How to Grow Your Own Pomegranate Tree
Growing a pomegranate Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in the UK is a rewarding endeavor , despite the cooler clime . Pomegranate Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ( Punica granatum ) are more adaptable to dissimilar climates than many tropic works and can tolerate some frost once established . However , they do require protection from the stale weather condition .
Here ’s how to grow a pomegranate tree in the UK :
1. Choose the Right Variety
2. Start with a Healthy Plant
3. Planting Time
4. Select a Sunny, Sheltered Location
5. Soil and Planting
6. Watering
7. Fertilizing
8. Mulching
9. Pruning
10. Protecting from Cold
11. Harvesting
12. Overwintering Potted Trees
Growing Pomegranates: A Quick Snapshot
When to Sow – Dec - Feb
When to Plant – Apr - Jun
When to Harvest – Aug - Oct
ordinary return per flora – 25 - 200 fruit / class
Spacing – 1 - 6 MiB
profoundness – 5 - 6 mm
How to Grow a Pomegranate Tree at Home
Also known as the Carthaginian Apple because the Romans misidentify it for a eccentric of Malus pumila , Punica granatum are in reality classed as berries – open up that hard rind and you ’ll obtain diminutive ruby pearls that hold both source and juice .
compare to some other fruit trees , pomegranate trees are comparatively grim - sustainment and easy to turn … so long as you give them the proper condition to grow in . Here ’s what you need to know :
Warm Temperatures & Full Sun
While some pomegranate trees may be able to care temperature down to -15ºC , they ’ll all do so much better when give heat . The optimum temperature mountain chain for a pomegranate tree diagram is between 23 - 32ºC , and they should ideally be basking in this warmness for at least 120 days of the year . They do tolerate higher temperatures too – in Saudi Arabia , which is one of the areas where they follow from , pomegranate tree can resist summer warmth of up to 48ºC.
At the same time , your pomegranate tree should also be get full sun . This means at least 6 - 8 hours of direct sunlight a daylight . Any less than this and the limbs that it develop will be decrepit and lank , while fruit product will be inadequate .
Enough Room to Grow
In their natural environment , pomegranate tree raise to about 4 - 6 metres in height , and will need a similar amount of space around them . However , do n’t panic if you do n’t have a large garden – whether you cull a dwarf variety that grows to just a cadence tall or maintain a larger mixed bag at shrub - size , there are plenty of option . Some nurseryman even grow pomegranate Tree as a hedging !
The key is take a shit sure that you pick the right pomegranate tree for the amount of space that you ’re able-bodied to give it .
How to Grow a Pomegranate Tree from Seed
Most people select to buy graft Punica granatum trees for their garden , as this guarantees a specific mixed bag . When grow from seed , pomegranate trees may turn out to be very different from the parent flora . This stand for that you wo n’t hump its size , growing necessary , or even fruit production capableness beforehand .
That say , although it may be more of a gamble , growing a pomegranate tree from seed can be very rewarding . You may have to wait a small longer for it to produce yield , but you could end up with a unparalleled variety of your own .
It ’s easy to salvage the seed from a fresh pomegranate too – each fruit contains century . just take the shape from each red pearl to reveal the pocket-sized snowy seed within . Leave your seed out for a few hours but do n’t let them dry out completely . Then , espouse these steps :
It read about six weeks for pomegranate seeds to germinate . Once yours have sprout , move them somewhere gay . Once they ’re about 7 - 8 cm in superlative , they ’re quick to either be pot up or implant out into their final positioning .
How to Plant a Pomegranate Tree Outside
Before implant a pomegranate tree out of doors , it ’s of import to harden the flora off for a duo of week . This is especially rightful for those of you that live in cooler climate , as your flora will need some time to line up to its new conditions .
Whether you ’re plant a seedling or a potted tree , you ’ll need to dig a hole that ’s just slightly mysterious than your plant ’s root Lucille Ball . Then , hit your pomegranate plant from its pile and tease out the roots . posture it into the maw that you ’ve dug , ascertain that top of the root ball is level with the surface of the ground . Fill the hole back in , tauten the soil down , and thengive your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree some water . You may demand to add a snatch more soil after this if the body of water causes your soil to dip slightly .
How to Plant a Pomegranate Tree in a Greenhouse
If you live in a cooler climate , then you ’ll likely see a bigger harvest if you grow your Punica granatum treein a greenhouse . This way , it will have access to more warmth and shelter from the elements .
While dwarf Punica granatum trees may seem like the obvious choice for a greenhouse , they also tend to be the least cold tolerant . If yourgreenhouse gets frosty in the wintertime , you may need to consider a larger cultivar that you keep trimmed to a sure size .
Either means , when planting a pomegranate tree in a greenhouse , stick to the same steps as when planting outside , making sure to water your tree in well once you ’re done .
How to Plant a Pomegranate Tree in a Pot
If your nursery is too crowded in the summertime months to put up a pomegranate Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , consider growing your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in a pot instead . This way , you may start it off in your greenhouse in the spring , before moving it out of doors in the summer once temperatures heat up . you’re able to then move it back into your glasshouse in the autumn to speed up the fruit ripening process .
