives a reason to transplant the shoot into the main pot.

Pomegranate cuttings, despite the low survival rate, have advantages. Taking a branch for rooting, we see how strong and healthy it is. Trees from seeds can grow frail. The reason will lie in the parent plant, its fruit, and not the care of the seedling.

In addition, the pomegranate variety is definitely visible on the handle. Seeds, even in packages, sometimes surprise. From the "Dwarf Pomegranate" can grow, for example, ordinary. So believe the labels on the packages and photo.

homemade pomegranate in pots is almost impossible to find in stores. Rare offers bite in terms of price. Therefore, lovers of indoor plants and contrive, germinating seeds and rooting cuttings.

However, before introducing planting material into the soil, it is worthwhile to find out how to grow pomegranate at home. As they say in relation to people: - "It is not enough to give birth to a child, he still needs to be brought up." To do this, you need to be patient and know some secrets. So, let's find out the nuances of caring for a tropical tree.

Pomegranate care

Bright light is the first thing you need indoor pomegranate. Home care involves growing a tree exclusively on the southern windows. Pomegranate is one of the few plants that love the direct rays of the sun.

From 4,000 to 6,000 lux for a tree is a comfortable environment. In cloudy weather and in winter, pomegranates are illuminated with phytolamps. They should bring daylight hours to 10-12 hours. In this case, the tree will continue to bloom and bear fruit. The lack of light will lead to the dropping of part of the leaves and hibernation.

Although pomegranate seeds germinate at 30 degrees, mature trees prefer temperatures in the range of 20-25 Celsius. They are being held all year round.

There is information that from November to March, the pomegranate has a dormant period, it needs coolness. However, flower growers prove the opposite by posting photos of winter trees in bloom online and noticing that the heat did not affect their health and fruiting.

The watering regime is also the same all year round. Pomegranate loves slightly moist soil. As soon as the soil begins to dry out, it is moistened. If excess water has drained into the pan, it is released.

Stagnation of moisture in the pot stand can lead to rotting of the roots of the tree. It will perish on its own and bear no fruit. Pomegranate berries, by the way, reach almost half a meter in diameter.

Such is the champion pomegranate grown in Chinese province Sichuan. The width of the fetus was 48.7 centimeters. Standard berries of a tree in diameter do not exceed 18 centimeters.

Pomegranate is watered with settled, soft water at room temperature. At the same time, the plant has no special requests for air humidity. Perfect option for apartments with parched heating appliances atmosphere.

Pomegranate is favorable to fertilizers. However, top dressing gives strength for the formation of a mass of buds, rapid growth. The tree has no resources left for fruits. If pomegranate is grown for them, it is worth minimizing top dressing.

Waving a hand to get a bountiful harvest, we introduce nitrogen-phosphorus from spring to July. They will help form the ovaries of "roses". From the second half of summer, potassium supplements are needed.

The advantage of a grenade is not only in relative unpretentiousness for tropical plant but also in its disease resistance. Both fungi and insects rarely covet the hero of the article. In this regard, pomegranate is more profitable than other fruit crops grown at home, for example, oranges and lemons.

Pruning and transplanting homemade pomegranate

Pruning pomegranate helps to form a lush crown and limit the height of the tree. It is customary to cut the shoots growing inside the bush. Leaving the branches directed outward, we make the crown sprawling. At the same time, you need to cut the shoots on the kidneys, looking inside the bush. The procedure is well tolerated by the plant in the off-season.

Cutting shoots stimulates branching. Cutting near the kidneys, directed inside the crown, we avoid its thickening. For the viability of shortened branches, we leave at least a couple of leaves on them, preferably 5. In their natural form, by the way, pomegranate branches are chaotic and curvilinear, as if broken. This picture is attractive for a semi-wild garden, but not at home.

pomegranate pruning carried out in two ways. The first is aimed at forming the appearance of a spreading bush, and the second - a miniature tree. In the latter case, you can work not only with thin branches, but also with powerful shoots, more like trunks. Even in their youth, they are twisted into such bundles. This forms a single, wide trunk with a rounded crown.

Having worked on the basics of composition, you can think about transplanting a pomegranate. It is required by the plant at least 3 years after planting. More than 4 years in the first pot is also better not to keep. By this time, the soil in the flowerpot is depleted, there are almost no resources left for the growth of the tree.

