How to grow a pomegranate tree at home. How to grow pomegranate from seeds at home: step-by-step recommendations. Does a pomegranate grown from a seed at home bloom? Growing conditions and tree care

Rightfully recognized as the king of fruits, it has a rich history. It is one of the seven plants mentioned in the Bible. Pomegranate is often talked about in myths and legends. Its fruits have long been considered a symbol of wealth, friendship and love among many peoples. A strange plant can settle on the windowsill and become part of the history of your home.

Watching homemade pomegranate grow is an extremely exciting activity. There are two ways to get a new plant: cuttings or seeds. In the first case, a cutting with 6-8 buds and mature wood is cut at an acute angle, treated with a root growth agent and planted in a pot.

Growing homemade pomegranate from the seed - a longer and more interesting process. Regardless of the chosen method, the tree is completely unpretentious in care. If you create favorable conditions, the homemade pomegranate will bloom and then delight you with small, tasty fruits. We suggest you figure out how to grow a pomegranate from a seed at home, and how to care for it.

Homeland of the plant

Homeland of pomegranate - ancient state Carthage, located in modern Tunisia. In honor of its habitat, the fruit was named Malumpunicum, which means Carthaginian apple.

The first seedlings of the noble tree were brought to Carthage by the Phoenicians in 825 BC. At that time, these lands were considered places of vibrant international trade. With the attack of the Romans, most of the territories were destroyed. Only the spacious pomegranate gardens remained untouched.

Pomegranate in natural environment

The times of Carthage are long gone. In which countries do pomegranates grow today?

Arid tropical and subtropical climate – ideal conditions for plant life. The fruit is widespread throughout the world, and many varieties of pomegranate are also found in Russia.

Traveling around warm sides our homeland, you can find entire pomegranate gardens. Pomegranate grows in Crimea, the Azov region, in the south Krasnodar region, in Dagestan and the North Caucasus. Wild pomegranate grows on the rocky slopes of Transcaucasia in mixed forests.

The height of the pomegranate tree depends on the variety and can reach 6 meters in height. The trunk is strong, light brown in color with thin prickly branches. The pomegranate blooms from May until the end of summer. Male flowers resemble an elongated bell in shape, while female flowers resemble a jug of orange-red, white or yellow shades. What the tree and pomegranate fruits look like depends on the growing area and variety. The most common varieties:

Crimean striped. A small tree strewn with large fruits weighing about 300-450 grams and thick skin;
Gyulosha pink. The plant and fruits are larger than the Crimean pomegranate, with thin skin and sour seeds;
Nikitinsky early. Low shrub with large and sweet fruits;
Bala-Mursal. Pomegranate with tasty and heavy fruits (about 500 g each) and high yield;
Achik-Dona. The fruits are yellow-pink in color with elongated grains and sweet pulp;
Dwarf pomegranate. An ornamental plant no more than a meter high. The taste of the fruit is not much different from regular varieties grenade.

Planting pomegranate seeds

Growing pomegranate at home begins with selecting planting material. Take ripe fruit without signs of rot, mold, dents or abrasions. Size and appearance of the fetus this issue, are not very important. As a rule, there are hybrids of fruits on the shelves that do not pass on their qualities to the next offspring. and select grains for planting, clean them of pulp and rinse in running water.

Pomegranate seeds should be firm with a pleasant gray-beige or ivory color. These signs confirm that the seed contains the amount necessary for germination. nutrients. Seeds that are soft to the touch or green when they fall into the soil will simply begin to rot. Choose the bones you like and place them in salt water. Those that sank to the bottom first are best suited for landing.

Also, seeds can be purchased in special stores. The most common varieties are Baby and Carthage.

Pomegranate seeds must be disinfected to prevent the development of fungus. To do this, it is recommended to soak them in solutions of potassium permanganate, Zircon or Epin. Just a couple of drops per teaspoon of water is enough.

To start the germination process, pierce with a needle and soak the selected material. Pour some water into a saucer so that the seeds are half exposed to air. Every 12 hours you need to change the water and make sure that the seeds do not dry out. You can create an additional moisturizing layer by lining the bottom of the saucer with gauze or a napkin. It is recommended to use filtered water free of impurities.

After 3 days, the grains can be planted in the ground. Unlike many plants, homemade pomegranate germinates in the soil, and not while the seeds are soaked. In order for the sprout to quickly free itself from the dense skin, the seed is lightly sanded with a nail file or sandpaper with a fine abrasive. A mixture of equal parts fertile soil, peat and river sand. In the absence of peat, it can be easily replaced with turf soil and humus. A special mixture for planting is also suitable indoor plants.

Placed on the bottom of the pot drainage layer from pine sawdust and expanded clay, small pebbles, gravel or pieces of foam. This is necessary to protect homemade pomegranate from stagnant water and root rotting.

Wide pots with a height of 10 cm or more are suitable as containers. Make 1-1.5 cm depressions in the ground, place pomegranate seeds in them and lightly sprinkle with earth. There is no need to compact or place a lot of soil on top, this will prevent the sprouts from breaking through. Spray the soil with warm water and cover with plastic wrap to create greenhouse conditions. The mini-greenhouse must be ventilated every day and moistened with a spray bottle as needed. The optimal temperature for seed germination is 25-30 degrees. The pot can be placed near the radiator, but make sure that the soil does not dry out.

Seeds planted in late autumn or early spring may hatch in a couple of weeks. At other times, the cultivation period increases to several months. If sprouts have not appeared after 6 months, it means that the seeds were unable to germinate.

Usually, the strongest ones are selected from the hatched sprouts. Thin and poor seedlings produce weakened plants susceptible to disease. Therefore, they are either pulled out or pinched, leaving the root in the ground. As it decomposes, it will provide nutrients to the developing home pomegranate. Also, seedlings can be planted in several pots. Picking is carried out after the appearance of two true, not cotyledon, leaves. For this:

Each sprout at home is given its own pot.
Fill the container with drainage and substrate.
Make 2-2.5 cm indentations. Moisten the soil so that homemade pomegranate quickly takes root.
Carefully plant the sprout in the hole, sprinkle it with earth and lightly tamp it down.

Monitor soil moisture. After planting, excess moisture is detrimental to young plants. When germinating in spring or summer, homemade pomegranate sprouts will receive enough natural sunlight. In winter and autumn, additional lighting with an ultraviolet lamp is required.

Caring for pomegranate at home

Regardless of the landing method, indoor pomegranate will decorate your home. The tree grows 90-110 cm in height, abundantly strewn with bright green foliage. Starting at age 2, every 10 months, homemade seed pomegranates produce beautiful, bright purple flowers.

It is believed that the domesticated fruit king does not bear fruit. To achieve fruit appearance, decorative pomegranate will have to be grafted. However, many flower gardening practitioners claim that the first fruits appear in 3-4 years; it is enough to properly care for the pomegranate. The number of male flowers many times exceeds female ones, although it is the latter that are necessary for fruiting. Therefore, in addition to standard conditions such as lighting, temperature and watering, there are little tricks:

Male flowers do not grow as actively if you plant pomegranate in a narrow container;
During the flowering period, the water should be slightly cool, approximately +18-20 degrees;
The chances of fruiting increase if you pollinate your homemade pomegranate yourself with a brush or cotton swab

It is necessary to fertilize the plant 1-2 times a month. In the spring, pomegranate needs phosphorus, which stimulates flowering, and nitrogen, which nourishes the foliage. IN autumn period potassium will help prepare for winter. Universal fertilizers for indoor plants in liquid form are suitable for nutrition. However, it should be remembered that such fertilizers contain large amounts of nitrates, which accumulate in the fruits. As a safe organic fertilizer Infusion of manure and aquarium water are suitable.

