Proper care of indoor pomegranate at home
Content
Growing from pits and seeds
Lovers of exotic home plants may be interested in the question of where to get and how to grow a dwarf pomegranate on their own. After all, ready-made grown trees in flower shops have a very considerable cost. It should be said that indoor pomegranate reproduces well by cuttings and seeds. The seed method has several options, but its effectiveness is low, since it takes more time to grow a full-fledged tree, and the seeds do not always germinate.
For breeding homemade pomegranate, you can use several options for seed:
- seeds bought in specialized stores - they have the highest germination percentage;
- seeds that form in a dwarf pomegranate flower growing in a house;
- seeds extracted from fresh homemade pomegranate.
It makes no sense to use seeds from an ordinary pomegranate bought on the market, since even if they come off, the tree can bloom only after 7 years, and the dimensions of such a plant are completely inappropriate for the room.
For seeds to germinate, they need to be properly prepared and planted. If the material is purchased in a specialized store, then, as a rule, it is enough only to soak it in water for a day, or better in a growth stimulator (Kornevin), and then plant it in moist soil. If the seeds are taken from fresh fruit, then first they need to be separated from the pulp, rinsed well, and then dried thoroughly - this will help to avoid decay of the material. Then everything is the same as in the previous case: soak it in a growth stimulator for a day, and plant it in the ground.
Sowing seeds is carried out in the spring, around mid-April. For planting, a substrate is used, consisting of equal parts of sand and peat. Sowing is carried out in moist soil to a depth of 0.5-1 cm under glass or film. The seed pot is placed in a warm place, since they need a temperature of at least +25 ° C for germination. High-quality material rises pretty quickly. When 2-3 true leaves are formed on the seedlings, they are planted in separate pots along with a lump of earth. For further development, plants need a warm and humid microclimate. For better branching, pinch the largest branches.
Video "Growing"
From the video you will learn how to grow pomegranates in different ways.
Growing with cuttings
It is easier to grow indoor pomegranates from a cuttings than from seeds, and besides, this method has a higher survival rate. Planting material is taken from an adult fruiting plant in spring or summer. Cuttings 10-12 cm long are cut from a strong and healthy stem, so that they have 4-5 live buds. Further, these blanks are placed in a growth stimulator, after which they are planted at a slight angle into a moist substrate.
For better rooting, the cuttings are covered with a jar or a cut plastic bottle, the soil is kept moist, and aired daily.
With proper care, after a month, roots will begin to grow on the cuttings, and buds will bloom. After another two months, the plants can be planted in separate pots. A tree grown from a cuttings blooms fully for 2-3 years. The buds that appeared on the plant in the first year should be cut off.
Care
When growing indoor pomegranates, home care is quite simple to provide. The main thing is to try to create a suitable microclimate. For a tree, illumination, temperature, humidity of air and soil are of great importance. In indoor conditions, it is better to place the pot with the plant on the windowsill (but not on the north side), and in the summer to take it out to the balcony. Remember that direct sunlight can cause burns, so in hot weather the pomegranates should be shaded or placed in partial shade. In the fall, the tree is returned to the room.
Pomegranate is a thermophilic culture. For its normal development, flowering and fruiting, it is necessary to maintain the air temperature in the range from +20 to +25 ° C.
If the room is stuffy in summer and the temperature exceeds + 25 ° C, the tree may begin to shed its leaves, so it should be taken out to the balcony and periodically sprayed with cool water. When the fruits begin to ripen, the temperature needs to be lowered slightly, to +16 ° C. The lowest temperature that a room pomegranate can withstand is +6 ° C, below this indicator the plant dies.
Pomegranates are watered in a different mode, depending on the stage of its vegetation and weather factors:
- during an active growing season, as well as in hot weather, the plant needs a lot of moisture - starting in February, pomegranates are watered regularly as soon as the topsoil dries up;
- during flowering, the frequency of watering is slightly reduced, but they make sure that the soil does not dry out, as buds may begin to fall;
- after flowering, the number of watering is increased again - this measure contributes to the abundant flowering of the tree next year;
- during the ripening of the fruits, watering is carried out carefully, since excess moisture can lead to cracking of the ripening fruits;
- in winter, the plant begins a dormant period - at this time it is very rarely watered, only so that the roots do not dry out.