If up to 3 years the plant grows stronger, then after pomegranates it easily tolerates annual transplants. They change both the soil and the pots. If you transplant laziness, you can delay the process for 3 years.

You can’t pull any more, since the pomegranate is from fast-growing crops. During the season, the tree can double in size, as well as its root system. Maybe. Thanks to rapid growth pomegranate is considered the tree of life.

So he was called in Ancient Egypt. The fruit of culture sacred symbol lives were placed in the sarcophagi of the pharaohs in the hope of giving them a rebirth in another world.

The pomegranate is also called the tree of life in the Karan. According to the scripture, the hero of the article grew up in Paradise. Later, the Prophet Muhammad recommended pomegranate fruits to his students as a drug for envy and hatred. So, the energy of the tree is peaceful.

The ancient Greeks associated culture with Aphrodite, and therefore with love and voluptuousness. Feelings are kindled not only by the color of the fruits, their grains, but also by the drinks in which they are present. Grenadine is made from pomegranate. It's a sweetener syrup, and also, natural dye. It is added to alcoholic drinks especially liqueurs and wines.

This magnificent plant everyone likes it. Graceful, with beautiful flowering and valuable fruits, it attracts many gardeners who want to plant a pomegranate in their area. And of course, those who want to grow pomegranates need to know how this beautiful culture is propagated. Really nothing too complicated this process no, pomegranate is not too whimsical, and when proper care gives strong shoots from which you can grow healthy, promising seedlings.

Pomegranate can be propagated by seed and vegetatively. When propagated by seeds extracted from high-quality, large, sweet fruits, pomegranate can repeat all the signs of the mother plant - if you form a crown with a bush and take good care of the plant for several years. However, the main method of pomegranate propagation is vegetative, root shoots and cuttings.
Propagation by root shoots is used to rejuvenate old pomegranate bushes with branches that have lost the flexibility necessary to be able to cover the plant for the winter.
Cuttings, as the main method of pomegranate propagation, are used to obtain quality seedlings. It is based on regeneration, that is, the body's ability to restore the functions and growth of individual organs or their parts. In the process of regeneration, the cuttings form adventitious (adventitious) roots.
Root regeneration depends on many factors that should be taken into account. To obtain high-quality pomegranate seedlings, it is necessary to root shoots cut from large, high-yielding, frost-resistant pomegranate bushes. They should be harvested in the fall after the fruit has been harvested. For cuttings, one-year-old, less often two-year-old shoots are used. In cut shoots, lateral branches, thin upper, dry and non-lignified ends, thorns are removed.

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The cleaned shoots are tied in bunches, signed and laid in a horizontal position on the bottom of the dug trench (it should be below the freezing level of the soil in winter season), then the trench is filled with moist earth and additionally covered with straw (layer 20 cm thick). Shoots are stored in a trench until spring, taken out only after the soil has completely thawed.
The removed shoots are inspected, sorted, removing the shrunken and damaged ones. Live shoots are cut into cuttings 20-25 cm long. The lower cut is made directly under the kidney, which contributes to the rapid emergence of callus and the root system, the upper one is 2 cm above the kidney.
To grow pomegranate seedlings, you need to choose a flat area (it is possible with a slight slope to the south), protected from dry and cold winds, with fertile soil, provided with irrigation water.
Pomegranate cuttings are planted in May - after the threat of the return of repeated frosts has passed. Before planting, the cuttings are immersed in clean running water for 12 hours. They are planted at a distance of 10-12 cm from each other, in an inclined position to the south, so that young developing plants are better illuminated by the sun's rays. When planting, the cuttings are buried in the ground so that one bud protrudes on the surface, and then spud, and the tops must be covered with earth. After planting, the cuttings are watered with water (preferably by sprinkling) until the soil is completely moistened - this contributes to its good settling and rooting of the cuttings.
In order for the cuttings to take root quickly and well, the soil must always be moist. To do this, it is regularly watered, and in addition, the aisles are loosened and organic fertilizers in the root zone of seedlings. Watering is completed in late October - early November, after the leaves fall.
Grown up pomegranate seedlings are dug out, trying not to damage the root system. After digging, they are sorted, culling out damaged and infected with diseases, which are immediately destroyed. Suitable for cultivation is a pomegranate seedling with 3-4 shoots, reaching a height of 50-60 cm, with a developed root system (length from 35 cm).
In winter, dug seedlings are stored in a trench dug below the freezing level of the soil. They are laid with their roots down, obliquely at an angle of 45 ° and covered with earth. With the beginning of spring, after the onset of steadily warm weather, but before bud break, seedlings begin to be planted in the soil. Before planting, pomegranate roots are immersed in a mash made from water, clay and fresh cow dung. After planting, the plants are spudded, pouring a mound of earth 15-20 cm high on top. In the aerial part of the plant, 3-4 shoots are left, shortened by two-thirds of the length. When laying a pomegranate garden (taking into account the formation of a bush), the distance between rows should be 5 m, and in a row between plants - 3-4 m.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that almost every apartment or house in our country is decorated with indoor flowers. Most often, their range is not particularly diverse, but there are exceptions. How do you like indoor pomegranate, for example?