Priming

Since pomegranate lives naturally on rocky slopes, care at home will not turn into burdensome plant control. You don't even need special soil. It is enough to mix turf soil diluted with humus and coarse sand, loam and peat in a ratio of 2:1:1. All-purpose loose soil for houseplants is also suitable. To prevent stagnation of water and rotting of roots, a drainage layer is laid on the bottom.

Temperature and humidity

Concerning temperature regime, indoor pomegranate requires some care and attention. Suitable temperature ranges from 18-25 degrees and about 12-15 in winter. Moderate humidity is suitable for plant growth and development.

After the period of natural shedding of leaves, which takes place in November-December, homemade pomegranate should be placed in a room with a temperature of +5-0 degrees. Lower temperatures are detrimental to the plant.

In the spring, after the frosts are over, the shrub can be placed on the balcony or taken out into the garden, hidden in the shade of branchy trees. In the fresh air, homemade pomegranate develops better and blooms more readily.

During the flowering period, temperatures above 25 degrees are unacceptable. It leads to the fall of leaves and a halt in the development of home pomegranate. To reduce the temperature, you can spray the tree with cool water.

Lighting

Homemade pomegranate is a lover of bright but diffused light. It is better to place the plant on a windowsill on the south side and shade it from direct sun rays. In winter, an artificial extension of daylight hours is required, for example, with the help of ultraviolet lamp.

Watering

The root system of home-grown pomegranate is located in the upper layers of the soil. Therefore, water the plant when the soil surface becomes dry. To do this, use settled water at room temperature.

In hot weather, it is optimal to moisturize homemade pomegranate every day, in winter up to 2 times a week. If the soil deep down remains wet and upper layer dries out, spray the soil with a spray bottle. It is better to protect the leaves and flowers of the plant from contact with water.

Trimming homemade pomegranate

The formation of shrubs and pruning of homemade pomegranate is carried out in February, before the onset of the active growth phase. Flowers form only at the ends of strong branches, so all thin and damaged shoots can be safely removed. Young shoots are pruned at the bud facing outwards.

You can add a touch of Japanese culture by forming a homemade pomegranate into a bonsai. To do this, the tree is grown with one branch, tying it to a wire. The height and shape of the plant is independently regulated. You can make a spiral bush, completely straight or with a slope on one side. The foliage is cut in the form of a ball, triangle or cube. It all depends on your imagination. Volumetric growth of foliage is achieved by pinching the fourth pair of leaves after the third pair has fully ripened. So the home pomegranate will grow with two tops.

Transfer

Homemade pomegranate is replanted annually for five years. The diameter of the new pot should be several centimeters larger than the previous one. As a rule, to enhance flowering, a narrow pot is selected for home pomegranate. A sure signal to move to a larger pot is when the roots completely envelop the earthen ball. For an adult tree, it is enough to renew the container once every 4 years.

Possible problems of diseases and pests

Insufficient watering appears on the leaves of homemade pomegranate in the form of brown spots.

Spider mites appear in dry, hot air. A white sticky web forms on the leaves, after which they fall off. The tree can be saved using folk remedies (garlic and tobacco tincture). Cover the soil with plastic before use. From chemicals Actellik and Fitoverm are suitable.

The whitefly feeds on the sap of homemade pomegranates, which causes the leaves to turn yellow and fall off. Inspect the plant, collect all pests by hand and treat the bush with Derris or soap solution.

Fruit stalk and aphid. As with whiteflies, collect all the insects and spray your homemade pomegranate with insecticides.

Gray rot covers homemade pomegranates with a moldy coating. To combat the disease, all affected areas of the plant are removed, then the tree is treated with fungicides, for example, Bordeaux mixture.

Branch cancer is a lesion with spongy swellings appearing along the edges. The disease affects only frozen and injured branches. First, the shoots die and the homemade pomegranate dries out completely. It is advisable to remove the affected areas and treat unprotected surfaces with garden varnish. However, even this rarely saves the plant. Most often, it dies completely.

Powdery mildew is the most frequent illness homemade pomegranates. A white fungal coating spoils the plant and leads to its death. At the first stage, spraying with a regular solution works well against the pest. baking soda(5 grams per liter of water). In more complex situations, the use of fungicides (Topaz, Skor) is necessary.

Pomegranate is a flowering and fruiting plant that belongs to the genus of shrubs and small trees. The peculiarity of the growth of shrubs is that they are prone to uncontrolled growth of branches and thickening. For proper development, fruiting and a well-groomed appearance, pomegranate pruning is required. The method and time of pruning will depend on the conditions in which it is grown and what shape the gardener wishes to achieve.

Pomegranate requires regular pruning

Why trim pomegranates?

In nature, it grows well without pruning, but pomegranate needs to be trimmed, using this care technique you can:

stimulate the growth of lateral branches;
form strong skeletal branches;
improve the shape of the pomegranate;
avoid thickening;
prevent damage from pests and diseases;
stimulate intensive flowering;
increase the yield and quality of fruits.

Formation is important for pomegranates cultivated both in open ground and at home. Therefore, pruning should be done correctly and regularly.

Pomegranate tree pruning: 1st year, 2nd year and 3rd year

Types of trimmings

Depending on the purpose in agronomy, there are several types of pruning:

formative;
sanitary;
rejuvenating;
supportive.

All these types of prunings are used when growing pomegranate during different periods of the growing season. The purpose of formative pruning is to refine appearance plants, to give the desired shape, it is carried out in the first years of cultivation. Pomegranate can be formed in the form of a spreading bush, a mini-tree, or a standard tree.

Sanitary pruning is carried out to clear old, weak, dried branches, to remove excess branches that thicken the bush and can cause gas exchange disturbances and damage by fungal diseases or pests.

The rejuvenating procedure is used to stimulate the growth of young branches if the bush begins to age and stops growth and fruiting. To preserve the already formed shape of an adult pomegranate, maintenance pruning is done. It will allow you to maintain a neat and well-groomed appearance of the plant.

Pruning pomegranate in the garden

In the southern regions, this plant grows wonderfully in open ground. In the middle zone, you can also grow pomegranates in open ground using the covering method. Pruning garden pomegranate has its own characteristics and technique. Form it in the shape of a bush or tree. In open ground, seedlings grown from cuttings or purchased from nurseries are most often planted.

Formation of a seedling from a cutting

Such a pomegranate begins to form at the growing stage even before planting in a permanent place. After rooting, a seedling from a cutting grows into a single stem or with several side branches. This will determine how pinching is done.

When the cutting grows into one stem, pinch off the top. To form a bush, pinching is carried out at a height of 10-15 cm. When the side branches grow, they are pruned again. This is how the main 5-6 branches are formed. If in the future it should be a pomegranate mini-tree, then pinching is carried out at the height where the crown should begin to form. You also need to put a support to which to tie the future trunk so that it does not bend and is level.

When the seedling initially begins to branch, you need to remove excess weak and low-lying side shoots, leaving strong, well-developed ones, which will be the basis for the formation of the bush.

The seedling is planted from the cuttings into the ground when it reaches a height of 50 cm. The next pruning is carried out in the first spring after planting. In the garden, they continue to shape plants to give the desired shape, and also do sanitary pruning and remove weak, dried branches.

