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Pomegranate trees represent the oldest plant crop. They grow in the subtropics, but can be cultivated artificially if basic requirements are met. Caring for indoor pomegranate at home requires special knowledge, patience and time.
Features of caring for pomegranate at home
Pomegranate trees have been growing on the planet for a long time. The history of their existence begins before our era. They are called "grain apples" because of the unique structure inside the fruit. There are soft-seeded and hard-seeded varieties. For the ripening of fruits - pomegranate - the culture requires from 160 to 220 days. Features of the growing season are taken into account for home and plantation types of cultivation.
Indoor pomegranate can be grown on a windowsill if you provide it with proper care. We are talking about dwarf varieties or decorative flowers. There are only three varieties of pomegranate trees:
- Wild. These are trees that grow on the island of Socotra in the Gulf of Aden. The natural habitat for wild trees is atypical, the taste of the fruit differs from the classic taste.
- Ordinary. The most common pomegranates that are cultivated in subtropical climates. In addition, varieties adapted to lower temperatures have been bred through selective breeding. Tree trunks grow up to 5-6 m. There are several varieties of different taste and color.
- Dwarf. Selectively bred types grown as shrubs at home. The main trunk of a homemade indoor pomegranate grows up to 2 m.
Dwarf pomegranates can be decorative flowers with inedible fruits or produce small fruits with a classic taste. The main feature of caring for homemade pomegranate is maintaining the temperature regime. At each stage of development, indoor pomegranate requires a change in air temperature. This requirement is difficult to comply with at home without additional effort or equipment.
Conditions for growing pomegranate in a pot
Growing pomegranate in a pot at home cannot be called simple and quick; caring for it takes a lot of time. In order to harvest the first harvest, it will take from 3 to 7 years. During this period, the indoor pomegranate will bloom, but to further obtain granular fruits, you will need to follow the rules for caring for home flowers.
Indoor pomegranate is a light-loving and temperature-sensitive crop; the content of the tree depends on these characteristics.
- Illumination. Daylight hours for an indoor pomegranate should last at least 12 hours.It loves the sun's rays, but must be protected from direct exposure to the sun, which can cause burns on the leaf blades. Pots with indoor pomegranates are placed on southern, western or southwestern windows; when it gets warm, the pomegranates are taken out onto balconies or terraces. In summer they can be outside 24 hours a day.
- Temperature and humidity. Indoor pomegranate requires different temperatures at each stage of growth. During flowering, it should not be higher than +25 °C; during fruit formation, the temperature is artificially lowered to +20 °C. Air humidity matters for the condition of the leaf plates. Dry air leads to their yellowing, excessive dryness provokes the shedding of leaves.
It is recommended to regularly ventilate the room where the indoor pomegranate is located, and drafts should be avoided. They can cause growth to stop.
How to care for homemade pomegranate
Caring for a pomegranate tree at home is often complicated by associated difficulties. Many gardeners complain that they are deprived of pomegranates due to too dry air or excessive flowering, which was not stopped in time to save the plant’s strength. Providing light and maintaining temperature conditions are important requirements for caring for dwarf pomegranates at home, but they must be interconnected with regular watering and proper fertilizing.
How to water pomegranate at home
When caring for decorative pomegranate at home, you must follow the watering rules.The fact is that droughts and excessive overwatering lead to rotting of the root system, shedding of leaves and inhibition of flowering. At each stage of development, watering the pomegranate performs different tasks.
- During the dormant period: indoor pomegranate is not watered or watered with a minimum amount of water.
- From February: soil moisture is gradually increased.
- When flowering: watering is again reduced to a minimum.
- After flowering: indoor pomegranate is watered generously for further fruit formation.
To irrigate indoor pomegranate, use warm, settled water with a moderate degree of hardness. When watering with tap water, add lemon juice or citric acid to soften.
If the air is excessively dry, containers filled with water are placed next to the pot of indoor pomegranate, or the air is sprayed next to the leaves from a spray bottle.
According to the advice of experienced gardeners, for watering during flowering, use water with a total temperature of +18 °C to +20 °C. After watering, the top layer of soil is loosened to saturate it with air.
How to feed homemade pomegranate
Pomegranate trees growing in their natural environment receive nutrients from the soil. At the same time, they achieve stable fruiting only in a subtropical climate. The subtropics are characterized by wet winters and hot summers. This forms a special soil filled with nutrients.
Fertilizers for indoor pomegranate take into account the characteristic features of the crop. At home, dwarf varieties of pomegranate grow up to 1.5 - 2 m, so they do not need stem-forming elements. Throughout the life of the indoor plant, it is fed with nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and organic matter.
