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View Full Version : Tell me how to grow a pomegranate


Kat2
05-03-2014, 04:38 PM
I have 1 (unsure of variety--could probably find out--I have the nursery name on it) I purchased last Mother's Day in a scant 1 gallon pot. She struggled in the ground and has done better in a 2.5 or 3 gallon pot. However, she seems very spindly to me as do the oodles a friend is growing in pots. (Mine looks much healthier but she's still lanky.) There is no way these little wisps could support fruits bigger than a blackberry. Not that it matters because she hasn't bloomed but is just growing taller.

I'm accustomed to pruning hard to force branches to thicken up. Should I take her down to 1.5' which would be 1/2? Or will the limbs heavy up on their own? Yes, I realize she'd be happier in the ground but that's not happening right now.

musaboru
05-09-2014, 10:37 AM
Give her all the sun she can get and time to grow. In the second year after planting is when they start producing stronger branches and may produce some flowers. By the third year, the branching will toughen up a lot and you willbget tons more flowers (not all will set fruit though).

Darkman
05-17-2014, 09:47 PM
Here in Pensacola they have many suckers grow tall quickly and fall over every time a tree rat farts. I had a dozen fruit last year from three Red Angels and one Wonderful. The Wonderful is sturdier but has never fruited. Heavy blooms now on all of them. Maybe this is the year.

Kat2
05-17-2014, 10:19 PM
I wrote to Dewars Nursery; they assure me (2 replies! I was stunned) that I have a Wonderful. I plan to whack her back this winter (and do cuttings) since they said she won't produce for another year or 2.

She's being watered and fed lightly; she's very happy thus far except I still can't imagine that those spindly branches could hold a big fruit. (Leaves seem very small to me but this isn't a plant I've tried before.)

What an interesting experience gardening in FL has been thus far but this old dog is learning lots in short order. :ha: BTW, I have 1 very gnarly looking fruit on my young pink lemon tree--it's about 1" long and appears to be going for the long ride. Neat.

Worm_Farmer
05-18-2014, 12:00 PM
I have tried a few different varitys which would die in Winter. I have one now that seems to be doing really well. I have not mad any cuttings yet. I have more flowers this year, but IDK about fruit yet. I had a little one, just 1 on the plant and stuid squirrel riped it off and took one bit and throw it away. I also tried to grow dwarf pom was a hedge. Didnt know the plants were so spindley looking and ripped them out. I still have toe Dwarf Pom plants. They make very small fruit's which seem to be a little sour but still I can eat them fine.

Good Luck!

Kat2
05-18-2014, 02:13 PM
From what I've read, you really need to winter prune these for 2 to 3 years; I didn't when she lost her leaves last year so may do it in August or when I'm settled since she's not scheduled to produce for another year or so. Can you do that? I found this video on youtube so I don't think it hurts the plant to play with "when".How to Make Pomegranate Plant Cuttings : Solving Plant Needs - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI7fw_EXpYQ)

Shanejennings
09-12-2015, 02:58 PM
I live in Alabama. This past spring I planted 350 pomegranate trees & have another 75 in pots to plant next spring.

First of all, you need a soil test done. It was easy to do. I called my Auburn extension agent and stopped by and picked up the boxes to put the soil in. The instructions are on the box. Once I collected the soil, I mailed it to Auburn university to be tested. They emailed & mailed back instructions on what my soil was deficient in. I took the report to a farmers coop and they sold me what I needed.

Second, my soil is very sandy. I bought materials to hook up drip lines for irrigation. Absolutely great! Great time saver, and you are not wasting water. I love drip irrigation so much that this winter I'm going to run some more lines to my wife's garden spot.

With these two starts you are own your way to getting pomegranate fruit. Some of my trees are pushing 6 to 7 feet tall now. But there are some a lot smaller. Some plants are just slower to get started. But if you get a soil test done so you know what to fertilize them, and give them the right amount of water the spindly pomegranate trees will change before your very eyes. I hope this helps!

Shane