Pruning purchased seedlings

In nurseries they sell already grown plants, ready for planting in the ground; they already have a partially formed crown. Such bushes require maintenance and sanitary pruning every spring to form the pomegranate crown. If necessary, pruning can be done in the fall after harvest.

Regardless of how the pomegranate is formed into a bush or mini-tree, the basic pruning rules must be followed:

There should be no more than 6 main stems.
The middle of the crown should be visible and ventilated.
The shoots growing from below are removed.
Weak old and dry branches are removed.
Use disinfected instruments.

Pomegranate has the ability to grow and bear fruit very long time, about 100 years. To do this, anti-aging pruning is carried out every 25-30 years. The bush is cut off completely, leaving branches of 20-30 cm, the cuts are covered with garden varnish. After a short time, young branches grow and a bush is formed from them. Such garden equipment allows you to rejuvenate old pomegranate orchards.

The growth from below should be removed

Trimming a pomegranate from the seed

Many gardeners have this plant grown from a seed on their windowsill. For pomegranate grown at home, crown formation plays an important role. A seedling from a seed grows with one stem and without pinching or pruning has no decorative effect. Flowering and fruiting of such a pomegranate occurs very late; you will have to wait for many years.

First of all, you need to pinch the top, this is done on different heights. By doing this at a level of 5-12 cm, in the future you can get a beautiful branched bush.

If there is a desire to form a mini-tree, then the pinching is done higher, in the place where, according to the plan, the crown should be formed. As new branches grow, they continue to be pinched until the desired shape is achieved.

For pomegranates that grow on a windowsill, the same pruning rules apply as for garden pomegranates. After trimming an indoor pomegranate, you can grow new plants from the cuttings by rooting the cuttings in loose soil or placing them in water until roots appear. With this method of propagation, plants completely inherit the qualities of the mother bush.

Young pomegranate sprouts should be pinched

Pomegranate bush bonsai

Pomegranate is a crop that easily tolerates pruning, and branches and stems can easily take on different shapes. These characteristics allow you to create real masterpieces of floral art. Using this feature of the plant, pomegranate trees are formed in the bonsai style. The task is labor-intensive and time-consuming, but the result is worth the effort.

To turn a pomegranate from a seed, it must be already grown, and the strongest stem must be at least 2.5 cm thick. The following steps must be taken:

Remove all unnecessary branches.
The trunk is cut at a level of 20-25 cm.
Bend and give the desired shape, fix with wire.
The crown is formed from overgrowing branches.
Give shape, fixing with fishing line.
Trim the crown as it grows.

When the basic formative actions have been completed, they are cared for as for an ordinary pomegranate, watered and fed. Replant as necessary in fresh loose soil. In this matter, it is important to be patient, and a small pomegranate bonsai will delight you with its beauty and intricate shape.

Graft

In addition to pruning and care, to grow a healthy tree, pomegranate grown from seed must be grafted. This will allow:

accelerate flowering and fruiting;
give fruits varietal qualities;
improve the appearance of the plant.

A pomegranate grown from a seed rarely has the qualities and characteristics of the variety from which the seeds were taken. Fruiting will have to wait about 5 years. The fruits grow small size with low taste characteristics. In order for the fruits to have varietal characteristics, they are grafted with cuttings from fruit-bearing bushes. This will allow you to get the first pomegranates within a year after grafting.

Also, with the help of grafting, you can add decorativeness; for this, cuttings are grafted from varieties that have the desired qualities. By grafting the Nana variety, you can get a dwarf pomegranate with small decorative fruits and beautiful leaves.

If you graft Socotri pomegranate cuttings, the bush will be decorated with pink flowers, and the fruits will delight you with their size and taste.

If the goal is to obtain ornamental plant, then they graft a terry pomegranate, it does not bear fruit, but its flowering is magnificent. Among the methods for grafting pomegranate are:

simple copulation;
in a side cut;
into cleft

For those who have experience in grafting fruit trees, there will be no difficulties with grafting pomegranate, but for a beginner it will not be particularly difficult. You can graft a seedling from seeds when the trunk or branches of the crown already have a thickness of 0.5 cm. The grafting is done in the spring before active growth begins.

For the procedure to be successful, you need to understand how to vaccinate correctly.

Socotri pomegranate produces large fruits after grafting

Simple budding

This is the simplest and most common method of vaccination. It can be carried out on seedlings already in the second year of cultivation so that the branches have the required diameter. The cutting should be the same thickness as the branch to which it needs to be grafted, have 4-5 developed buds, and be up to 5 cm long. To stimulate fusion, cuttings can be soaked for 8 hours in Kornevin’s solution. On the scion and grafting, an oblique cut 2.5-3 cm long is made at an angle of about 30 cm, the cut should fit tightly.

The joint is covered with garden varnish and wrapped with electrical tape or a garden bandage. The winding is left until complete splicing. Using this method, several varieties can be grafted onto one plant.

This method is practiced if the cuttings have a smaller diameter than the rootstock branch. The cuttings are cut at an angle of 30 cm on both sides, forming a peg. The rootstock branch is split from the side so that the cutting can be tightly inserted. Having connected the branches in this way, the junction is tightly wrapped with electrical tape. The winding can be removed after 2-3 months.

Side cut grafting scheme

A simple grafting method if you need to completely replace the variety. When a plant grows from seeds that does not satisfy its characteristics, it can be used as a rootstock for another variety. To do this, the plants are cut off completely, leaving only 20-30 cm of the main stem. It is better to use a cutting of the same diameter. The scion is cut on both sides at an angle of 45 degrees, it will look like a flat peg. The rootstock trunk is split in the middle. The rootstock is connected to the scion. The joint is covered with varnish and tightly wrapped with a garden bandage, thick fabric tape or electrical tape.

Important rules for grafting that increase the percentage of surviving cuttings:

Cuttings must be fresh and healthy.
The instrument is disinfected.
The fit of the scion and rootstock is tight.
Do not overload the bush with a large number of vaccinations at the same time.

By performing such a simple manipulation, you can get not only early fruiting trees, but also a high-quality pomegranate tree on the windowsill.

Cleft grafting scheme

Conclusion

Like every living plant, pomegranate requires proper care. With the help of pruning, you can create not only a beautifully shaped plant, but also ensure its healthy development, high-quality and long-term fruiting. An important process The cultivation of pomegranates also includes grafting, which will help in creating a magnificent bush with tasty fruits.

Preface

Lovers of indoor plants sometimes get lost in the next choice of “green neighbor”. If you want to grow a homemade pomegranate, caring for the plant is very simple and will not cause problems in growing it. This exotic plant is completely unpretentious, and can be grown in an ordinary pot on the windowsill.

Dwarf pomegranate - beauty and well-being in the home

The name of the fruit comes from the Latin granatus, which means grainy. According to historical information, the pomegranate was a symbol of a rich harvest and gave faith and life.

History says that the fruit came to our countries from Carthage and was called the “Punic apple.” In every country, pomegranate is a symbol of something special. In Greece it is fertility, in Persia it is passionate love. And the wife of Zeus holds a pomegranate in her hand as a symbol of marriage. Even in the real world in Greece, flowers and tree fruits are thrown at the feet of the bride and groom during a wedding. And during the celebration, the bride herself can throw a juicy fruit to her bridesmaids instead of a bouquet.

