Pomegranate tree (care instructions). Indoor pomegranate Decorative pomegranate tree at home

The well-known pomegranate bush is a plant with bright, characteristic fruits and delicious berries. In nature, it grows in warm tropical places, but it is quite possible to grow it at home.

Where and how does pomegranate grow in nature

Pomegranate has several names: pomegranate, pomegranate tree. It belongs to the Derbennikov family. It gives recognizable fruits, which, due to their characteristics, are classified as a special type of pomegranate.

Pomegranates grow along the Mediterranean coast - in southern Europe and North Africa, and in Asia they are distributed mainly in the western regions up to the Himalayan mountains. Thus, it is a tropical plant that occurs in a wide range from 40°S to 45°N.

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The Latin name of pomegranate punicus is translated as Punic or Carthaginian, since this tree grows in North Africa, where the state of Carthage was located in ancient times.

About the beneficial properties of pomegranate

A lot is known and said about the benefits of pomegranate. It contains a variety of vitamins, organic substances and trace elements that have a good effect on different systems organs and the body as a whole:

vitamin C improves immunity;
vitamin P helps strengthen the tissues of the walls of blood vessels;
vitamins of the group provide metabolic processes, improve hematopoiesis;
tannins have a bactericidal effect.

The main benefit of pomegranate is the optimization of blood flow, strengthening the strength of blood vessels, which improves heart rate and stabilizes blood pressure.

Description of dwarf ornamental varieties of pomegranate

In nature, the pomegranate tree grows up to 5-6 meters. However, at home, special decorative varieties, which, due to their size, are called dwarf. Basically, they grow in the range of 80-120 cm. The leaves are small, oval in shape with a pleasant gloss. They have a bright light green color.

An interesting detail - The leaves change color almost constantly. When the growth period begins in spring, they are more saturated bronze tones, and over the summer they manage to acquire juicy green tones. By autumn, they turn yellow, like most of the trees we are used to.

How to grow indoor pomegranate (video)

The flowers are bright red, larger than the foliage, so they look favorably against their background. They are elongated, cone shaped and live for only a few days. However, new buds are constantly being formed during the season, thanks to which the pomegranate bush almost constantly decorates the room. Fruits are formed only in 4-5 flowers out of a hundred. Moreover, if the fruit began to form, then the flowers continue to appear on the bush, which creates a very beautiful, elegant look.

Currently, quite a few varieties of dwarf pomegranate have been bred. The most famous are the following:

Nana(nana) grows up to 100-110 cm, has graceful, proportional forms;
Baby(baby) - a very elegant plant, grows to a size of no more than half a meter;
Ruby slightly larger than baby, its flowers have a classic bright red color;
Uzbekistan- a real giant, because it can grow up to 2 meters in height. Forms fruits with a sweet and sour taste.

Cold-resistant pomegranate varieties for growing in the garden

Pomegranate bush can be grown not only at home, but also in the garden. For this you need to choose special winter-hardy varieties:

Gulusha pink and red grow up to 2-2.5 meters in height, have a spreading crown, due to which they are used in landscape design garden. Resistant to frost down to -15 o C.
Ak Dona Crimean also stable in Russian climatic conditions. The variety forms a small tree that needs to be cut in time to achieve a beautiful bush shape. To obtain fruits, it is cultivated in Central Asia, where it was bred.

Winter-hardy pomegranate varieties take root well in climatic conditions. Middle lane Russia, but most often they do not bloom. In order to cultivate them, mandatory protection for the period of winter cold will be required, since they may not withstand frosts below -15 ° C.

How pomegranate breeds

Pomegranate can be propagated in several ways, the simplest of which is using cuttings.

Growing pomegranates from seeds

To propagate pomegranate seeds, you need to choose the most ripe fruits (ornamental bush or ordinary tree), extract a berry from them, crush and plant shallowly (1 cm) in the soil, the composition of which is described in the corresponding section.

There is experience of successfully growing pomegranates from seeds and in ordinary soil suitable for indoor flowers. Important just provide them enough warm conditions(not lower than 22 ° C) and water well. The first leaves appear in 1.5-2 months. As soon as they become 3-4, they can be transplanted into a separate small pot (take about 400 g of land). It is important to understand that pomegranate grown from seeds may lose some varietal characteristics.

Plant propagation by cuttings

The technology of propagation by cuttings is not only the simplest, but also very effective. All work is done in the fall:

Shoots are better to take the youngest (one- or two-year-old).
All leaves, branches, thorns and dryish parts are removed.
Then they are tied into a bundle and the bundle is laid at the bottom of a pre-dug hole (about half a meter deep).
From above you need to cover with a large layer of straw (30 cm) and sprinkle a little with earth.
The next year, when the soil has completely thawed, you need to take out the shoots, remove those that have dried up, and cut several cuttings of 15-20 cm from the rest.
Cuttings should be planted only in warm soil, and 12 hours before planting, they should be kept in water.

Indoor varieties pomegranate cuttings are even easier - in February, a non-lignified shoot is cut off and processed with a root, after which it should be germinated in a wet mixture of peat and sand. When the 4th leaf begins to appear, you can plant it in a regular pot.

Pomegranate cuttings (video)

Reproduction by grafting

There are several types of vaccinations:

under the bark;
splitting the cutting (the so-called split);
budding - i.e. dormant eye vaccination.