Basic information

Pomegranate (Punica) feels quite comfortable at home. However, in this case, it is not nutritional properties its fruits, and the ornamental qualities of the plant's flowers. Important! In room conditions, it is still better to grow a dwarf variety of pomegranate (Punicanana). However, many scientists and gardeners believe that the pomegranate houseplant is just a separate form of the parent plant. Judging by the appearance and features of the vegetation process, it is so.

Brief historical background

Oddly enough, but indoor pomegranate has been known as a houseplant for a long time. This circumstance is mainly due to the amazing unpretentiousness this plant. In the subtropics and tropics, it is widely grown in open field, and in our conditions, ordinary pots on windowsills or even indoor greenhouses are preferable. By the way, for the excellent decorative qualities of pomegranate flowers, it has long been awarded an Honorary Diploma of the Royal Horticultural Society of Great Britain.

Ancient legends say that once this fruit was known under the name "Punic apple". In legends, the pomegranate was a symbol of fidelity in marriage, in Greece it was used as a symbol of fertility, and the Persians honored it as the personification of passionate and passionate love. However, all this is trifles, since the beneficial properties of pomegranate have been known since ancient times.

In general, so useful plant worthy of becoming a decoration of any home or garden. Moreover, it (as we have already said) is distinguished by its rare unpretentiousness, it can grow on brackish and arid soils.

Description of the pomegranate

It should be noted that the original indoor pomegranate was described as early as 1803. Its height in the maximum case does not exceed 120 centimeters, and in the form potted plant it only grows up to 0.9 meters. Leaves are light green oval shape, no larger than three centimeters in diameter. They differ in short cuttings that have a slightly reddish tint. In spring, the leaves take on a beautiful bronze color, in summer they are light green, and by autumn they turn yellowish.

Note that the most decorative are special, cultivated varieties of indoor pomegranate. From May to September, these plants are strewn with beautiful purple flowers in abundance. They are located in a single order, formed already in the first year of cultivation. Tellingly, their size exceeds that of the leaves - about four centimeters. Please note: only flowers with long pistils can bear fruit. The percentage of those is very low, since the houseplant pomegranate is purely decorative.

Each flower lives for a maximum of three days, but new buds are tied and bloom every day. Gardeners testify that there are no more than three or four ovaries per hundred flowers. The room pomegranate has a special uniqueness for the reason that both buds and already ripening fruits can be on the plant at the same time.

Separately about the fruits

The fruits themselves, by the way, can be painted in the most different colors: from orange to brown-red. Alas, they are far from the taste of the "ordinary" pomegranate, and in diameter they are a maximum of six to seven centimeters. You can taste them from November. The fruiting season ends around January.

Since pomegranates are most often grown at home for their flowers, the fruits are usually removed. This is related to the fact that abundant flowering already greatly depletes the plant, so in order to preserve the decorative properties of the pomegranate, it is better to remove the ovaries that have appeared. However, one or two fruits can still be left on one tree.

And it’s worth doing this not so much for culinary purposes, but to get own seeds. We note, however, that the varietal qualities of plants can by no means always be indulged in this method of reproduction. And only once every three or four years you can make yourself a gift, leaving all the fruits on the tree. The beauty of a pomegranate that blooms and bears fruit at the same time is simply indescribable.

What varieties are best to use?