Mostly at home, dwarf or indoor pomegranates are preferred, growing which will be a pleasure. It should be noted that the plant perfectly decorates not only any interior of a room or garden, but also has a lot of useful properties.

The first mention of the dwarf pomegranate dates back to 1803. The plant reaches a maximum height of 120 cm. Its leaves are light green with a glossy tint, located on red cuttings. Due to the change of seasons, pomegranate leaves change their color: in spring the plant acquires bronze tones, in summer - shades of green, in autumn - yellow.

The bush blooms from May to September. Pomegranate flowers are large, up to 4 cm in diameter, and purple in color, but most do not form fruit. The duration of flowering of one flower is a maximum of 3 days, but every day new buds are formed on the bush. Only flowers with long columns can ripen into small pomegranates. So, out of a hundred flowers, only 3 produce fruit. Don’t worry that the remaining flowers fall off: this is an individual property of the plant.

The indoor pomegranate fruit itself can be colored either orange or brown-red and ripens in winter. But pomegranate does not have a special, pronounced taste, and the fruit itself is very small. So basically bonsai serves as a decoration for the room. To ensure that the plant puts all its energy into color and has a sufficient number of new buds, the owners cut off the ovaries.

Necessary conditions for a home tree

Indoor pomegranate is a light-loving plant, so the pot must be placed on any window, with the exception of northern ones. But the plant does not tolerate direct sunlight, especially young growth. In the summer, when it is warm and light, it is better to take the tree out onto the balcony or veranda, and overwinter the plant should be brought indoors.

Homemade pomegranate, like any exotic plant, needs warmth, especially during flowering. Therefore, the temperature in the room must be maintained above +20°C. But if the room is very hot, the pomegranate leaves may begin to fall off. To prevent this, you can spray the leaves with cool water. During the ripening of the fruit, pomegranate prefers cool rooms at home with a temperature of +14°C, and during the dormant period - even lower.

To ensure flowering and fruiting, the soil of homemade pomegranate must be rich and valuable in various mineral components.

Watering the plant also needs to be approached wisely to prevent waterlogging or dryness of the soil. The most abundant watering of the shrub occurs in the period after flowering, so that the plant can then delight with its flowers. In winter, homemade pomegranate practically does not need watering - once every 2 months is enough.

Homemade pomegranate will not refuse feeding, but no more than twice a month. Must be applied to moist soil and in spring. nitrogen fertilizers, during color - phosphorus, in autumn - potassium.

After the fruit of the tree has ripened, it usually sheds its leaves, that is, a dormant period begins. To do this, the pomegranate should be created in optimal conditions with a temperature of no more than +12°C. It is difficult to ensure such a temperature at home. You can, for example, move a pot with a plant to the window or put it on the balcony for 3 weeks.

After a period of dormancy, in February, homemade pomegranate begins to form buds. During this period, it is important to trim dry or unnecessary branches of the plant. Pruning is carried out in such a way that the bud of the bush faces outwards, otherwise with further growth the inner bud will thicken the plant. You can shape the pomegranate into a tree by trimming the root branches. It is important to avoid severe pruning, otherwise the plant will weaken and the number of buds and, accordingly, flowers will decrease.

For young plants, replanting is carried out every year until they reach 3 years. Homemade pomegranate does not require large containers and pots, and, conversely, the tighter the root system, the stronger the flowering will be.

How to grow pomegranate?

Homemade pomegranate can be propagated in 2 ways:

cuttings;
seeds.

Before growing pomegranate from seeds at home, you need to purchase seed material. You can buy it in a store, or you can take it from a houseplant. Before planting a seed in a container, you need to prepare it. To do this, the largest and ripest fruit is selected and several grains are obtained. To get the seed itself, you need to remove the pulp of the grain, rinse in water and wipe dry with a napkin or dry. Seeds should be planted at a distance of approximately 1 cm from the surface and away from each other. Seed germination time on average reaches 2 weeks. For good germination of the future plant, the pot should be placed in a warm, sunny place and provided with abundant watering.

To grow pomegranate at home when propagating by cuttings, shoots should be taken from a fruit-bearing plant with several buds and, after planting, covered with a plastic bottle or glass jar.

If an exotic plant has become infected with a disease, there is no need to delay its treatment. When pests appear on leaves, they must be treated with special chemicals or collected manually. Dry rooms and air can trigger the appearance of spider mites. To prevent such a disease, the plant must be frequently sprayed and moistened. Overwatering can also affect the health of pomegranates, with yellowed leaves being the main sign of overwatering. In such a situation, the plant must be transplanted into dry soil and the rotten roots removed.

You should not be afraid of this seemingly excessive care. The main thing is that the process of growing indoor pomegranate brings delight, then the plant will delight the owner with its beauty.

Homemade pomegranate - benefits for family health

Pomegranate is a healthy fruit: for the treatment of diseases, raw materials are obtained from all parts of the plant: from the fruit, peel, flowers, roots.

The value of the fruit lies in the contents minerals and organic acids. Pomegranate is rich in various vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins and even fats. The juice of the fruit has an analgesic, choleretic, and antiseptic effect. The fruits of the plant are used for digestive diseases. They normalize blood pressure, relieve headache, saturate the body with vitamins. Pomegranate peel has found its use as an anthelmintic due to its ursolic acid content. Doctors recommend the use pomegranate juice for infectious and colds, anemia, and problems with the gastrointestinal tract. For stomach disorders and colitis, the peel of the fruit is used. And pomegranate flowers are brewed as tea, which gives this drink a similarity to the popular hibiscus.

What are the benefits of pomegranate?

Thus, homemade pomegranate is perfect for those who want to acquire a decorative tree. It will not be difficult for beginning gardeners to grow pomegranates with juicy and ripe fruits, and even a schoolchild can take care of dwarf pomegranates.

Where to get it planting material? Buy a large, richly colored fruit at the market or store. Fruits with rot or mold should not be taken for planting. The seeds obtained from such specimens are weak and painful, and do not germinate and develop well.

Only healthy, ripe pomegranates are suitable, which need to be carefully cut and the contents removed. Remove the soft shell, place the seeds in a colander and rinse under the tap to remove juice and pieces of pulp. Carefully inspect the bones. Only hard seeds that are grayish-beige or ivory in color are suitable. This means they are already ripe and have enough nutrients to germinate. The planting material is green, soft to the touch, and does not sprout. Such bones simply rot when they fall into the ground and disappear.

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Germination

Place the pomegranate seeds on a saucer and pour in a little water until they are half immersed in the liquid. Planting material needs air, because oxygen awakens the grain and starts the germination process. The seeds must not be allowed to float in the water, otherwise they will die.

Planting material must be disinfected. Products such as Zircon or Epin are recommended. Just 2-3 drops, and no fungus or rot. Change the solution in the saucer every 12 hours. The seeds should lie in water for about 3 days, and they should not be allowed to dry out, otherwise the hard shell will crack and the grain will die.

You can cover the saucer with gauze or cotton cloth, which retains moisture well. Water intended for soaking should be passed through a filter to remove any harmful impurities. Place the saucer in a warm place, away from drafts.

After three days of bathing, the bones practically do not change their appearance. Unlike other planting material, they do not grow in a plate, but in the ground. It is important to prepare in advance correct soil and pots, because the grains are placed in the soil directly from the plate.

Substrate preparation

Pomegranate takes root in almost any soil, but in order for the plant to be strong and develop quickly, one of three options should be used. The easiest way is to buy a special substrate designed for indoor flowers. It contains a lot nutrients, quite loose and breathable.