All methods, except for the last one, are applied in early spring, and budding - in September. The stalk should be taken from a young shoot, 15-20 cm in size. It is better to insert it from the north side - direct sunlight should not penetrate the grafting site during the entire splicing time.

How to grow indoor pomegranate from a seed at home

Growing a homemade pomegranate from a seed is quite realistic, you just need to take into account a few features of this method of reproduction.

Selection and preparation of pomegranate seeds for planting

First of all, you need to choose the right pomegranate fruit. You can take decorative fruits, you can use the usual ones, which are purchased at the store. The methodology is as follows:

You need to take a very ripe or fresh ripe fruit.
Pull out a few berries, crush the pulp with your fingers.
Feel how hard the seeds are - only the hardest will do.
All pulp must be washed off before planting. large quantity water, otherwise they will rot, and the sprouts will disappear with them.
Landing should be done shallow - a maximum of 1 cm.

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Contrary to popular belief, the germination rate of pomegranate seeds reaches 90-95%, but it can take a long time before a sprout appears - sometimes up to a year.

Soil and flower pot for growing pomegranate on the windowsill

The composition of the soil includes equal amounts of the following types of land:

sheet;
peat;
turf;
humus.

It is acceptable to take a universal soil for indoor plants or a special soil for citrus trees. The main thing is that the earth has a neutral reaction.

Important! The bottom must be drained - you can put coarse sand and small pebbles.

Initially, the grain can be planted in a small dish, and then transplanted into a regular one. flower pot. For decorative growing purposes, you need to choose small containers, because when the roots become crowded, the bush will give a lot of flowers. There are no fundamental requirements for the material.

Pinching and transplanting pomegranate sprouts into a flower pot

Up to 4-5 years of life, a developing bush should be transplanted annually. It can then be repotted every three years. In all cases, it is better to do the procedure in early spring. Each subsequent pot in diameter should be 4-5 cm larger than the previous one.

It is necessary to take care of the formation of a beautiful crown in the early stages of development, since a young pomegranate gives many shoots at the beginning of life. You need to pinch the top shoots so that the crown turns out to be quite sprawling. You should also limit the growth of those branches that grow too rapidly.

Pomegranate care at home

Pomegranate bush - pretty unpretentious plant, care for him will not take much time:

It is optimal to choose windows in the west or east so that the sun's rays do not directly fall on the foliage for a long time.
During the spring period, it should be monthly nitrogen fertilizer- it is especially important to do this for young bushes that grow quickly.
Watering in summer is plentiful, daily, in winter - 1-2 times a week. Also, in the warm period, it is better to constantly spray the leaves - the pomegranate loves moisture.
For wintering, pomegranates should not be disturbed with fertilizers. It needs to be moved to a cooler place (16-18 ° C is acceptable).
For the summer, a young bush can be transplanted into your garden, but it is better not to disturb adult plants with transplants.

Growing a pomegranate tree in open ground

In the conditions of our latitudes, the cultivation of pomegranate in open ground has a number of features associated with the preparation of the plant for wintering.

Where and how to plant pomegranate seedlings in the garden

Since the pomegranate loves light, it is unacceptable to place it in the shade - then it will gradually begin to fade. However, strong, scorching heat should also be avoided. So the best place is next to garden trees (apple, bird cherry), which give good partial shade and at the same time leave a lot of space for the rays to pass through.

A hole is dug according to the size of the root, rotted manure and old foliage mixed with sand (20 cm layer) are poured into it. The roots of the seedling should be well straightened and planted, sprinkled with earth. You need to water immediately abundantly. When the bush takes root, it is imperative to create a manure mulch around it.

Important! If possible, it is better to plant a bush on a small hill, since the pomegranate does not like an excessively humid environment - in this case, the roots can rot.

Watering and feeding the plant

Watering weekly- if the bush is large, then a standard bucket of water (10 l). It must be kept up to room temperature. If the summer is dry, water more often or more. Important to remember, that the grenade is harmed not only by a lack, but also by an excess of moisture. If the leaves begin to crumble, most likely, the bush has little moisture.

Top dressing should be done at the very end of spring, making mineral fertilizer. If during the season regularly (1-2 times a month) make organic fertilizers(humus, mullein, chicken manure), the bush will grow much faster.

pomegranate pruning

To form a beautiful crown, you need to leave 4-5 trunks. You can do this in spring or autumn. All dried shoots must be removed throughout the season. It is also necessary to remove basal offspring - they take a lot of moisture and useful substances.

How to care for a pomegranate tree during flowering and fruiting

If the care of the plant is good (first of all, it is connected with watering and fertilizers), then it can bloom in the first 2 years. During flowering and ovary formation, cooler water (18 ° C) should be used for irrigation. Important also slightly reduce the usual volumes (by a quarter) of moisture. Before the formation of the ovary, superphosphate fertilizer must be applied to the soil.

Preparing a pomegranate for winter

All work is carried out in October, before the onset of the first frost:

The branches are bent to the ground in 1 row and pinned with staples.
Polyethylene is placed on top of them and also fixed.
Next comes a layer of earth (20-30 cm).

Important! The stems of the bush must be treated with a 3% solution of Bordeaux liquid or another fungicide so that they are not attacked by microscopic fungi.

Problems in growing pomegranate

If you do not follow the conditions for care, the pomegranate will respond almost immediately outward signs deviations from norm.

