Indoor pomegranate. Dwarf pomegranate is a beautiful and useful addition to the interior

Plants on our windowsills are green, blooming, but fruiting ones are especially desirable. A striking representative of this category is the indoor pomegranate. Scarlet corollas of flowers adorn his bush from spring to autumn, some turn into fruits. You can buy seeds from flower shops. Why not take a chance and grow?

Indoor pomegranate: how it grows, blooms and bears fruit

Indoor or dwarf pomegranate is interesting in that it does not need to be grafted to get fruit. A full-fledged fruit tree grows from a seed and can bloom already in the first year of life, but usually fruiting begins at the age of 2-3 years. This does not require pollination. The ovaries are formed and grow without the help of insects, wind and humans.

Pomegranate sets fruit without assistance

Of course, not everything is so simple, there are many difficulties on the way to getting the harvest. For example, pomegranate willingly blooms from April-May until the arrival of cold weather. But almost 90% of the buds are sterile, crumble. They can be recognized by their bell-shaped form, they are barren flowers. The fruit is formed from pitcher-like corollas that have a rounded bulge at the base. It grows into a fruit with a diameter of about 3 cm. The fruit tastes edible like an ordinary pomegranate. The more sunny days he got, the sweeter.

The flower that will bear fruit has a thickened, rounded base.

The plant itself grows to a height of no more than 1 m. Not only flowers, but also leaves look beautiful on it. They are elongated, oval, painted in emerald color, and in spring, young, just born, are also red. On the bush, you can simultaneously see unblown buds, luxurious flowers and pouring fruit.

Pomegranate blooms and bears fruit at the same time

From the formation of the ovary to maturation, it takes about 6 months. Overripe fruits explode, the skin bursts, exposing the grains. They say that it is for this property that the plant was called pomegranate. There are few varieties and varieties of indoor pomegranate. In flower shops, you can find Carthage, Baby and seeds with a Latin inscription on the package Punica granatum nana, instead of the name of the variety. The flower growers called this pomegranate Nana.

In fact, it doesn't matter what name is written on the bag. Plants with different characteristics grow from seeds, even if they are ripe inside the same fruit. They can vary in bush height, flower shape, fruit size and taste. If you need a specific variety, then grow it from a cuttings taken from the plant you like.

Video: collecting and tasting dwarf pomegranate fruits

Sowing features

Start sowing in the spring, at the beginning of March. Pomegranate seeds are small, covered with a hard shell, germinate in 2–6 weeks. To help them germinate, it is recommended to soak for a day in a growth stimulant, for example, Epine, HB-101, aloe juice, etc. Some growers recommend stratification, as in this review.

from my own experience, I will say that pomegranates germinate better after 3-4 months of stratification in wet sand at a temperature of 0 + 2 degrees and a humidity of 85-90 percent (at home in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator), the germination rate is 90-95%, although some sources write that sowing is possible without stratification, I note that the percentage of germination in this case is 45-55%

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The soil is suitable for ordinary: universal from the store, for citrus fruits or from your site, mixed with compost (2: 1). Any bowl or plastic container 5–10 cm deep is suitable as a container; make drainage holes in the bottom to drain excess water. Sowing stages:

1. Moisten the soil, level and spread the seeds.
2. Cover with soil with a layer of 0.5–1 cm.
3. Cover with glass or foil and take to a warm place - about +25 ° C, dark if possible.

Open every day for 2-3 minutes to ventilate, otherwise mold can form and grow deep on the surface, the seeds will rot. If the soil, on the contrary, is dry, moisten it. When shoots appear, transfer them to the lightest window.

How to care for indoor pomegranate

When the first true leaf appears (not the cotyledonous one, the one between them), plant the seedlings in separate pots with a volume of 180-200 ml. Change the container to a larger one as it grows.