The second version of the soil is prepared from peat and coarse river sand, which is pre-calcined or doused with boiling water to disinfect it. Take the components in equal proportions, stir thoroughly and fill the pot with the mixture.

If there is no peat at hand, it is replaced with turf soil and humus. Combine the ingredients and leave for several days, and add river sand before planting the pomegranate seeds. The last component will make the soil looser and softer, and the humus will become a source of minerals.

Regardless of the composition of the substrate, you need to put a drainage layer in the pot. If it is absent, the water constantly stagnates at the bottom of the container, the roots of the tree rot, and it suffers from fungus. Expanded clay or small pebbles, pieces of polystyrene foam or crushed clay shards are suitable.

Tip: If the soil dries out quickly or becomes too compacted, it should be replaced with new soil, to which pine or other wood sawdust is added.

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Planting seeds

Fill the pot with substrate, make several holes 1–1.5 cm deep in it and lightly moisten it with a spray bottle.
Do not make the holes too deep, otherwise it will be difficult for the sprout to break through the ground.
Place the wet seed and sprinkle with soil without compacting it.
Sprinkle with water and close the pot cling film or plastic bag. You will get a mini-greenhouse in which it is always warm and humid.
There is no need to add fertilizers or growth stimulants. Pomegranate seeds will take the necessary nutrients from the soil.
The main thing is that the pot with the future tree is constantly warm.

Natural selection

When the shoots hatch, it is recommended to move the pot to a south window. Young trees need a lot of light to grow and gain strength. Do not remove the film, but regularly ventilate the sprouts by opening the improvised lid for 1–2 hours and water them. The soil should not be too wet or water should accumulate at the bottom. In such cases, you need to stop watering for several days to allow the substrate to dry out, and then reduce the amount of liquid to moisten the soil.

If the seeds are planted in winter, the first leaves will appear on the sprouts in early to mid-spring. Then the film is removed so that it does not interfere with the trees stretching upward. Only one plant is left in the pot, the strongest and largest. The rest need to be carefully pulled out. You can simply pinch off the top, leaving the root in the ground. It will gradually decompose, providing the developing sprout with additional nutrients.

Important: Not all seeds planted in winter hatch in March-April. Some may take months to awaken, so it is recommended not to throw away empty pots without sprouting, but to set them aside and continue to water. If after 6 months nothing has happened, it means the seeds have not sprouted.

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Picking

The seedlings do not need to be thinned out, but rather transplanted into separate containers. Pomegranate picking is carried out after the appearance of two true, non-cotyledon leaves.

How to carry out the procedure?

You will need several medium-sized pots. The quantity depends on how many trees you plan to grow.
Fill each pot with drainage and substrate with pine sawdust.
Make one hole 2–2.5 cm deep. Be sure to moisten the soil so that the pomegranate quickly takes root.
Carefully distribute the roots over the hole. Sprinkle the seedling with soil and compact the soil a little.
You can add water, but if the substrate is wet enough, watering should be postponed for several days.

It is recommended to throw away seedlings that are too thin, weak or crooked. They grow into sickly trees that are constantly attacked by pests or fungus.

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Irrigation water and sunlight

Pomegranate comes from warm countries, so the tree loves the sun and tolerates high temperatures. The pot with the plant can be placed on a southern windowsill, closer to the light, but be sure to shade the delicate leaves from ultraviolet radiation. It is advisable to hang patterned curtains or blinds on the windows, which diffuse the sun's rays and make them softer.

In summer, it is useful to take the pomegranate tree out onto the balcony. Owners of summer cottages move the pot with the plant into the garden. In the fresh air, pomegranate blooms faster and develops better. It is recommended to bury the pot with earth, hiding the seedling under a taller tree.

In winter, water pomegranate 2 times a week, and in summer up to 4–5. If the soil inside remains wet and the top layer dries out quickly, it should be sprayed with a spray bottle. Water should not get on tree leaves and flowers. Use only warm, settled liquid, to which you can add fertilizers for indoor flowers or complexes for tomatoes and sweet peppers in spring and summer. Among natural supplements, there is an infusion of manure and aquarium water. You need to fertilize the soil twice a month; before adding nutrients, the pomegranate is watered generously.

Other nuances

To make the tree fluffy, you need to pinch the fourth pair of leaves after the third pair of leaves appears. This will cause the pomegranate to grow with two crowns.
The plant will bear fruit if it is grafted. In other cases, a tree grown from a seed only blooms, but no fruit appears on it.
Closer to winter, around November or early December, the pomegranate sheds its leaves. When the last one falls, you need to take the pot to a cool greenhouse or cellar. The plant should overwinter at a temperature of +5–0 degrees.
From November to March, pomegranates are watered once every 1.5–2 months. No need to fertilize.

During the flowering period, you can try to pollinate the plant with a brush or cotton swab. No one guarantees that an ovary will appear on the pomegranate, but it is likely that by autumn several fruits will ripen on thin branches. Even if the tree does not bear fruit every year, it is worth planting for its beautiful rose buds, which will appear every 10 months.

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Video: how to grow pomegranate

Flower growers who are fond of exotic plants grow lemons, tangerines and even pomegranates at home. Lemon and tangerine bushes are quite often sold in flower shops, so purchasing them will not be difficult. Pomegranate is rarely found on sale. But if desired, it can be grown from a seed. An ordinary pomegranate will turn into a miniature tree and will bloom and bear fruit. Of course, there will be few fruits on the plant, but this shortcoming will be compensated for by beautiful pink flowers and their unique smell. Caring for a pomegranate is not at all difficult, but you need to learn the rules of planting and growing.

Homemade pomegranate tree - description, photo

Home grown plant reaches only 90-100 cm in height. The exotic pet blooms profusely and constantly. The tree is simply covered bright colors, which bloom both in inflorescences and singly.

A pomegranate grown from a seed will bloom and bear fruit no earlier than three years after planting.

For the pomegranate tree, you need to choose a bright place. The plant loves bright but diffused light. Direct sunlight will burn the leaves. Therefore, a tree grown on a southern windowsill needs to be shaded from the midday sun.

How to plant a pomegranate?

If you are planning to grow pomegranate from a seed, then first of all you need take care of planting material:

While the seeds are soaking, you can prepare the soil. You can use a universal soil mixture sold in flower shops. If possible, you can prepare the soil yourself from fertile soil, peat and sand.

Pomegranate seeds are planted in containers filled with soil for seedlings to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. Then they are sprinkled with earth, sprayed with warm water and covered with polyethylene. The result will be a kind of greenhouse in which the seeds will quickly hatch. The temperature for germination of pomegranate should be at least 25-30C.

Seeds planted in November or early spring should sprout within a couple of weeks. If they are planted at another time of the year, they can hatch within several months.

Caring for young shoots

As soon as the first seedlings appear, the container with seedlings should be placed in a bright place. It is also necessary to ensure that the soil does not dry out. It's better to water it by spraying from a spray bottle.

Seedlings with two to three true leaves are transplanted into separate pots. Young plants are planted in the soil, for the preparation of which you need to mix:

leaf humus - 1 part;
turf – 2 parts;
sand – 0.5 parts;
peat – 0.5 parts.

Pomegranate has a shallow root system, so the tree can grow in shallow containers. The main thing is good drainage.