Falling and yellowing of leaves

If the leaves begin to fall off and turn yellow, this may be the result of 3 reasons at once:

insufficient watering and the level of humidity in the air;
lack of fertilizers;
the location of the bush in a heavily shaded place.

Important! Pomegranate is a deciduous plant, so yellowing and dropping of flowers in autumn is normal.

Why does the pomegranate not bloom?

This is one of the most common problems. WITH The most likely cause is the lack of sufficient fertilizer. They need to be applied at least 2 times a month during the warm season.

Also, the reasons may be associated with a lack of light - in this case, it is important to analyze the condition of the foliage. If it is sluggish and turns yellow, then the plant does not receive enough sunlight.

Pomegranate tree diseases and their treatment

Pomegranate diseases are associated with yellowing and loss of leaves, lack of flowers or ovaries. There is also a specific disease. associated with the fact that the branches of the plant begin to peel off and die. It's called branch cancer and is manifested by cracked bark, the appearance of foreign formations; in addition, the branches begin to dry out in mass quantities. All diseased shoots should be removed immediately.

Pomegranate pests and their control

There are several dangerous insects for this bush:

The pomegranate codling moth harms the fruits by laying its eggs in them. Such fruits must be immediately removed and destroyed, and any insecticides will do to fight the butterfly.
Pomegranate aphid - especially loves to eat young, non-lignified branches. To combat it, the tree is sprayed with an infusion of tobacco and soap (ratio 10: 1).
Mealybug.
Spider mite leaves whitish cobwebs on branches and leaves. They also fight these insects with the help of universal insecticidal agents.

Pomegranate blossom (video)

Thus, you can grow a pomegranate and wait for flowers and fruits from it both at home and in the open field. At proper care the bush grows beautiful, sprawling, with bright flowers, thanks to which it fits well into the design of any flower garden.

Currently, breeders have grown 130 varieties. It grows best in dry climates with hot summers. The flowers are scarlet, collected in brushes. On the shoots that grew last year, flowers of both sexes grow. But on the shoots of the current year, flowers bloom that do not form fruits.

The pit for planting should have dimensions of 60x70 cm, fertile soil is poured into it for 15 cm, after a bucket of humus mixed with soil or the same amount of well-rotted manure connected to the ground. If the soil is clayey, then pour sand.

When planting a tree, place it on a mound to a depth of 5-10 cm, carefully straighten the rhizomes, cover them with soil.

Then pour abundantly and carefully mulch the ground with cut straw, humus, then the moisture will not dry out much. If you cover a tree for the winter, then plant it at an angle of inclination of 60-45 ° to the South. Press the earth carefully so that there are no empty spaces near the roots. Water once a week.

Growing conditions and tree care

Good sunlight and heat are the main conditions for the ripening of pomegranates. The leaves of the trees begin to bloom at t = + 10-12 ° C and they stop growing at the same temperature in the fall. The buds are tied at t = +16-18 ° C in June, the fruits develop for 5-6 months, it depends on the variety and weather, they finish ripening in October - November.

The plant grows well where in winter the temperature does not fall below -12-14 °.

Since pomegranates bloom late, they are not afraid of frosts in the spring, but autumn frosts damage the fruits.

Watering a pomegranate tree:

Pomegranate perfectly tolerates increased dryness of the air, if the earth is abundantly watered.
If there is little water in the soil, then the fruits become small, they are of poorer quality.
It also does not tolerate pomegranate and excess water, few fruits ripen in it, they are of poor quality, leaves begin to grow strongly.

The pomegranate loves the light and if it is shaded by other trees, then it does not grow well and has few fruits. It tolerates heat better than figs. Plants do not need frequent. In the garden, seedlings stand until the first frost, after which they are transferred to the apartment. In winter, seedlings are placed in a dark room with a temperature of +10 ° C, then the leaves will not fall off, and the next year the trees will bloom profusely. During this period, they are watered very rarely, so that their rhizomes do not dry out.

Pomegranate nutrition:

In June, a complex solution is added under the pomegranate.
And every 2 weeks, the plant is watered with infusion of manure or.
In autumn, 25 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium are scattered around the tree, and fertilizers are slightly deepened.
Above the trunk circle with rotted manure.

The crown is formed in the spring or after fruit picking. First of all, dried branches and branches that thicken the tree are cut. After that, the stem shoots are removed and the basal offspring are eliminated.

When the crown is formed, the trunks are cut off, leaving 5 pieces, that is, the result is a shape in the form of a bush, this is most suitable for a pomegranate.

Every 25 years, a rejuvenating pruning is done. To prepare for wintering, stakes are driven into the ground near the pomegranate, then the tree is tilted and tied to the stakes with a rope. After that, a layer of soil of 15-20 cm is poured on top. In the spring, in mid-May, the tree is released: the rope is cut, the soil is shaken off the tree.

