The pomegranate is grown not only for obtaining fruit suitable for food, it is also used for decorative purposes and for cutting. Of the pomegranates create hedges, because the plants have flowers with a variety of colors - bright red, pink, cream, white, pale yellow. Young garnets have sufficiently flexible shoots, so you can give the trunk and crown any shape - it's the perfect plant for bonsai.
Care of the plant
House plant garnet is very fond of bright light, so it grows well near windows facing south and does not require shading. However, on hot days it is better to still shield it from the sun's rays, at least at noon.
In summer, before the beginning of September, the plant will feel better outdoors in a darkened place. A recently acquired pomegranate or plant that has not received sunlight for a long time should be gradually accustomed to sunlight and light, otherwise it can get burned. In winter, it is better to keep the garnet in a cool light room.
During the growing season, the plant garnet must be in a room with an air temperature of 20-25 ° C, starting from the autumn period, the temperature is lowered. The rest period of the plant is pronounced and occurs in winter time (approximately in November-February). In winter, garnet prefers a cool room and a rare watering. In addition, there is nothing wrong with the fact that in winter the leaves of the plant will partially or completely fly. Wintering garnet should be at a temperature of 5-10C, if the temperature is above 15C, then the plant needs frequent spraying. You can keep the plant at a higher temperature, however, if it hibernates in a cool place, then in the spring its fruiting and flowering will improve. Grenades need an influx of fresh air.
During the growing season, the plant needs abundant watering. Watering grenades is necessary as the upper layer of the earth dries with soft, settled water. During fruiting, you can water twice a day. Reduce watering only in late August, at the same time stop feeding - it is necessary for the shoots to mature. After dropping the leaves, watering at all becomes extremely mild, so as not to overmoist the soil. But you can not tolerate land over-drying.
Garnet is a plant for which air humidity is not important.
To feed the plant is necessary in the warm season. So, in the spring and in the first months of summer it is necessary to introduce fertilizers with phosphorus and nitrogen content, and by the end of summer - fertilizer containing potassium.
The crown of a pomegranate must be properly formed, only then it will bloom very luxuriantly. So, in the spring it is best to remove the dried branches, cut the young ones, leaving 2-3 pairs of leaves on them. In summer, the shoots formed on the lower part of the trunks are also periodically cut. In addition, every five years the grenade needs to be rejuvenated - for this one of the oldest trunks must be removed, replacing it with a young and strong shoot.
Garnet refers to plants pollinated crosswise. That is, flowers of different types can be formed on one plant: with a short pestle and a long pestle. The first in the formation of fruits do not participate, and the second in the pollination form fruits. If you grow a pomegranate primarily for the sake of fruits, and not for flowering, you can safely remove flowers with a short pestle so that they do not take away the strength from the plant. Some varieties of pomegranate do not tie fruit at all, but they bloom very beautifully - they are terry decorative grenades.
Young grenades must be transplanted every year, and adults - once in 2-4 years, and do it after the end of the rest period. It is not necessary to transplant the plant into large pots, because the pomegranate blooms well only if its roots are in cramped state. Transplant the pomegranate in a loose and nutritious mixture of sand (1h), humus (0.5h), leaf and turf soil (1 hour). At the bottom of the dishes you need to lay a good drainage.
Reproduction of garnets
This houseplant propagates by cuttings, grafts and seeds.
Sowing plant seeds is best in autumn, but it is possible and in spring in a mixture of equal parts of sand and turf soil. If the temperature of the earth remains at around 22-25C, then the garnet will germinate faster. Plant seedlings in 5-7-centimeter pots one by one, watering abundantly. In winter, watering cut. In the spring, the plants should be transplanted into seven-centimeter pots. Grow grenades in the early years, rather slowly, and blossoms begin only for 5-8 years.
If you want to propagate a plant with the help of cuttings, then cut them in February or March from mature shoots. Cuttings should be about 10 centimeters in length. Plant them in a small greenhouse or a crate. After rooting, transplant the cuttings into seven-centimeter pots in the following mixture: 1 part sand, leaf and turf ground and 1/2 part humus. In addition, you can cut the plant in the summer, when the cuttings are not yet ripe.
The varieties intended for the garden are propagated by grafting, the stock is seedlings. Blossoms multiplied in this way grenades for 3-4 years.
Possible difficulties
- The plant does not bloom. Garnet ordinary begins to bloom only for 5-7 years, and dwarf - for 1-2 years. In addition, the formation of the crown during the growing season can interfere with flowering, since flowers form at the ends of shoots.
- The pomegranate leaves turn yellow and fall off. This is normal, because the garnet is a deciduous shrub. In winter it is best to keep it in a cool place. Leaves may fall off and partially.
- The branches of a plant break. This is due to the fact that the pomegranate branches are rather weak and thin and do not always withstand the weight of the ripened fruit. To bend the branches do not break, support them with chopsticks.
- During the growing season, the leaves are covered with brown spots and fall off. This indicates that the plant was overdried. To create new shoots, properly water the pomegranate.
- The fruit of the pomegranate crackles. This can happen for one reason - excessive moistening of the soil during fruiting.
- Pomegranate seeds do not germinate. For sowing it is necessary to use only fresh seeds, collected quite recently. They should not have time to dry up.
- A small number of fruits with a lot of flowers. Fruits are formed only from flowers with long pistils. Flowers with pestles short fade and eventually fall off.