Caring for young plants involves abundant and regular watering, which is carried out as the soil mixture dries. The soil in pots should always be slightly moist. Excess water must be poured out of the pan.

Plants planted in autumn will need to be provide additional lighting. Otherwise, with a lack of light, the seedlings will stretch out or not grow at all.

Features of growing pomegranate trees

Caring for a pomegranate grown from a seed is not difficult at all. The plant is unpretentious, but requires compliance with some care rules:

Crown formation

To from young plant the result was a beautiful and fluffy bush, a pomegranate every year needs a haircut.

Pruning should be carried out before the plant begins to actively grow, that is, in February. As the tree ages, one of the tree trunks is replaced by a young, strong shoot. Therefore, cutting stimulates branching. Pruning of young shoots should be done on the bud facing outwards. As a result, there should be from two to five pairs of leaves left on the branch. The shoots remaining from pruning can be used as cuttings.

The crown of the tree can be made into the shape that you like best. The bush can be shaped into a ball, or made into an oval tree.

If you want to try yourself in the art of bonsai, then garnet is perfect for this. The desired shape of the bush can be given by repeatedly pinching and pruning it, bending old branches to the ground, and bending young ones with wire. You can shape a pomegranate in almost any style.

During a haircut don't be afraid to cut off excess. In spring, the tree will gain strength, and new branches and leaves will quickly grow. Don’t forget to regularly remove dried flowers and leaves from the bush.

Pests and diseases of pomegranate

The first flowering of a pomegranate tree good care can be expected already 10-12 months after the seedlings appear. A plant grown at home will bloom several times a year and delight you with its few but tasty fruits.

Growing pomegranate at home

It is believed that indoor tree The grenade brings happiness and good luck to the house. That is why the plant is gaining immense popularity among indoor gardeners.

Pomegranate grown from seed is a dwarf plant, reaching a height of about 100-110 cm. It blooms very profusely and for quite a long time with attractive bright red flowers.

However, such a tree begins to bear fruit no earlier than four years of age. If you want to get fruits already in the first year after planting, you need to plant special purchased dwarf pomegranate seeds.

Only a true amateur gardener can afford to grow a pomegranate from a seed. Tangerines and oranges also grow well at home.

Planting pomegranate seeds (seeds)

A large ripe pomegranate without signs of rotting or mold is peeled and the seeds are removed. Those that have White color. A greenish tint indicates that the seed is unripe and will not sprout.

Pomegranates sold in supermarkets and bazaars are hybrids that are specially bred to produce high-value products. This means that fruits grown from their seeds do not retain their parental qualities, including taste.

It is believed that freshly harvested seeds germinate better.

Seed preparation:

Remove the pulp from the seeds by rinsing them in cold water.
You can wipe them with a dry paper napkin.
Place on a saucer and dry overnight.
Soak in water with the addition of epin or zircon for 10 hours.

The soil for planting is prepared loosely, including a large amount of coarse river sand. You can combine peat and sand in equal proportions. IN as a last resort, a ready-made universal soil mixture is used.

The seeds are distributed evenly, buried no more than 1 cm, and lightly sprinkled with soil. After planting, be sure to water a little. The pot is placed in a warm place in the light and covered with plastic film to create conditions similar to a greenhouse. The optimal temperature is 25-29 oC. The mini-greenhouse must be ventilated daily and watered as it dries out.

The germination rate of the seeds of this exotic tree ranges from 85-90%, but they hatch unevenly. The first ones can germinate in just 2 weeks. If you do not find any sprouts after this time, there is no need to rush to throw them away; individual seeds “sit” in the ground for up to 6 months.

If the seedlings appeared in the spring-summer period, natural light is sufficient for them. sunny windowsill. Seedlings need additional lighting in winter and autumn. Thin and damaged sprouts are removed, leaving a few of the largest ones.

After the formation of a pair of true leaves, pomegranate seedlings dive into pots with a diameter of 8-9 cm. As they grow, they are transferred to large containers.

Caring for pomegranate at home

When trying to grow pomegranate at home, you must take into account that this plant is not particularly capricious and grows well in apartments. The main thing is to take into account basic needs.

Lighting

Bright light without direct sunlight is desirable. In the midday heat, the plant needs to be shaded.

Temperature

The ideal temperature is about 20 oC in summer time and up to 15 oC in winter. Does not tolerate too low temperatures (less than 5 °C). It reacts positively to fresh air; during the warm season, pomegranate can be planted in the garden or, in extreme cases, taken out to the loggia or balcony.

Priming

It is recommended to use breathable, loose soil. The composition requires coarse sand. It is acceptable to use ordinary universal soil for indoor plants. Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot.

Watering

For irrigation, use settled water at room temperature. The root system is located in the surface layer of the earth, so the soil should not be allowed to dry out. In hot weather, water every day and very generously. In winter, during the dormant period, watering is sharply reduced.

Air humidity

When growing this crop in stuffy, hot rooms, spraying is carried out to avoid pest infestation.

Top dressing

Is it possible to grow pomegranate from seed without using additional fertilizers? On the one hand, pomegranate, like all indoor plants, responds favorably to fertilizing. It is better to give preference to fertilizers in liquid form. From early March to September, nitrogen and phosphorus should predominate in them: the first is responsible for a lush green crown, the second stimulates flowering. Before the end of October, it makes sense to add potassium to prepare for wintering.

On the other hand, if the purpose of growing pomegranate is to obtain fruits and eat them, then it is better to do without any chemicals.

Trimming homemade pomegranate

To maintain a beautiful appearance, it is not necessary to limit yourself to just removing dried leaves and buds. Pomegranates can and should be trimmed.

Flowers form at the ends of strong shoots of the current year, so the main pomegranate pruning is carried out in February.

When forming a crown, you need to be guided only by your preferences. Don't be afraid to cut too much; the pomegranate will grow back in the spring. You can show your imagination and make the crown in the form of a bush or form a bonsai - it is perfect for this purpose. Thin and damaged branches are cut out completely, the rest at least halfway. After the February pruning, the plant is brought into a warm room, and it actively grows.

Transfer

Until the age of five, pomegranate requires annual replanting. The pot is selected a little larger than the previous one (according to the size of the roots). It is not necessary to do this further. Moreover, the tighter the pot, the more abundant the flowering.

You can periodically replace the top layer of soil with a new one, being careful not to damage the roots.

Possible problems: diseases and pests

How to grow pomegranate from seeds at home so that it is not affected by pests and diseases? Regular inspection of the plant, periodic preventive measures, and timely processing will allow you to grow this exotic tree without any problems.

Main diseases and pests:

Powdery mildew

The most common disease of indoor pomegranates. In the initial stage of infection, spraying with a solution of baking soda (5 g per liter of water) helps well. In advanced conditions, you cannot do without the use of fungicides (Topaz, Skor).

Read more about how to fight powdery mildew!

Spider mite

Appears in hot, dry air. Leaves become sticky with white webs. Actellik or Fitoverm are used against ticks. You can try to treat it with a folk remedy. 200 grams of tobacco are infused in 2 liters of water for two days, then the plant is sprayed with this tincture.

Read more about how to properly deal with spider mites on indoor plants!

Branch cancer

Weak, damaged specimens are especially susceptible to this disease. The bark is severely cracked on the branches. It is very difficult to get rid of this nuisance; the main part of the crown is removed. But even such radical measures do not always save; often the tree dies.

Aphids and whiteflies

If single malicious individuals are detected, the easiest way is to collect them manually. Then treat the leaves on both sides with soapy water.