Growing pomegranate at home

The substrate should have neutral properties and be nutritious, loose. You can make it by mixing 1 part of turf, sand, humus, leafy soil. And you can buy special soil for and in the store. At the bottom of the pot, make drainage from pebbles or expanded clay.
Reproduction. Only species are suitable for sowing seeds, as varieties may lose their characteristics. In autumn or spring, pour a mixture of sod land and sand in a pot. sow in the substrate and put the pots in. Such pomegranates begin to bear fruit in 5-8 years. Or at the beginning of summer, cut the semi-lignified shoots into pieces 10 cm long and plant.
. Young trees are transplanted in the spring from a smaller pot to a larger one. Grown pomegranates are transplanted 1 time in 3 years into pots of the same size.
lighting requirements. Pick up the grenade southern window sills, western and eastern. To extend its day, you can use additional fluorescent lamps. In winter, with a lack of light, pomegranates can shed their leaves. But under the lamps, if you observe the 12 hour day, then it blooms and forms fruits.
temperature requirements. The tree grows at temperatures of +20-25 °C.
. Pomegranates are watered when they see that upper layer the earth dried up. You should not water too abundantly, and also overdry the soil, as its roots die during drought. Watered with soft, settled water at room temperature.
, from this the ovaries fall off the tree, and the fruits begin to rot. To destroy the codling moth, collect the diseased parts of the plants and burn them.
Pomegranate aphid. Aphids breed on leaves and shoots. To eliminate it, pesticides are used. But it is much safer to use the infusion: grind 400 g of dried tobacco leaves and tobacco dust, pour into a bucket of water (10 l), leave for 2 days, then strain and add another 20 l of water. Then add 40 g of soap. Then plants. You can take 100 g of green leaves and 50 g of dry leaves, grind them and infuse for 24 hours in 1 liter of tepid water, then filter.
Grenades can also damage scale insects and spider mites. For prevention, shrubs are inspected and watered. If you see pests, then treat the culture with Actellik or Fitoverm.

The most common pomegranate diseases:

leaf spot
gray rot
branch cancer
root cancer

But if you properly care for the plant, it gets enough light and moisture, you do not forget to feed the pomegranates, then the trees do not get sick.

Pomegranate fruit juice contains a lot of iron, because of this it increases the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. In addition, they drink it for colds, coughs. The peel is used to treat diseases of the stomach and intestines, and the bark is used to remove worms.

More information can be found in the video.

The pomegranate tree symbolizes wealth, prosperity and is one of the favorite plants of flower growers. Growing it from a bone at home is a fascinating and interesting activity. With 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 a comfortable environment for him, then he will delight 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!

Selection and preparation of seeds

To grow indoor pomegranate from a seed at home, you need to purchase seeds. Varieties of Baby or Carthage are available in many specialized stores. You can combine useful and pleasant: to collect seeds from a pomegranate fruit. When buying a fruit on the market, you do not need to pay attention to the size and taste: hybrid varieties, which, when grown from seed, do not acquire the quality of the mother plant.

For seeds, choose a ripe fruit without rot, mold. Such a fruit will have a thin peel, through which it is easy to feel the grains. Ripe bones are hard to bite into. An empty bone inside is not suitable 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, closed with a lid and left for several days.
After the bones 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 do not lose their germination.
To cull pomegranate seeds, they are soaked in saline. For sowing, only those that first fell to the bottom are left.
Before planting the seeds, they are wiped with a nail file so that the sprout breaks through the thick skin faster.
When buying seeds of Baby or Carthage varieties in a store, it is worth treating the bones in a solution of potassium permanganate to protect 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 a houseplant depends on it.

Seedling care rules

Seeds in the soil are waiting for the hour when young bores break through to the light, but the flower grower should not relax: growing pomegranate is a laborious 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.
For drainage use expanded clay or gravel.
The soil is bought in the store. Riding peat or sand with 50/50 peat 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 quick germination.
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 several minutes.

During this period, heat and humidity play an important role. It is strictly forbidden to water the soil. When drying is allowed, the earth is sprayed from 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.

For the appearance of fast shoots at home, pre-germination of seeds is practiced. The bones 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 need to breathe. It is important that they do not dry out and are not completely immersed in the liquid. Bones without moisture crack and die.
After the appearance of sprouts, the film is removed, and the seedlings are thinned out, removing weak plants. Leave only healthy, strong specimens. Of these, several seedlings are later selected.

Plant care and bush formation

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

During this period, it is important to monitor the 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 living.

Top dressing is applied when there is complete confidence that the seedlings have taken root. At the initial stage, nitrogen and potassium fertilizers are used, later - complex top dressing for fruit houseplants. They are introduced no more than once a month during the period of active growth.

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

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

In order 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 the only branch is tied to a wire so that it is straight and vertical. When the plant gets stronger - adjust the height.
Bonsai can be different shapes; spiral, upright, curved with an inclination to the side. The pomegranate crown is made triangular, broom-shaped, round or spreading.
Indoor variety Baby lends itself to shaping even in adulthood.
Growing bonsai in the traditional form is very popular with flower growers. A small tree with a thick trunk and spreading branches holds the gaze 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.
Growing indoor pomegranate from a seed at home is within the power of every grower. In order for the plant to please with 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 fertilizing different periods of the year. Learn to talk with your green pet, and he himself will tell you what and when to do so that a lush pomegranate bush flaunts on the windowsill and pleases not only with bright flowers, but also with a rich harvest.

Pomegranate is a fruit tree about 6 meters high, but you can find pomegranate in the form of a shrub. It has thin thorny branches covered with grayish-brown bark. Its light green, glossy leaves form clusters. It can bloom from May to August with large, bell-like, red-orange, yellow or white flowers. There are a lot of such flowers on the tree.