On sale, you will probably find only dwarf pomegranate (Punicagranatum). Occasionally, a room grenade "Baby" or "Carthage" comes across on store shelves. The last two varieties are artificially bred, designed specifically for indoor cultivation. Their height rarely exceeds 30 centimeters, while the usual dwarf variety often grows up to one meter.

Lighting Requirements

Despite its general unpretentiousness, the houseplant pomegranate is demanding on the lighting conditions in the house. That is why you can choose any windows in the house for its placement, except for those that face the north side. However, in hot and sunny days it is still necessary to cover the tender leaves of the plant from exposure to direct sun rays.

notice, that perfect place for a pomegranate in the summer - a loggia, attic or veranda. Important! Train the plant to sunbathing”should be gradual, since with an excessively sharp course of the process, the formation of sunburn on the leaves is not excluded. Once the duration daylight hours begins to decline, and the nights become colder, this southerner should be immediately brought into the house.

Temperature Range

As you might guess, the pomegranate needs warmth, and for the entire period of flowering and fruiting. In general, its normal development is possible at a temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius. Important! If the temperature in the room exceeds 25 degrees, it must be taken out to a cooler and more ventilated room, otherwise the shoots may begin to dry out. In the case when this is not possible, regularly spray the leaves with water at room temperature (settled, of course).

But! For normal fruit ripening, a pomegranate needs a temperature of approximately 16-18 degrees Celsius. From November to March, the plant has a dormant period, during which it is required to maintain temperature regime at 10-12 degrees. By the way, these indoor plants can easily withstand frosts down to minus six degrees Celsius.

Requirements for the composition and other characteristics of the soil

Although we said that in nature pomegranate is extremely unpretentious to soils, at home, to create the most ornamental plant, the characteristics of soil mixtures should be maintained at the proper level. Please note that they must be neutral (pH 7). We would recommend the following features:

Half sod land, ¼ good leaf humus, 12% peat, and 13% sand.
. Half sand, ¼ parts loam and peat (watch the pH!).
. Two parts of clay-soddy soil, one volumetric part of leafy soil, one share of sand and humus each.
. Especially for young plants: humus, sod, sand and leafy soil are taken in equal proportions.

About watering and humidity

As you probably understand yourself, competent watering of any plant is a guarantee not only of its decorative appearance but also survival. In our case, there are the following watering rules:

At rest (we talked about it above), the number of waterings is reduced as much as possible: no more than once every one and a half to two months!
. When houseplants come out of hibernation, you can gradually increase the frequency. Gradually move on to frequent watering, well soaking the top layer of soil in a pot. Moisturize it as it dries.
. Please note that during flowering, moisture intake should be limited, as in natural conditions this time coincides with the dry and hot period. But be careful! With a lack of moisture and nutrients, you may well be left with nothing, as the plant will simply drop all the buds and ovaries.
. As we have already said, in hot weather and in stuffy rooms, it is necessary to spray pomegranate leaves with settled water.
. As soon as flowering ends, the plant again needs to be watered abundantly, otherwise abundant flowering will next year will be in question.
. If you need to grow fruits, then the issue of soil moisture should be approached as carefully and carefully as possible. If you overdo it with water, then the fruits may well crack and even rot.

We feed

Any indoor flowers need feeding. Pomegranate is no exception. "Feed" it should be at least twice a month. IN spring period any nitrogen fertilizer can be widely used. When the pomegranate blooms, phosphorus top dressing is mandatory, and in autumn period- potassium. However, once (per month) the use of complex fertilizer is quite acceptable. Important! Top dressing should be done only in cloudy weather.

Fertilizers must be applied exclusively to moist soil, but all excess water from flower tray at the same time, it is mandatory to merge. In the autumn period, the frequency of top dressing is gradually reduced, preparing the pomegranate for the dormant period. Most often, it occurs in December-January, when the last flowers have faded and all the fruits on the plant have fully ripened.

rest period

You can easily find out about its onset, since at this moment the plant begins to shed its leaves. As we said, during this period, the ambient temperature should be maintained within ten degrees Celsius. Important! As for young pomegranates that have not yet reached the age of three, a dormant period is not necessary for them, but the temperature at this time should still be lowered to about 16 degrees Celsius (as when the fruit ripens).

Of course, in a city apartment it is far from always possible to create optimal conditions for hibernation. A simple measure will help to sufficiently reduce the temperature: move the pot of pomegranate close to the glass, and then isolate it from the rest of the room with ordinary plastic wrap. It will be enough to keep for three to four weeks. However, the most optimal results can be achieved by pulling the plant into the basement for this time.