To maintain decorativeness, indoor pomegranate needs to be fed about 1-2 times a month. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied in spring, in summer, before and after flowering - a complex mixture with phosphorus, during fruit ripening and in late autumn - potassium. Fertilizers are applied in liquid form by irrigation. Top dressing is best done in cloudy weather or in the evening. In the middle of autumn, feeding stops.
Like any houseplant, the pomegranate can be sore and exposed to pests. Since the tree loves moisture, it is sometimes struck by powdery mildew - a fungal disease that develops against a background of high humidity, and manifests itself as white bloom on the leaves. If signs of disease appear, the humidity should be reduced (stop spraying and watering the plant). Due to excessive moisture, roots can rot and leaves turn yellow.
Pomegranate pests are sometimes attacked by scale insects, spider mites or whiteflies. While there are few insects, they can be collected by hand. If the population has increased, then chemical agents should be used (Actellik, Fitoverm). The same drugs can be sprayed on a tree for prophylaxis.
Pruning
The formation of a crown for a home pomegranate is a common thing, because the culture is mainly grown for decorative purposes, and not for the sake of obtaining fruits. In this case, pruning not only rejuvenates the plant, but also gives it an original decorative shape. As a rule, the pomegranate tree is pruned once at the end of winter, in February, when bud formation begins. At the same time, it is moved from the cold to a warm room (room), and dry, not yet blossoming twigs begin to be cut off. During this period, the pomegranate tolerates the pruning procedure best.
To make the tree lush, you need to cut off the young shoots above the bud facing outward, leaving 4-5 internodes. In order to avoid excessive thickening of the crown, you should cut off the buds directed inward, as well as all small twigs. You should not get carried away with pruning, as it can weaken the plant. For a house tree, it is enough to leave 5-6 skeletal branches. When pruning, remember that pomegranate flowers are formed on only the most developed annual shoots. Sometimes, with excessive branching, there is a need for unscheduled pruning in the summer. When removing shoots during an active growing season, it is imperative to close up the cuts with garden pitch.
Transfer
In the first three years, indoor pomegranates, which are grown in a pot, should be replanted annually. At first, the tree grows quite intensively, and if it does not have enough land and nutrients, then soon the plant will begin to hurt and lag behind in development. Upon reaching the age of three, the transplant is carried out 1 time in 2-3 years, mainly in the spring. Technically, it is very simple to do this, since the transplant procedure consists in transferring the tree to a larger pot along with the earth.
The root system of the pomegranate is fibrous, well developed, and grows more in breadth than in depth. But this does not mean that the tree pot should be large and wide. Every year it is enough to increase the diameter of the pot by 3-4 cm (about 0.5 liters). The soil for growing pomegranates needs neutral, consisting of sod land or black soil with the addition of sand. You can buy ready-made store soil for roses, as long as its acidity is neutral. A drainage layer in a pomegranate pot is required, as excess moisture can harm it. Remember that in nature the pomegranate tree grows in rocky terrain - try to create similar conditions for it. If the roots are in small cramped conditions, the pomegranate will bloom more luxuriantly.
Like all trees, the indoor pomegranate needs some rest. This period begins after the ripening of all the fruits - around the beginning of December. When the tree begins to shed its leaves, care should be taken to create suitable conditions: lower the temperature to + 10-12 ° C, and reduce watering to a minimum. If the house has a basement, the pomegranate pot can be taken out there for two months. In a city apartment, it is more difficult to ensure such a temperature, therefore, in the absence of a heated loggia, the plant is moved closer to the window glass and fenced off with dense material from the rest of the room. In the cold, the plant is kept until February, after which the tree is ready to bud again.
Video "Leaving"
From the video you will learn how to care for a pomegranate.