Pomegranate fruits have rounded outlines up to 12 cm in diameter and weighing up to 500 g. Fruit color may be yellow-red or red-brown. Inside it, in 9-12 cells in a juicy shell, there are many seeds of sweet and sour taste. This pulp contains monosaccharides, various acids, polyphenols, vitamins and tannins. From one tree you can collect up to 60 kg of fruit.

The pomegranate is distributed in the Middle East, Greece, Italy, the Caucasus, the Crimea, etc. It is rare in the wild, mainly cultivated in the countries of the tropical and subtropical zone.

Growing a pomegranate fruit tree

This tree can give a good harvest if it is grown properly. The main condition is heat and a sufficient amount of light. Pomegranate propagates by seeds, cuttings and layering. For planting, seeds that are inside the fruit are used, but they must be prepared before planting. To do this, the seeds are dried for 24 hours, and then placed in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.

For planting, you can use small pots with ready-made soil, which is used for growing flowers in room conditions. The pot must have a drainage system. The earth is poured into the pot and watered abundantly. In this soil, at a depth of 1 cm, a seed is placed ready for planting. To speed up the growth process, the pot is covered plastic wrap and placed in a warm place in the sun. After the sprout appears, the plastic film can be removed. A small, but well-established seedling can be planted in the ground.

Planted in the ground in spring or autumn on a site well lit by the sun. By adhering to these recommendations, the pomegranate will develop normally and begin to bloom and bear fruit.

For propagation by cuttings, annual shoots of a healthy tree are used. Before planting, they prepare a place for this: they fertilize the earth and make sure that it warms up well enough. For the reliability of the engraftment of the cuttings, they are covered with plastic wrap and slightly shaded so that the cuttings do not overheat and die.

In the first years after planting young tree Watering is required as the soil dries. In this case, you do not need to overdo it, since the presence of excess moisture can lead to decay of the root system. In addition, in trunk circle it is necessary to loosen the soil and do not forget about feeding the plant, if you want to get a good end result. In June, organic fertilizers should be applied, and potash and phosphorus fertilizers are applied closer to autumn. For getting good harvest and the correct formation of the crown, it is necessary to constantly trim the pomegranate.

Before the onset of cold weather, the pomegranate produces the formation of buds for the future crop. So that labor is not in vain, the tree is protected from cold and frost, covering it with any suitable material. The surviving buds will bloom in the spring along with the leaves. Pomegranate begins to bloom in the 2nd-3rd year of life, and bear fruit - in the 4th year.

Useful properties of pomegranate

The pomegranate fruit has excellent taste characteristics, in addition, it is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, P, E, C, it contains organic acids and organic (tannins) substances. Thanks to a large number vitamins and microelements, this fruit is widely exploited in traditional medicine. It has the property of having many various characteristics capable of streamlining the work of the internal organs of a person, the digestive system, the cardiovascular system and nervous system, restores the blood formula.

With low hemoglobin, it is recommended to drink pomegranate juice, which has a positive effect on the blood. To prevent atherosclerosis, you need to eat this fruit regularly. It should be used for high blood pressure. For people with diabetes, this fruit is almost indispensable, as it can replace insulin. People with problems can add dried partitions to tea to relax and relieve increased excitability.

The peel and fruits can be used for diarrhea, to normalize the digestive system and digestive tract.

Modern medicine uses pomegranate peel to make drugs that inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli and tubercle bacillus, cholera vibrios and other viruses and bacteria.

This fruit is contraindicated in people suffering from gastritis and stomach ulcers. You should carefully use concentrated pomegranate juice, which can destroy tooth enamel.

Pomegranate varieties

This fruit has many varieties that can be distinguished by size, color, ripening time, taste characteristics, cold resistance. We offer the following varieties of pomegranate:

Crimean striped. The result of the selection of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden. It is a low growing tree with a round crown. The average weight of fruits is somewhere around 250-300g, but there are specimens weighing up to 450g. The fruits have dark cherry grains, sweet-sour taste, covered with a thick peel. Average term of maturing.
Gulyasha pink. Semi-shrub with large oval-shaped fruits. The juice is sour in taste, but has a pleasant aroma.
Gulyasha is red. A prickly tree with greenish fruits, round in shape, inside of which there are very large grains. Juice is very tasty with sourness.
Nikitsky early. Shrub not tall, with very large pomegranates. It has a sweet, very tasty juice with sourness.
Achik-don. It grows in regions of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The pulp of these fruits is immensely tasty and sweet. Enough productive variety with fruit ripening around mid-October.
Bala-mursal. It grows in regions of Azerbaijan. The height of the tree of this variety is about 3 meters, on which grow large (400-500g) fruits of dark crimson color, sweet and sour in taste. At favorable conditions from a bush you can collect 30-50 kg of fruit.

Naturally, not all varieties are on this list, and it is especially worth highlighting the dwarf pomegranate.

Despite its small growth (about one meter) and small fruits (within 70 grams), it does not differ in taste from large-fruited varieties. Growing a dwarf is a real pleasure. This tree can bloom already in the first year of life, barely reaching a height of 20-25 cm. Its flowering continues for six months with beautiful orange or bright red flowers. It has a number of useful properties, for example, anthelmintic. If you brew a few sprigs in half a liter of water, evaporate to half, strain and take in small sips for an hour, then you can forget about worms. This is just one small example of the miraculous properties of pomegranate.