A 45 - liter passel would be sufficient for a dwarf Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree or a compendious kind , and will also be manageable when it comes tomoving the container around .
How to Care for Pomegranate Trees
If you live in the Middle East , then your instinctive surround may be capable to leave a pomegranate tree with all that it need to thrive . However , for everyone else , you ’ll need to give your tree a piffling extra care :
Watering Your Pomegranate Tree
Pomegranate tree occur from a region that receive live , dry , and long summertime . As a answer , the tree is very drouth - patient of . That said , for maximum yield , pomegranate Tree need a regular supply of water . This does n’t need to be much – a cryptic sousing every 2 - 4 weeks in the spring and summertime will be sufficient , and this is only necessary for new Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that have n’t yet established .
Be thrifty that you do n’t over - water your pomegranate tree . They hate soggy conditions , so too much weewee , or even justpoor drain , can direct to rot , diseases , and fruit problems .
Feeding Your Pomegranate Tree
Although pomegranate tree are comparatively laboured feeders , a layer of unfermented compost or well - rotted manure will be enough to offer your tree with all of its demand nutrients for the year .
That said , if your pomegranate tree diagram needs a boost , then a balanced 8 - 8 - 8 plant food go for in the spring and fall will give it just that .
Pruning Your Pomegranate Tree
In its lifelike form , pomegranate trees originate in a bush - like style , with multiple trunks . However , pruning theminto more of a tree diagram contour help to further fruit production .
The best fourth dimension to clip a pomegranate tree is in the late wintertime . Ideally , you want to get that prime prison term before the tree diagram starts budding up for the year , but once your risk of infection of Robert Lee Frost has passed .
Give your tree its first prune at the remnant of its first wintertime . This initial prune is authoritative , as this is what will give your tree its shape . Leave the main luggage compartment intact and cut everything but 4 - 6 branches away . Pomegranate Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree bear fruit on old Ellen Price Wood , so these branches will be your main fruit producer .
After this , lop your pomegranate tree every wintertime . wield its shape , transfer any suckers , and get free of beat wood . cross arm should also be dress away .
How to Harvest Pomegranates
A pomegranate tree will set off to raise fruit after two or three years .
The fruit start off green before turning pink / red once ripe . You ’ll know that your pomegranate are ready to be harvest once they fall behind their glossiness and look lustrelessness . They ’ll also be slightly hexangular in flesh , alternatively of make the rotundity that they did when they were green , and they ’ll sound quite metallic if you wiretap them . right pomegranates also have a rocky texture and will feel weighty .
Since pomegranates stop mature as shortly as they have been pick , essay to hold off until yours have reached acme ripeness before harvest .
As tempting as it may be , never pull in a mature pomegranate off from its Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . or else , utilize a pair of shear to trim the stem just above the fruit – this prevents damaging the fruiting branch .
How to Store Pomegranates
Find a cool and ironical place , spread out your pomegranates out so that they are n’t touching , and they ’ll keep for a few weeks . Keep them away from direct sunshine and make certain that they have flock of ventilation to keep up their ledge life .
Alternatively , if you have enough room in your fridge , you ’ll be able to keep your harvested pomegranates fresh for a couple of months .
If you ’d like to put in them for even longer , the germ can be removed and frigid . Spread them out in an even layer to scud halt , before placing them all into a bag or box . This way , you ’ll be able to have access to the seeds as and when you need them , rather than have a big lump of pomegranate seeds to de-ice .
How to Prepare & Cook Pomegranates
If you ’ve never opened a pomegranate tree before , then this exotic - looking fruit can seem a fiddling intimidate at first ! Here ’s what you ’ll need to do :
Once you ’ve had your filling of fresh pomegranate seeds ( which may take some time ! ) , here are a few other way of life in which you could make use of the yield :
Common Pomegranate Tree Problems
Unlike many other fruit - producing trees , pomegranates are n’t commonly affected much bypests and disease . However , some that you could peradventure encounter let in :
Popular Pomegranate Varieties to Grow
Here are some of the easiest , as well as the tasty , pomegranate varieties to grow at home :
Conclusion
Although their aboriginal home base may be hot and juiceless , pomegranate Tree are surprisingly various – so long as you could meet their basic requirement , then hazard are that they ’ll grow well for you . Whether you go with a large regal tree that you set in your garden , or a dwarf assortment that you keep in a pot , give your pomegranate tree the right amount of love and you ’ll be reward with a bigger and better crop as each year shape up .
FAQ
Do you need two pomegranate trees to produce fruit?
Although pomegranate trees are cross - pollinatedby insect , they ’re also ego - pollinated . This means that you do n’t necessitate two pomegranate trees to bring forth fruit , although having two trees in tightlipped proximity can avail to increase yields .
How quickly do pomegranate trees grow?
Pomegranate trees produce quite quickly when give the correct conditions . have a bun in the oven to see growth of around 20 - 60 centimeter per yr .
How long does it take for a pomegranate tree to produce fruit?
A pomegranate tree demand to be about two or three age old before it will start out to give rise fruit . Your first few harvests wo n’t be much , but yields will continue to increase each class .
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