A true leaf is the one that appears between the first cotyledons, it has a shape characteristic of a plant

In the first year, 2 transplants may be needed. Do them when the above-ground part becomes equal in volume to or greater than the volume of the pot, roots begin to peep out of the drainage holes. Then transplant the pomegranate once a year - in the spring, when young leaves begin to bloom on it, but always before budding. Each time the pot should be 2-3 cm wider and deeper than the previous one.

Transplant the pomegranate by transshipment, that is, without breaking the clod of earth, so as not to damage the root.

At the age of 4–5 years, pomegranates are no longer transplanted, but only replace the top 5 cm of soil with fresh, mixed with humus or compost. The pot must have drainage holes.

The pomegranate has distinct growth and dormancy phases. In the fall, it sheds its leaves and remains naked until the end of winter. At this time, keep it cool (+ 10 ... + 15 ° C), it is possible in the dark. Once every 1-2 weeks, check the moisture content of the soil, if it is dry to half the depth of the pot, water it only by moistening the dry layer, and not soaking it to the bottom.

For the winter, pomegranate sheds its leaves

At the end of February, when the length of the day becomes favorable for plants (10-12 hours), transfer the pomegranate pot to the sunniest window. Now you need full care:

• Watering to keep the soil constantly moist.
• Top dressing with any fertilizer for flowering indoor plants according to the instructions.
• Daily spraying on the leaves with clean water.
• Once a month, treatment with insectoacaricide from pests (Aktara, Karbofos, etc.). Scabbards, ticks, whiteflies like to settle on a pomegranate. It is easier to prevent their appearance than to get rid of hordes of insects later.

Do not turn the pomegranate different sides to the sun, he does not like this. Every spring, before the buds appear, do pruning and shaping:

• Shorten the one-year-old sapling to the height you need so that it begins to branch.
• In a 2-year-old, pinch the tops of the side branches to form third-order shoots.
• Only thin out the formed bush or tree, removing the branches growing inward.

Video: the original formation of a pomegranate from three seedlings

For an adult 3-year-old pomegranate and older, you do not need to shorten each branch. Fruiting occurs on two-year-old wood, that is, on the growths of the last year. By cutting off the tips of the branches, you will remove these productive parts.

When the frost ends on the street, the pomegranate can be taken out into the garden or onto the balcony. In the fall, with the arrival of cold weather, take it to the house, stop feeding. In conditions of short daylight hours, approximately in October-November, leaf fall will begin. If there are fruits hanging on the tree, pick them up even unripe. The plant should rest.

Pomegranate can withstand small frosts down to -6 ° C. But it is better not to expose it to stress, especially during flowering, and keep it at temperatures: during the day - 20 ... 25 ° C, at night + 12 ... +18 ° C.

What to do if the pomegranate does not bloom or does not set fruit

If your pomegranate is more than three years old, and it has never bloomed or pleased with fruits, then you need to reconsider the conditions of detention and care methods Check if you are doing everything correctly:

1. The average daily temperature favorable for budding is 16 ... 18 ° C.
2. There will be no flowers and fruits if the pomegranate is in the shade, the sun is not enough for it.
3. Irregular watering and dry soil lead to crop failure.
4. With an excess of moisture, the plant actively grows shoots and leaves to the detriment of fruiting. The same happens when applying nitrogen fertilizers. Potassium and phosphorus should prevail in dressings. Look at the composition of the mixtures and concentrates that you buy.
5. The most fertile are 1–2-year-old shoots 10–40 cm long; excess trimmings interfere with their formation.

It will not be an exaggeration to say that almost every apartment or house in our country is decorated with indoor flowers. Most often, their assortment is not particularly diverse, but there are exceptions. How do you like a room pomegranate, for example?

Basic information

Pomegranate (Punica) feels quite comfortable at home. However, in this case, it is not the nutritional properties of its fruits that come to the fore, but the decorative qualities of the flowers of the plant. Important! It is still better to grow a dwarf variety of pomegranate (Punicanana) indoors. However, many scientists and gardeners believe that the pomegranate houseplant is just a separate form of the parent plant. Judging by the appearance and characteristics of the growing process, it is so.