Probably, there is not a single apartment, and even more so not a single house, where there are no indoor flowers and plants. Many housewives love to decorate their homes with representatives of the kingdom of flora, pleasing to the eye. And in this article we will talk about how to grow a real pomegranate at home, which will not only be a beautiful addition to your interior, but will also bring undeniable benefits with its original and tart-tasting fruits.

Botanical description

In ancient times, the pomegranate plant was widespread in the territories of Carthage and the entire northern tip of Africa along the Mediterranean coast. From here came the original name "punica" from the Latin word "punicus", which means "Punic", "Carthaginian". The Russian version of the name also came from the Latin word "granatus", which means "grainy" in translation.

It is the presence of many grains inside the fruit that characterizes the pomegranate in a botanical sense. Usually pomegranate fruits are spherical in shape, having a hard skin in the form of a whole shell. Inside is a juicy and tart pulp, formed into hundreds of grains. The color of such a shell varies in a range of orange and brown shades, less often you can find a blood-red color.

Did you know?In ancient Greece, they believed that the fruits of the pomegranate gave immortality, perhaps for this reason, in myths, they were often present on the tables of the gods of Olympus.

The structure of the fruit is multi-tiered and is divided into several chambers, which, in turn, are divided into nests. All these sectors are separated by thick and rigid walls. Inside each nest, chamber and tier there is a huge number of pomegranate seeds, of which there can be more than a thousand in one copy.
Such massive fruits grow on a fairly large tree, which reaches a height of 5-7 meters. The branches of such a tree are distinguished by their subtlety and grace. The foliage is spiky with a glossy shiny finish. The flowers of the pomegranate tree are quite large in size, and their color varies in a range of pink-orange and carrot shades.

Important!At home, the pomegranate tree grows up to 1.5-2 meters. This is due to the lack of sufficient sunlight and limited land capacity. In any case, you can not be afraid that the tree will break through your ceiling.

The pomegranate tree is distinguished by its warmth and light-loving nature. He needs solar energy during all year round, and in the absence of it, such a tree will not bloom and, therefore, will not produce fruit.

Chemical composition

These fruits consist of peel, seeds and pulp. Oddly enough, but each of these elements is useful for the human body. And in terms of calories, such a fruit is quite light, because one medium fruit contains only 90 kcal(while in 100 grams of pomegranate juice there are only 50 kcal).
Pomegranate fruits contain 15 amino acids, including cystine, aspartic acid, hydroxyproline, threonine, histidine, alpha-aminobutyric acid, lysine, glutamic acid, arginine, serine. Most of these compounds are indispensable and are included as an ingredient in the formulas of drugs, the total amount of which in the annual production exceeds ten tons.

In addition, the pomegranate contains a real storehouse of vitamins, minerals and nutrients, including:

vitamin PP - 0.4 mg;
beta-carotene - 0.03 mg;
vitamin A - 5 mcg;
vitamin B1 (thiamine) - 0.04 mg;
vitamin B2 (riboflavin) - 0.01 mg;
vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) - 0.5 mg;
vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) - 0.5 mg;
vitamin B9 (folic acid) - 18 mcg;
vitamin C - 4 mg;
vitamin E - 0.4 mg;
calcium - 10 mg;
magnesium - 2 mg;
sodium - 2 mg;
potassium - 150 mg;
phosphorus - 8 mg;
iron - 1 mg.

And besides all of the above, the composition of the pomegranate contains fiber, which is an indispensable activator of the activity of our body and favorably affects the functions of all internal organs and systems, as well as a complex of vitamins and minerals.

Beneficial features

Together with such a rich composition of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other useful trace elements, pomegranate fruits are very beneficial for the human body. There are five main positive qualities that contribute to the normalization of our body:

How to grow pomegranate at home

So, there is no doubt that pomegranate is very useful and rich in various mineral compounds and vitamins. Now it's up to sowing and growing such a wonderful plant in your home.

How to plant a pomegranate from a seed

In order to grow a tree from a stone, you will need special seeds collected from the flowers of this plant, since those seeds that are in the fruits are no longer usable. It is the flowering seeds that are suitable for germination. Having purchased such seed, you need to soak it in a solution of some substance that promotes rapid germination (growth stimulant). For this purpose, for example, is suitable.
In this composition, the seeds should be soaked for a day, after which they can be placed in loose soil under the cover. In this greenhouse, the pomegranate will spend some time (2-3 weeks) before sprouts appear.

Important!Although the seeds are in a kind of greenhouse, but it also needs to be placed in a warm and, most importantly, bright place.

During this period, it is important to ventilate and moisten the soil in time so as not to cause premature diseases in a still fragile plant. The main feature of this method of cultivation is that a pomegranate tree grown from seeds will bloom only for 5-8 years. If you do not want to wait so long, then in nurseries you can buy a ready-made young tree.

Soil and pomegranate fertilizer

Although the grenades wild nature grow quite well poor soils in dry areas, growing a beautiful tree at home will require more mineralized soil. Most the best option will buy soil for or . It is rich in useful elements and is well suited for sprouting pomegranate at home. At the bottom of the pot, you need to fill up a rather high (about a third of the pot) layer of expanded clay or river pebbles.
In terms of fertilizer, pomegranate needs to be fertilized starting in the fall, when its growing season ends, and ending in the spring, when the plant needs the maximum amount of additional vitamins and minerals. Feeding can be done no more than once every two weeks. Usually, fertilizers are applied once a month in moist soil. Nitrogen fertilizers are considered the main fertilizers in the spring period, while closer to autumn they are replaced with potassium ones.