Feeding period | Stage of development of pomegranate | Type of feeding |
From February to May | Bud formation, preparation for flowering. | Nitrogen-containing complexes are needed that can activate the growth of leaf blades. |
From May to July | Flowering, bud set, fruit formation. | Potassium and phosphorus, mixed complexes for fruit ripening. |
From July to October | Fruiting, preparation for wintering | Potassium mixtures, organic solutions at the last stage. |
All fertilizers are applied to moist soil after watering. The exception is organic fertilizers, which can replace a one-time full watering.
Pruning dwarf pomegranate
Caring for indoor pomegranate includes regular pruning, which is carried out for several purposes:
- formation of the crown of indoor pomegranate;
- stimulation of flowering;
- launching fruit formation processes;
- plant rejuvenation.
The initial stage of pruning occurs in February. At this time, the plant begins to transition from a period of dormancy to active growth. After wintering, the indoor pomegranate is inspected and excess branches are removed. The shoots that need to be removed can be different:
- broken, dry, diseased branches;
- young small branches;
- branches interfering with crown formation.
With full winter pruning, 6 to 8 skeletal branches are left. With proper care at home, an indoor pomegranate tree grows green mass at a rapid pace.
Protection from diseases and pests
The indoor variety is characterized by the development of fungal diseases when care rules are violated. In addition, whiteflies and scale insects pose a danger to the tree.
If the root system becomes infected with a fungus, the above-ground part reacts by dropping or yellowing leaves. For treatment, root treatment with insecticides is used.
When overwatered, the plant reacts by yellowing of the leaves; during fruit formation, cracking and release of grains may occur - these are accompanying signs of the manifestation of the fungus.
If pests appear on a tree, they are collected manually and foliar spraying is carried out. Whiteflies are butterflies that appear on leaf blades due to excessive dry air and elevated temperatures. The cause may be insufficient ventilation. The danger is not from the adults, but from the deposits of larvae on the inside of the leaves. To eliminate, use tobacco solutions, soap solutions or fungicides.
Scale insects are small bugs with a hard shell. They appear on the tree due to high humidity, especially often spreading along the trunk after the pomegranate leaves the dormant period.
Preventive measures that protect pomegranate trees from the invasion of parasites and the spread of diseases:
- weekly thorough inspection of all parts of the culture;
- irrigation control;
- ventilation of the room;
- compliance with temperature conditions.
Wintering
Preparation for wintering begins with indoor pomegranates after fruiting has stopped. Indoor pomegranate begins to shed its leaves, as it is a deciduous crop by type. Then the growth of the grant is gradually suspended. When caring for pomegranate at home in winter, you must adhere to the following basic rules:
- after dropping the leaves, the pomegranate is taken out to a cool room, lowering the air temperature to +10 °C or +12 °C;
- During the wintering period, watering and fertilizing are suspended;
- To prevent the indoor pomegranate from stretching, create artificial lighting for 12 - 16 hours.
When it warms up outside and the indoor pomegranate awakens from dormancy, the pot is exposed to the sun and the temperature begins to increase.
When to replant a pomegranate tree
The pomegranate tree is an unusual crop for home cultivation. If it is customary to replant indoor plants in the first stages of their existence, then the pomegranate is not touched for the first 2 - 3 years. This gives the crop the opportunity to grow stronger and grow a root system that can withstand replanting.
Pomegranate transplantation at home is planned for early spring. For the tree, choose a pot that is suitable for several parameters:
- it should be several centimeters larger than the previous one;
- the diameter of the pot is selected taking into account the fact that the root system tends to grow wider than deep;
- The bottom of the pot should have drainage holes.
How to replant indoor pomegranate
When replanting, drainage made of expanded clay or vermiculite is laid as the bottom layer. Then a layer of soil with a neutral acidity level is laid. The flower is planted using the transshipment method; for this, the soil is watered, the pomegranate is removed and moved to new soil without clearing the old lump of earth.
The voids are filled with soil, compacted and watered. Transplantations for adult plants are repeated every 3 years.
An adult plant, for which a 5-liter container is sufficient, is replanted only when absolutely necessary. In other cases, the top layer of soil is replaced with a new one.
Reproduction of decorative pomegranate
One of the following methods is suitable for growing pomegranate:
- layering;
- seeds;
- bones;
- vaccinations.
Growing a pomegranate tree from seeds at home is associated with various difficulties. The seeds have high germination rates, but it can be difficult to achieve fruiting from a self-planted pomegranate. This takes from 5 to 7 years.
Seeds purchased from specialized departments allow you to grow trees in a shorter time.
When growing pomegranate from cuttings, it can take about 3-4 years before fruiting. In this case, the cuttings should be taken from the classic variety of pomegranate. It takes the winter period for them to take root. In the spring, cuttings that have taken root are planted.
Conclusion
Caring for indoor pomegranate at home includes observing temperature conditions and watering rules. It will take several years to grow a fruit-bearing tree. It depends on the type of crop being grown.