Trimming procedure

Around February, the pomegranate is taken out of the cold room and, while the buds have not yet blossomed, they are pruned. The plant tolerates just such a pruning procedure best. Most of all small young branches should be removed. To stimulate branching, it is necessary to prune the branches on the outside of the bud under acute angle, leaving no more than five internodes on the shoot. Important! When forming a room pomegranate (the photo of which is in the article), never forget to leave within the six skeletal branches that form the basis of the whole plant.

If you get carried away with pruning, you can significantly weaken the tree. By the way, it is precisely for the formation of the tree form of the pomegranate (including bonsai) that all the young shoots in the pot must be mercilessly removed. When forming branches and pruning, you need to be extremely careful, as the shoots are fragile. Extra shoots formed in the current growing season, you can clean in the summer. In this case, it is advisable to seal the wound with garden pitch.

How is the transplant done?

Up to three years, it is necessary to transplant pomegranates annually. After reaching three years, the frequency of the procedure is reduced to once every two to three years. It is best to do this in the spring. The transplant itself is simple, as it is done by conventional transshipment. To do this, take the soil with the mandatory addition of sand. Of course, the presence of drainage in the pot is extremely important.

Despite the developed fibrous system, the grenade does not need an exceptionally wide pot. An increase in capacity should be carried out at the rate of two to three centimeters per transplant, no more. By the way, the flowering of the plant is the more abundant, the closer the roots in the pot (but do not overdo it!). Here's how to care for a potted pomegranate.

Reproduction of pomegranate seeds

We immediately warn you that successful cultivation it is extremely important to buy plants from seeds in specialized stores or from trusted suppliers. However, all flower growers who grow indoor flowers will tell you about this. A pomegranate grown from normal seed material will allow you to enjoy flowering in the first year, and you will be able to taste your own pomegranates in about two to three years.

However, no one forbids trying to grow a tree using seeds from an already ripe fruit. Note that they remain viable for up to six months. You need to choose seeds only from the largest and well-ripened pomegranates. After that, they are cleaned of pulp and dried properly in a warm and dry room. They can be sown in April, to a depth of approximately 0.5 cm. Attention - the pomegranate, the fruit of which appeared on the tree for the first time, is absolutely unsuitable for use for seed purposes, since its seeds may be too weak and will not sprout.

The substrate for this is made from equal parts of sand and peat, after which it is moistened to an average extent. Germination occurs at a temperature of about 25-27 degrees Celsius, the development of seedlings begins quickly. As soon as two or three true leaves appear, the strongest and healthiest-looking seedlings are distributed into pots with a diameter of approximately six centimeters. In order for plants to grow and develop faster, during this period they need heat and moisture. For better bushiness, they need to be pinched. Here's how to get indoor pomegranate from seeds.

Important! If you buy a pomegranate in the market or in a store, deciding to use its seeds for sowing, then keep in mind that you can expect flowering from it in seven years at best. In addition, the size of such a plant will be too large (two or three meters) for an average city apartment. Recall that indoor pomegranate, the cultivation of which does not cause particular difficulties, rarely grows at least up to a meter.

Propagation by cuttings

Cuttings should be taken from mature and well-bearing plants. In summer, you need to take those of them that are half stiff, and in winter period(in February), respectively, stiff. You need to cut the branches into pieces with five to six buds. The soil for planting is made from equal parts of sand and peat, landing is carried out at an angle, to a depth of approximately three centimeters. Here's how cuttings are propagated indoor pomegranate.

Cuttings need to be covered with a cut plastic bottle or a jar, water often to maintain high humidity and soil, as this is necessary for rooting. It is highly desirable to treat the cuttings before planting with some kind of humic fertilizer, since this measure dramatically increases the likelihood of successful rooting. After about two or three months, young plants can already be seated in separate pots. The buds may appear as early as the first year, but they should be cut off for the first two seasons, as the plant is not yet fully grown to fully bloom.

In a word, pomegranate is a plant that every lover of flora must have!