Important!The best way to feed fruit-bearing pomegranates is organic matter, which does not contain nitrates harmful to the human body. At the same time, mineral fertilizers should be used with extreme caution, since, unlike organic fertilizers, they contain a high content of harmful nitrates.

Follow all the rules and instructions for the use of your chosen fertilizers in order to avoid adverse consequences, since overfeeding is just as bad as underfeeding.

Humidity and watering pomegranate

Air humidity must be maintained at an average, moderate level. In order to humidify the air in the room, you can carry out wet cleaning or put containers of water near the plant. Another way to keep the humidity level is to spray the top of the pomegranate tree with water from a spray bottle and wipe the leaves with a damp, clean cloth.
The main signal for the onset of watering time for such a representative of the fauna is the dried crust of the earth. Once you find that the top layer of the substrate crumbles easily and feels completely dry to the touch, feel free to water your pomegranate. It is important not to overdo it with watering, so as not to cause putrefactive damage to the root system. The approximate frequency of watering is once a week. This will be enough to provide your plant enough moisture.

Important!During the flowering period, it is better to halve the number of waterings. In the spring, the abundance of watering should be increased: this regime should be maintained from February to May, until the pomegranate blooms.

Lighting conditions

Good and properly selected lighting will guarantee good flowering and fruiting. Since the pomegranate is a thermophilic and light-loving representative of the fauna, it needs to create optimal conditions under which daylight hours should not be less than 12 hours. A pot with a pomegranate tree can be placed on a windowsill (any one will do, except for the northern one). But even here there is a nuance, because it must be protected from direct midday sunlight. For this purpose, blinds or ordinary curtains will help you.
In the summer, for example, such a seedling can be planted in the garden in the country, if any. Pomegranate perfectly adapts to natural conditions. But in winter and a long cloudy autumn, such a plant will need additional lighting, which you can provide using a regular fluorescent lamp or a special fitolamp. Both ways of additional illumination will give your plant what it needs - the correct twelve-hour lighting regime.

Pomegranate transplantation at home is also a separate ritual with its own nuances. Firstly, it is better not to touch or replant the plant until three years old, since the root system and the young stem are not yet ready for mechanical stress and such a procedure can only do harm.

Secondly, it is worth gradually expanding the living space for a flower after three years, each time choosing a new pot 3-4 centimeters wider than the previous one.

Important!It turns out that the pomegranate loves tightness. When the roots of this plant rest against the walls of the pot, feeling stiff, such a pomegranate will bloom more abundantly and give a greater yield.

Thirdly, the best time for transplantation is considered to be early spring, before the start of sap flow and flowering. When transplanting, the pomegranate is taken out with a clod of earth from the old pot and placed in a new one, in which the substrate was previously laid and fresh earth was added. The space around the earthen clod and roots is also covered with new earth, lightly tapping the container to evenly fill the voids.
By about the sixth year, your pomegranate will be an adult and will not need further transplantation. As a rule, an average pomegranate tree requires a container of up to 5 liters. And the depth is not as important as the width of the dishes, because the root system of pomegranates spreads to the sides.

pomegranate pruning

For each plant, pruning is positive moment for strengthening and rejuvenation. This procedure brings the crown into a proper and well-groomed appearance, giving houseplant necessary ergonomics and accuracy. In addition to a purely visual effect, such manipulations reduce the load on the plant, as unnecessary shoots that require constant feeding are removed. And after removing unnecessary processes, the pomegranate tree can direct all its efforts to growing large and fleshy fruits.

So, pomegranate should be cut three times per season.

First cut: held in March, before the start of the growing season. It is worth removing all branches growing inward, as well as small branches that only interfere with the development of the main shoots. Up to 6 main branches can be left on one trunk, and it is better to remove all other shoots. On each of these main branches, 3-5 branches of the second line are left, and on them, respectively, 3-5 branches of the third order. Such a crown will look neat and symmetrical. Second cut: carried out in summer, during flowering and fruit ripening. Do not worry, such pruning will only help your pet save all his strength for better maturation, because he will not have to spend extra energy on new shoots. In this approach, it is worth removing newly formed shoots and dry branches.

Third cut: held in autumn, after harvest. All superfluous small shoots and branches directed inside the crown should be removed, as well as dried or fading branches.

Important!Only those branches that have grown in this season bear fruit. Once harvested from this year's shoots, you can cut the branch at 5 buds to start dividing into the next row of branches that will bear fruit next year.

Reproduction of indoor pomegranate

There are several types of pomegranate propagation, including: planting by seeds, growing from cuttings or grafting. You already know how to grow pomegranates, so to speak, from scratch (from seeds), and then we will talk about two other methods.

Pomegranate from cuttings

It is this method that allows you to save the main features of the selected view without loss. best time summer will be for cutting and germinating cuttings. Choose still non-lignified shoots with 4-5 buds and a length of about 12-15 centimeters. After removing the two lower buds, stick the cuttings (it is better to prepare several of them at once, as some may not accept and die) at an angle of 30-45 degrees into the prepared soil.
With regular spraying, watering and proper care, the finished seedling will form in about 2-3 months. After that, it can be transplanted into a separate pot. Such a pomegranate will bloom the next year, but it will be able to bear fruit only after a few seasons.

