Amateur flower growers have long learned to grow at home many exotic plants that grow in nature only in certain climatic zones. Often on the windowsills you can find pineapple, lemon, figs and even peaches. The pomegranate tree was no exception.
This is a selectively bred dwarf variety. A plant standing on the windowsill can bring a holiday atmosphere into the house just by its appearance. Indeed, in such a plant as a pomegranate, flowers of purple hues adorn the crown for a very long time, and even when fruits are tied and ripen in their place, the beauty of the tree will not fade.
Pomegranate is a favorite of flower growers
But it is popular not only because of its exoticism and almost year-round flowering, bringing zest to any interior, but also because of the very tasty fruits and the invaluable he alth benefits that both bark and leaves give.
Perhaps, no fruit tree can boast of so many useful properties that a pomegranate has. One of the main advantages is the unpretentiousness of such a plant as indoor pomegranate. Growing at homeconditions does not require special care from flower growers.
Native of the subtropics on our windowsills
The dwarf form of the pomegranate tree has long and firmly settled on our windowsills. It grows only up to a meter in height and has a lush crown with narrow elongated leaves, which lends itself perfectly to formation. From it, by proper pruning, you can get both a fluffy shrub and a slender tree.
This has become an indisputable advantage of the plant among bonsai lovers, who have received a lot of opportunities to realize their creative fantasies. Home-grown pomegranate blooms for a long time and is very exotic. If the right conditions are created for it, the entire crown will be strewn with two kinds of scarlet flowers for quite some time.
Correct plant selection and planting
When choosing a plant such as pomegranate, cultivation does not pose any particular problems. Indeed, in nature it grows on rocky slopes. But if, in addition to decorativeness, you want to feast on delicious fruits, you should not grow it from the seeds of a freshly eaten fruit. They will grow into a wild game with inedible fruits.
The best option would be propagation by root offspring or cuttings, because in this case all the qualities that the mother plant has will be preserved. The best material for planting is considered to be the one that has from 5 to eight buds and matured wood. The bottom cut should be oblique and perfectly smooth, made with a scalpel or razor blade.
The cuttings will take rootvery good. Especially if you soak them in a root simulator for 6 hours. Planted by cuttings or root offspring of a pomegranate, room care requires minimal from the very first days. The main condition is fertile soil, which in equal parts includes large river sand, leaf humus, manure compost and sod land.
Rules for crown formation
A home-grown tree lends itself very well to molding, so it gives a very large scope for the realization of the fantasies of all bonsai lovers. To do this, homemade pomegranate from the very first year of life needs to be cut.
Regular "haircut" will make it possible to form a fairly lush crown, which has a large number of skeletal branches. This should be done in early February, then in early spring young shoots will appear that will bloom and bear fruit. When forming, it should be borne in mind that weak shoots must be completely removed, and the rest should be shortened by half.
The nuances of caring for a dwarf pomegranate
A pomegranate grown in this way will release flowers already for 2-3 years of life, but you should still pay attention to caring for the plant. Although it is quite simple, it has its own subtleties:
- The pot for the pomegranate tree should be chosen narrow. This contributes to more abundant fruiting.
- Since in nature it grows on rocky slopes, it is completely undemanding to soil fertility at home. It is enough to mix leaf humus in equal parts,river sand, peat and sod land.
- Abundant watering is necessary for this plant, but it should be borne in mind that pomegranate does not tolerate waterlogged soils. Therefore, it is good to water the plant only when the top layer of the earth is dry enough. And in spring and summer, combine it with liquid top dressing.
- Annual transplants are needed only for a young tree, and an adult will need to be transplanted only once every four years.
- Since the pomegranate belongs to the deciduous culture, after the leaves fall for the entire dormant period, it should be moved to a cool room. The last can serve as a loggia, veranda or cellar.
In such a completely undemanding plant as a pomegranate, care during the growing season involves "walks". With the onset of constant heat, it can be taken out into the garden or placed on the balcony.
What diseases can this tree have
Although the dwarf pomegranate is unpretentious, growing at home can contribute to the development of some diseases. The most common is the appearance of a spider mite. You can get rid of it by periodically spraying the plant with an oil emulsion or garlic tincture. But when carrying out this procedure, you should carefully cover the ground with a film to avoid getting funds on it. The temperature of the solutions should not exceed 30 degrees.
Severe yellowing and leaf fall may also begin before the growing season is over. Most often, this disease is caused by the whitefly, which feeds on the sap of the plant. When fightingonly the "Derris" tool can help with it, the processing of which must be carried out several times.
Excessive flowering - the key to good fruiting
Properly grown at home, pomegranate flowers have 2 types - male, which are the majority, and female, often collected in inflorescences. They are slightly different in shape, which makes the plant even more exotic, because at this time the whole tree is simply strewn with bright purple flowers with a lot of stamens. Simplicity in caring for him creates and undemanding to additional pollination.
Those who want to have more fruits need to know the little subtlety involved in the cultivation process. It lies in the fact that the plant needs cool water, and during flowering, the room temperature should not exceed 20 degrees. The pot, so that the pomegranate does not fatten, growing a large amount of tops, and does not produce many male flowers, you need to take a narrow and small one.
Many flower growers use another trick - reduce watering. But you should be careful with this and not overdo it. It is better to have not so many ovaries than to allow the plant to die from thirst.
Unique properties of indoor pomegranate
It is not for nothing that many flower growers tend to grow pomegranates at home. This plant is not only very beautiful and decorative, but also has medicinal properties. In ancient times, it was considered a medicine that could cure 100 diseases. It helps with many ailments.
Fruit membranesused to lower blood pressure and also as a sedative. Pomegranate juice is also used as an excellent remedy for anemia, and is also recommended for people living in areas with high background radiation. With any inflammatory or colds, pomegranate will help relieve pain and quickly bring down the temperature.
In folk cosmetology, a paste made from rubbed leaves has found wide application. It helps to get rid of pigmentation, reduces oily skin and strengthens hair. And in cooking, not only the juice and grains of this plant are used, but also flowers.
Growing Secrets
When a pomegranate sets flowers in large quantities, and the formation of fruits is minimal, you should pay attention to the container in which it grows. Need, as already mentioned, narrow and small in size. Also, for the wintering period, it is required to transfer the tree to a fairly cool room. It can break under the weight of ripening fruits, branches that are quite thin. To avoid this, you need to use props.
And if the leaves are covered with brown spots and began to fall off, then the soil near the tree has dried up. Accordingly, the irrigation regime should be changed. But during the period when the fruits ripen, watering should be moderate to prevent cracking of the peel. The crown should be formed only before the start of the growing season, so as not to interfere with flowering.
In the case when the plant is grown not from cuttings, but from seeds,only grains with pulp should be taken. Dried bones lose their ability to germinate well. Many experienced flower growers who have been growing dwarf pomegranate for a long time recommend soaking the grains overnight in a solution of stimulants or warm milk before planting. This exotic plant can bring only joy to the house, so do not be afraid of those small difficulties that may arise.