Read more about how to get rid of aphids!

At large quantities insects, it is advisable to use chemicals: Aktara, Fitoverm, Aktellik, Karbofos.

The answer to the main question: whether a pomegranate grown from a seed will bear fruit depends primarily on the conditions of its maintenance and care.

This long-lived tree grows in the wild even on rocky slopes and salt marshes. Therefore, if you follow these simple requirements, you will be pleased with delicious fruits for many years, even at home.

The process of growing pomegranate from seed

An entire episode of the Ukrainian program “Everything Will Be Good” is dedicated to the process of planting and caring for pomegranates. The presenters talk in detail about the main stages:

The pomegranate tree symbolizes wealth, prosperity and is one of the favorite plants of gardeners. Growing it from seed at home is a fun and interesting activity. With proper care, after a few years you can get a beautiful bush. Varieties such as Dwarf, Baby, Carthage are ideal for sowing.

Indoor pomegranate is an unpretentious and grateful plant. If you create him comfortable environment, then he will delight you not only with flowers, but also with fruits. They are not always edible, but how beautiful the green fluffy bush, hung with red balls, looks!

Seed selection and preparation

To grow indoor pomegranate from seeds at home, you need to purchase seeds. The Baby or Carthage varieties are available in many specialized stores. You can combine useful and pleasant things: collect pomegranate seeds. When buying fruit at the market, you don’t need to pay attention to the size and taste qualities: on sale hybrid varieties, which, when grown from seeds, do not obtain the qualities of the mother plant.

For seeds, choose ripe fruit without rot or mold. Such a fruit will have a thin skin through which it is easy to feel the grains. Ripe seeds are hard when bitten. A seed that is empty inside is not suitable for sowing.

Preparing pomegranate seeds for sowing

If the seeds are taken from the fruit, then the grains are pierced in several places with a needle, placed in a jar, covered with a lid and left for several days.
After the seeds are freed from the pulp, they are washed with water, wiped and dried. It is necessary to ensure that they do not dry out and lose their viability.
To discard pomegranate seeds, they are soaked in saline solution. Only those that fell to the bottom first are left for sowing.
Before planting the seeds, they are wiped with a nail file so that the sprout breaks through the thick skin faster.
When purchasing seeds of Baby or Carthage varieties in a store, it is worth treating the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate to protect the plants from diseases

Preparing seeds for planting at home does not take much time, but all procedures must be done very carefully, because the quality of the indoor plant depends on this.

Rules for caring for seedlings

The seeds in the soil are waiting for the hour when young sprouts make their way to the light, but the gardener should not relax: growing pomegranate is a labor-intensive task. During this period, it is important to create optimal conditions for the rapid emergence of young shoots.

Features of planting pomegranate seeds

Select a wide container with a height of 10 cm.
Expanded clay or gravel is used for drainage.
The soil is bought at the store. High peat or sand with peat 50/50 is best.
The seeds are planted in moist soil to a depth of no more than 1 cm.
After planting, the soil is compacted.
The pot is covered with glass or film - for rapid emergence.
The container is placed on the windowsill, if there is a working battery under it, or in another warm place.
Airing is carried out once a day for a few minutes.

During this period, heat and humidity play an important role. It is strictly forbidden to water the soil. When drying is allowed, the soil is sprayed with a spray bottle. If the seeds are viable, they will sprout within two months. Sometimes sprouts appear after six months, so you need to be patient.

To ensure rapid germination at home, pre-germination of seeds is practiced. The seeds are soaked in a growth stimulator and wrapped in a damp towel or soaked in a saucer with warm water for 12-20 hours. Seeds must breathe. It is important that they do not dry out and are not completely immersed in liquid. Without moisture, seeds crack and die.
After the sprouts appear, the film is removed and the seedlings are thinned out, removing weak plants. Only healthy, strong specimens are left. From these, several seedlings are later selected.

Plant care and bush formation

After two or three leaves appear, the plants are transplanted into cups. The day before the procedure, water the soil. Remove the seedlings from the container with a lump of earth so as not to damage root system. For transplantation, take a fertile mixture for deciduous plants and do not forget about drainage in pots. The plant is buried in wet soil so that the root collar sinks 1 cm. After planting, do not water and place it in a greenhouse on a windowsill or under lamps. In the first days, the greenhouse is shaded from light.

During this period, it is important to monitor humidity: it is necessary to ventilate the seedlings several times a day. After the appearance of new leaves, the plants are gradually accustomed to independent life.

Fertilizing is applied when there is complete confidence that the seedlings have taken root. On initial stage Nitrogen and potassium fertilizers are used, and later – complex fertilizers for fruit indoor plants. They are applied no more than once a month during the period of active growth.

When the roots envelop the earthen ball in the pot, pinch the seedling and after a week transfer it to a large container in a permanent place. Once every two months, the plant is pinched under the third pair of leaves and a bush of the desired shape is formed.

Indoor pomegranate is thermophilic and tolerates hot weather well at home if a certain level of humidity is maintained. But the cold indoors can destroy it. At a temperature of +16, the plant sheds its leaves and enters the passive phase. This means that growing bushes on an unheated balcony is unacceptable during the cold season.

Pomegranate Bonsai

To form a bonsai from a pomegranate at home, you need to grow it with one branch. The top of the seedling is not pinched, but a single branch is tied to a wire so that it is straight and vertical. When the plant gets stronger, adjust the height.

Bonsai maybe different shapes; spiral, erect, curved with an inclination to the side. The pomegranate crown is made triangular, broom-shaped, round or spreading.

The indoor variety Baby can be shaped even in adulthood.

Growing bonsai in the traditional form is very popular among gardeners. A small tree with a thick trunk and spreading branches catches the eye of every person. To get such a miracle at home, you need to make a lot of effort and spend several years, but believe me, it’s worth it.

Every gardener can grow an indoor pomegranate from a seed at home. To make the plant happy lush flowering, you need to pay a little attention to it and learn as much as possible about how to properly care for young seedlings, learn the features of bush formation and the rules for applying fertilizers at different times of the year. Learn to talk to your green pet, and he will tell you what and when to do so that a lush pomegranate bush will appear on the windowsill and delight you not only with bright flowers, but also with a rich harvest.

Pomegranate, grown at home, is an exotic crop in the form of an elegant dwarf tree, an ornamental shrub growing up to a meter high. lush flowering and sufficient fruiting.

When the plant blooms, it is impossible to take your eyes off it, and its impressive bright red inflorescences are a guarantee of future fruits with a tart, sweet and sour taste.

The yield from such a miniature pomegranate is small, few fruits are produced on it, but they all reach a diameter of at least 5 centimeters and, in addition to taste characteristics, also have beneficial features, which are part of the so-called “apple”.

Features of growing pomegranate at home

First, you need to select good planting material, namely a couple of dozen ripe burgundy or white pomegranate kernels. Pomegranate has a high germination rate, but it’s better to play it safe when deciding on such an experiment.

The pomegranate kernels should be hard, red and free from the membrane of the fruit itself.

Next, the nucleoli need to be washed under water and placed in a zircon solution, in a ratio of 2 drops per teaspoon of water. The nucleoli should not be completely covered with this solution, only half. The planting material should remain in this state for about 12 hours.

Then you need to prepare the soil for growing pomegranate. It is best to take a loose primer consisting of fertile, saturated soil and sand and peat in equal proportions.