How to plant a pomegranate

Pomegranate grafting will be a rather time-consuming process, since not every novice grower will be able to correctly carry out this operation. A shoot of a healthy fruit-bearing plant is grafted onto a cutting grown with the help of grain. This vaccination can be various methods, the most popular of which are: simple copulation, behind the bark, in a split, in the butt and in a side cut. Each of these methods is distinguished by its own nuances and difficulties, and therefore, if you are afraid that you will not be able to cope, it is better to seek the services of a professional or resort to another method. In the case of a successfully carried out scion, the plant will bloom only after a few years, and will bear fruit in about 4-7 years.

Pests and possible diseases

An infusion of 40-45 grams of tobacco in 1 liter of water for two days will cope with aphids.

Before use, you can add another liter of water to such a solution so that it is not so concentrated, and also mix in grated laundry soap. By spraying the plant with a spray bottle, you will cope with aphids.

Scale insects, mites and whiteflies. A five-day infusion of onion and garlic husks per liter of water will allow you to quickly and efficiently deal with these pests.

Cancer diseases. Cancer of the roots, trunk or branches is quite common illness domestic pomegranate trees. They appear as a result of mechanical damage, after which the bark begins to crack and blacken, and characteristic dark tumors appear on the surface.

These diseases can be defeated if the affected areas are cleaned to healthy wood, then generously treated with a solution of copper sulfate, and then the affected area is sealed with garden pitch. In most cases, this procedure should help. If we are talking about an extensive defeat, that is, it makes sense to cut down a tree under a stump. Perhaps it will be saved and after a while will start up new shoots, if not, then such a fate would have awaited it anyway with an abundance of cancers.

Did you know?The pomegranate tree is mentioned in the Qur'an. The first is that the pomegranate tree grew in paradise. The second is that the Prophet Muhammad advised his followers to use the fruits of pomegranates as a remedy against envy and hatred.

In addition to such diseases, a number of other symptoms may also be observed, indicating insufficient pomegranate care. These include yellowing of the leaves, their fall, or even drying out of the tree. You can deal with such manifestations quite easily if you follow the recommendations:

Yellowing of leaves. Such an ailment is associated with too high a temperature in the room (of course, if one of the pests described above is not identified). If on the leaves, in addition to yellowness, appeared dark spots, then the reason is the lack of moisture: it is worth watering your plant as soon as possible.
The main rule for watering and maintaining the desired level of humidity in the flower container is the degree of dryness of the soil. So, if you find that the soil is easily loosened and it is not wet to the touch, it is worth watering such a substrate. The normal watering regimen for the average pomegranate tree is once a week.

Did you know? According to one version of the Biblical tradition, it was with a pomegranate, and not with an apple, that the serpent seduced Eve in Paradise.

Falling leaves. This is the advanced stage of yellowing. If you intervened at the wrong time in the process of healing your tree, then the fall of the leaves will become its natural continuation. It is necessary to immediately remove pests (if any) or adjust the care of the plant by watering it or lowering the temperature in the room (for example, by ventilating the room). In addition to painful manifestations, leaf fall can be caused by the end of the vegetative period, that is, the preparation of the pomegranate tree for wintering. Thus, leaf fall can be both a signal of a problem and a natural phenomenon that you should not be afraid of.

Drying of leaves. Such an ailment suggests that in the room where the pomegranate tree is located, it is not enough high humidity and it is necessary to spray the plant with plain water. Another variant of such a disease is damage to the root system and problems with it. Such damage can result from improper, excessive watering. If the soil smells of mold and dampness, then you need to transplant the tree into another container as soon as possible and replace the substrate. Before doing this, carefully inspect the roots for putrefactive damage and, if necessary, remove rotting ones. Wounds from cuts should be covered with crushed coal.

In the maintenance and successful cultivation of a pomegranate tree at home, strict rules of care should be followed. Track all the slightest manifestations of ailments in your plant and adjust the conditions for its maintenance. Maintain balance in temperature regime, do not forget to ventilate the room if it gets too hot, or carry out wet cleaning and additional humidification of the room to maintain a climate close to the Mediterranean.

Also, wiping the leaves with a damp and clean cloth will have a beneficial effect on the health of the plant. In the cold season, when the heating season has not yet begun, and the apartment is very cold, you should get a heating device so that not only your plant, but also you are comfortable.

It is also important to water the pomegranate in time to prevent the soil from drying out, but do not overdo it with this procedure so as not to start putrefactive processes in the root system.

Did you know?During the opening of the Egyptian pyramids, it was discovered that a pomegranate was placed in the sarcophagus of the deceased rulers. This fruit was considered sacred and able to give new life. And the pomegranate tree was called the "tree of life."

Sprinkle pomegranate leaves periodically with plain water to create the effect of natural rain and maintain a normal moisture balance, because pomegranates grow near the Mediterranean Sea, where the climate is very humid and hot.
Periodically, fertilizing with various mineral fertilizers should be carried out as a prevention of the appearance and development of unwanted diseases. Such procedures can be carried out before the beginning of the vegetative period in the spring and upon its completion in late autumn. The feeding interval can vary from two weeks to a month. More frequent fertilization is fraught with irreversible consequences of the development of diseases.

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