The cuttings are planted in a trench immediately after they are cut into prepared loose and fertilized soil. The distance between the cuttings in a row is 20-25 cm, between the rows - 50 cm. The cutting is buried in the soil for its entire length, only one or two buds remain at the top. After planting, the cuttings are watered. In early spring, they start to grow. Feeding 1-2 times per summer is advisable and regular watering is required in case of dry summers and occasional rains. By autumn, bushes are formed from the cuttings, suitable for transplanting next year on permanent place growth. Planting seedlings in closed ground is carried out, most often obliquely at an angle of approximately 45 ° to the horizon to the south. With such a planting, pomegranate bushes will be easier to cover for the winter, bending them to the ground and tying them to stakes driven into it.

You can cut pomegranate both in autumn, during the shelter period, and in spring. It is advisable to perform the main pruning during the shelter period, and in the spring to remove broken or frozen branches. By palatability and the nature of the use of pomegranate fruits are divided into 3 groups:

• sweet varieties, in which the taste is dominated by sugar, and the acid is felt very weakly. They are used in fresh;
• sweet and sour, in which sugar and acid are combined more or less harmoniously. Used both fresh and for processing;
• sour varieties, in which acid is sharply felt, and sugar almost does not taste. Used for technical processing.

Ak-Don. It is characterized by large spherical fruits with a yellowish-pink color, pleasant to the taste. The variety belongs to the group of sweet. The skin is thin. Together with internal partitions is about 30% total weight fetus. When cultivated in the Crimea, the variety is productive, early-medium ripening.

Kaim Nar. Azerbaijani variety. It is also cultivated in the Crimea. Fruit medium size(200-250 g) greenish in color with a bright red blush. The taste is sweet and sour, pleasant, with aroma. The color of the juice is dark red. Ripening time is medium.

Shoulyansky. Fruits of irregular spherical shape with a flattened apex of medium size. The weight of one fruit is 200-250 g. The color of the fruit is dark red, the juice is bright red. Peel of medium thickness. The taste of pulp and juice is sweet, sour, pleasant, refreshing. The ripening period in the Crimea is October-November. The variety when grown in the Crimea is productive.

It should be noted that other varieties (Virovsky and PurpleSidet), available in the collection of Nikitsky botanical garden. In Transcaucasia, the main zoned varieties of pomegranate include Galusha pink and Galusha red, BalaMrsal, Nizik-kabukh, Krmyzy-kabukh, Shakhnar, Vanderfil. All of them are distinguished by large fruits of beautiful rounded shape and bright red or pink color.

In Central Asia and Azerbaijan, assortment improvement is carried out by clonal selection of local varieties, as well as the introduction of promising foreign varieties. The heterozygosity of the pomegranate makes it possible to obtain varieties already in the first generation. There are 8 promising forms of pomegranate in Azerbaijan, which are characterized by increased frost resistance and high yield. These include Mehseti, Dessert Azerbaijani, Vurgun. The Tajik Research Institute of Agriculture recommended 6 breeding varieties. Of the introduced ones - Siyah-Dane, California No. 6320 and Malta.

The author of the book tested varieties Kai-achik-anar, grown from seeds imported from Central Asia, and Galyusha, grafted onto the variety Kai-achik-anar with a cutting brought from Azerbaijan, under the conditions of the trench culture of Donbass. Pomegranate Kai-achik-anar blossomed in the fifth year of planting.

However, the bulk of the flowers were on the shoots of the current year. The flowers were mostly short-pistil, not producing fruit. Variety Galyusha in the second year after vaccination gave the first harvest. Now it bears fruit annually, but in small quantities. The bulk of the flowers are short-pistil. Therefore, it is advisable to test other varieties of pomegranate.

Soil care under the pomegranate is the same as in ordinary gardens. middle lane. In autumn, it is advisable to make a shallow digging of the soil so as not to damage the roots. Remove weeds in summer. Pomegranate plants respond positively to the application mineral fertilizers. Therefore, immediately after opening the plants, it is advisable to feed them with nitrogen-potassium fertilizers.

Pomegranates should be watered abundantly in order to get juicy and tasty fruits. The formation of a pomegranate with a trench method of cultivation must be carried out in the form of a bush with three to five main branches directed to one or two sides of the trench. Most complete biological features the grenade responds with a bushy formation, in which 4-6 well-developed trunks are left. Over time, fruiting shoots are replaced with new ones. Once every 20-30 years, a rejuvenating pruning is performed, in which the entire aerial part of the plant is removed.