Brief historical background

Oddly enough, but indoor pomegranate has been known as a houseplant for a long time. This circumstance is mainly due to the amazing unpretentiousness of this plant. In the subtropics and tropics, it is commonly grown in the open field, and in our conditions, ordinary pots on windowsills or even indoor greenhouses are preferable. By the way, for the excellent decorative qualities of pomegranate flowers, it has long been awarded an Honorary Diploma of the Royal Horticultural Society of Great Britain.

Ancient legends say that this fruit was once known as the "Punic apple". In legends, pomegranate was a symbol of fidelity in marriage, in Greece it was used as a symbol of fertility, and the Persians honored it as the personification of ardent and passionate love. However, all these are trifles, since the beneficial properties of pomegranate have been known since antiquity.

In general, such a useful plant is worthy of becoming a decoration of any home or garden. Moreover, it (as we have already said) is distinguished by its rare unpretentiousness, it can grow on brackish and arid soils.

Description of pomegranate

It should be noted that the original indoor pomegranate was described back in 1803. Its height in the maximum case does not exceed 120 centimeters, and in the form of a potted plant, it grows only up to 0.9 meters. The leaves are light green, oval in shape, no more than three centimeters across, and are distinguished by short cuttings that have a slightly reddish tint. In spring, the leaves acquire a beautiful bronze color, in summer they are light green, and by autumn they become yellowish.

Note that the most decorative are special, cultivated varieties of indoor pomegranate. From May to September, these plants are strewn with the most beautiful purple flowers in abundance. They are located in a single order, they are formed already in the first year of cultivation. Tellingly, their size exceeds that of the leaves - about four centimeters. Please note: only flowers with long pistils can produce fruits. The percentage of those is very low, since the pomegranate houseplant is purely decorative.

Each flower lives for a maximum of three days, but new buds are tied and blooming every day. Gardeners testify that there are no more than three or four ovaries per one hundred flowers. The indoor pomegranate has a special uniqueness for the reason that the plant can simultaneously have both buds and already ripening fruits.

Separately about fruits

The fruits themselves, by the way, can be painted in a variety of colors: from orange to brownish red. Alas, they are far from the "ordinary" pomegranate in taste, and in diameter they are a maximum of six to seven centimeters. You can taste them starting in November. The fruiting season ends around January.

Since pomegranates are most often grown at home for the sake of flowers, the fruits are usually removed. This is due to the fact that the abundant flowering already greatly depletes the plant, so in order to preserve the decorative properties of the pomegranate, it is better to remove the ovaries that have appeared. However, one or two fruits can still be left on one tree.

And it is worth doing this not so much for the sake of culinary purposes, but to get your own seeds. Note, however, that the varietal qualities of plants can not always indulge with this method of reproduction. And only once every three or four years can you make yourself a gift, leaving all the fruits on the tree. The beauty of a pomegranate blooming and fruiting at the same time is simply indescribable.

What are the best varieties to use?

On sale, you will probably only find the dwarf pomegranate (Punicagranatum). Occasionally, on the shelves of shops, you come across a room pomegranate "Baby" or "Carthage". The last two varieties are bred artificially, designed specifically for indoor cultivation. Their height rarely exceeds 30 centimeters, while the usual dwarf species often grows up to one meter.

Lighting requirements

Despite its general unpretentiousness, the pomegranate houseplant is distinguished by its exactingness to the lighting conditions in the house. That is why you can choose any windows in the house to place it, with the exception of those that face the north side. However, on hot and sunny days, it is still necessary to cover the delicate leaves of the plant from exposure to direct sunlight.

Note that the ideal place for a pomegranate in the summer is a loggia, an attic or a veranda. Important! The plant should be accustomed to "sunbathing" gradually, since with an excessively sharp course of the process, the formation of sunburn on the leaves is not excluded. As soon as daylight hours begin to decrease and the nights get colder, this southerner should be brought into the house immediately.