Also, soil for growing pomegranate can be purchased in specialized stores - this will be soil created for flower plants.

Growing a pomegranate from a seed at home - how realistic is it?

Pomegranate is an unpretentious tree and special care it will not be required from a person who wants to raise it. In connection with this, growing a pomegranate tree is, both for a florist and for a beginner, a completely acceptable and realistic activity.

The room where the pomegranate will be located should be bright, flooded with sunlight. But here, too, it is important not to go too far - direct rays of the sun can harm the leaves of the tree, so if the temperature in the room is higher than normal and it is hot, it must be darkened with blinds or curtains.

In the summer, the pomegranate bush should be taken out into the garden and buried, and stored in a cool place in the winter.

The plant should also not be kept in the shade, otherwise it will completely stop growing and blooming.

How to grow pomegranate at home: where to start?

In a pot or container with soil prepared as described above for growing pomegranate, you need to plant the kernels, deepening them by 1.5 - 2 centimeters. Then the planting material needs to be sprinkled with soil and covered on top. plastic film, which will create some Greenhouse effect and excellent temperature conditions at 25-30 degrees for successful germination of nucleoli.

The first bores will appear depending on the time of year, for example, if the kernels were planted at the beginning spring season, then the shoots will make themselves felt in just a couple of weeks. If the planting took place at a different time, then the appearance of sprouts can be expected within several months, or even six months.

When the first leaves appear, the plants can be planted in pots, which should be filled with the soil necessary for pomegranates. Weak and diseased sprouts are removed permanently.

When replanting, the plant must be pinched so that in the future it does not stretch too much. When the third pair of leaves appears, the next ones are pinched, which stimulates the plant to grow with two crowns. Then these two branches are also pinched when the third pair of leaves appears. Without picking, the pomegranate will grow into a thin twig, which will be of no use at all.

In the summer, seedlings are placed on a balcony or in a garden, where they remain until the first frost arrives. In the fall, strong, well-developed plants are planted in separate pots. With the arrival of winter, young plants are removed to a relatively cold place, where they are dormant and will remain until spring arrives.

In principle, caring for a pomegranate tree at home is easy and simple. When summer comes, the pomegranates are taken out into the fresh air so that the tree can breathe and feel at ease, but they select a place for this where there is no direct sunlight.

Water the plant as the soil in which the pomegranate grows dries. Feeding and fertilizers are applied at least twice a month. By the beginning of autumn, watering and fertilizing the soil and plants are reduced. At the beginning of September, the tree is taken into the house.

IN winter period No pomegranate care is required. After the pomegranate sheds its leaves in September, the tree will begin to prepare for winter holidays and a state of rest until the arrival of spring.

In essence, the quality of flowering and the appearance of ovaries on the plant will depend on how the plant tolerates dormancy. next year.

Before the pomegranate goes into hibernation, the earthball is dried and the remaining leaves are removed. In principle, the pomegranate can be dispensed with without wintering; the plant is simply removed to a special room, where all the conditions are created for it to rest at home. The tree can easily survive this period if only the room temperature is maintained at least 15 degrees and, albeit artificial, there is acceptable lighting.

At the beginning of spring, the buds begin to bloom and the pomegranate is taken to a warm place and provided with abundant watering. Afterwards, the plant begins to become covered with bright green leaves, and buds appear at the tips of the shoots of annuals.

Bloom

For the first time, a pomegranate can bloom only in the tenth month, it is counted from the planting of nucleoli, and then only if the pomegranate has enough light. The number and size of pomegranate flowers will entirely depend on how the grower cared for the tree.

Important! If the plant does not grow and does not elongate, and the young branches immediately acquire reddish bark, the leaves on the tree appear wide and greenish-brown, this means one thing - the pomegranate does not have enough light.

When the first ovaries of flowers appear, it is necessary to leave no more than two buds on the tree, and the rest must be carefully removed from the plant.

If you take proper care of your pet, the pomegranate will bloom within a year, and at home it will be able to please its loving household with its beauty and luxurious flowers.

In the future, for good fruiting, you can do artificial pollination using an ordinary cotton swab. But it will be more expedient if the pomegranate is pollinated with the help of another tree. But in both cases, by the end of the autumn season it will be possible to remove the first fruits from your pet.

Trimming homemade pomegranate

Pomegranate requires periodic pruning. The crown must be trimmed so that the pomegranate looks like a tree or shrub. In spring, young branches are cut off, leaving 2-4 leaves. Pruning is done on the bud located outside.

If you carry out regular pruning and bending of young branches using wire, the pomegranate tree can be given any necessary shape and exotic beauty.

How to grow pomegranate from seeds at home: soil, lighting, fertilizing

The soil

To grow a homemade pomegranate tree, you need to take loose, airtight soil. The composition of such soil must necessarily include coarse river sand, sawdust, compost, and an ordinary layer of garden soil.

Although universal soil, used for any indoor plants, is also suitable for growing burr.

You also need to remember about drainage, consisting of pebbles and expanded clay, which the pomegranate tree needs so much.

Lighting

Pomegranate is a light-loving plant, so it is recommended to place it at home on the south side, and not on the north.

At the same time, this decorative tree must be protected from direct sunlight. Therefore, during the hot season, it is recommended to shade the pomegranate.

It is also necessary to remember that pomegranate requires a hot climate. Any particularly sharp cold snap can lead to the death of the plant.

The required temperature for the desired growth and development of pomegranate is 20-25 degrees. If the temperature rises above this mark, in this case the plant must be taken out to the balcony where there is plenty of light and fresh air.

Top dressing

The pomegranate tree is fed 2-3 times a month - it all depends on the growth of the plant, with a variety of fertilizers. Nitrogen components are added in the spring, phosphorus components during the flowering period, and potassium components in the fall.

It is more advisable to apply fertilizers after watering has been done, in gloomy and cloudy weather.

But if the fruits from the tree need to be consumed as food, it is better not to use a purchased all-purpose fertilizer, since the nitrates it contains will definitely get into the fruit and then into the human body.

Pomegranate from seeds at home: why does it die?

The first thing that can kill a pomegranate is from improper and careless care for it at home, namely:

Low temperatures can cause a pomegranate tree to simply freeze.

From an excess of moisture, both the bulb and the plant itself can rot, especially during flowering.

The death of a pomegranate can be caused by heat, direct exposure of the plant to sunlight, which will first cause the leaves of the tree to burn, and then, if the situation is not dealt with in time, the plant itself will wither.

Pomegranates are also destroyed by pests such as spider mites, which cause a white cobweb and an unpleasant sticky coating to form on the leaves, as well as aphids and scale insects.

Then, one should not underestimate such diseases of the pomegranate tree that lead to the death of the plant, such as gray rot at the beginning, which affects the leaves, root cancer, which reveals itself by the presence of dark spots on the foliage, which become increasingly larger if the plant is not treated.

Another disease that threatens the life of the plant is branch cancer. The bark on the trunk and branches of the pomegranate tree cracks, resulting in deep wounds that swell at the edges. If the affected areas of the plant are not eradicated in time, the pomegranate tree will die.

But against pests, you can use various chemicals, tinctures from onion and garlic, as well as from tobacco mixed with laundry soap to treat pomegranate. The most important thing is to spray it in time and cure your favorite tree of the disease.

Growing pomegranate at home will give the lover of all things beautiful - the most delicious fruits, a chic blooming appearance of the tree, which will diversify the interior of the house, and will bring harmony and well-being to his household.