Temperature Range

As you might have guessed, the pomegranate needs warmth, and for the entire period of flowering and fruiting. In general, its normal development is possible at a temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius. Important! If the room temperature exceeds 25 degrees, it must be taken to a cooler and more ventilated room, otherwise the shoots may begin to dry out. If this is not possible, regularly spray the leaves with water at room temperature (standing, of course).

But! For normal fruit ripening to occur, the pomegranate needs a temperature of approximately 16-18 degrees Celsius. From November to March, the plant has a dormant period, during which it is required to maintain the temperature regime at 10-12 degrees. By the way, these indoor plants can easily withstand frosts down to minus six degrees Celsius.

Requirements for the composition and other characteristics of the soil

Although we said that in nature, pomegranate is extremely unpretentious to soil, at home, in order to create the most ornamental plant, the characteristics of soil mixtures should be maintained at the proper level. Please note that they must be neutral (pH 7). We would recommend the following characteristics:

Half of the sod land, ¼ part of good leaf humus, 12% peat, and 13% sand.
... Half sand, ¼ part loam and peat (watch the pH!).
... Two parts of clay-soddy soil, one volumetric part of leafy land, one share of sand and humus.
... Especially for young plants: humus, turf, sand and leafy soil are taken in equal proportions.

About watering and air humidity

As you probably yourself understand, competent watering of any plant is a guarantee not only of its decorative appearance, but also of survival. In our case, there are the following watering rules:

At rest (we talked about it above), the number of waterings is reduced as much as possible: no more than once every one and a half to two months!
... When houseplants come out of hibernation, you can gradually increase the frequency. Gradually move on to frequent watering, soaking well the topsoil in the pot. It should be moistened as it dries.
... Please note that during flowering, the intake of moisture should be limited, since in natural conditions this time coincides with a dry and hot period. But be careful! With a lack of moisture and nutrients, you may well stay at the "broken trough", since the plant will simply throw off all the buds and ovaries.
... As we have already said, in hot weather and in stuffy rooms, it is necessary to spray pomegranate leaves with settled water.
... As soon as the flowering is over, the plant must again be watered abundantly, since otherwise the abundant flowering in the next year will be questionable.
... If you need to grow fruits, then the issue of soil moisture should be approached as carefully and carefully as possible. If you overdo it with water, then the fruits may well crack and even rot.

Feeding

Any indoor flowers need feeding. Pomegranate is no exception. It should be "fed" at least twice a month. In the spring, any nitrogen fertilizer can be widely used. When the pomegranate blooms, phosphorus fertilizing is required, and potassium in the autumn. However, once (per month) it is quite acceptable to use a complex fertilizer. Important! Top dressing should be done only in cloudy weather.

Fertilizers must be applied exclusively to moist soil, but all excess water from the flower pan is drained without fail. In the autumn period, the frequency of dressings is gradually reduced, preparing the pomegranate for the dormant period. Most often, it occurs in December-January, when the last flowers have bloomed and all the fruits on the plant are fully ripe.

Dormant period

You can easily find out about its onset, since at this moment the plant begins to shed its leaves. As we said, during this period, the ambient temperature should be maintained within ten degrees Celsius. Important! As for young pomegranates that have not yet reached the age of three years, then a dormant period is not required for them, but the temperature at this time should still be lowered to about 16 degrees Celsius (as when the fruit is ripening).

Of course, in a city apartment it is far from always possible to create optimal conditions for "hibernation". A simple measure will help to sufficiently reduce the temperature: move the pomegranate pot close to the glass, and then fence it off from the rest of the room with ordinary plastic wrap. Aging for three to four weeks will be sufficient. However, the most optimal results can be achieved by pulling the plant out to the basement for this time.

Pruning procedure

Around February, the pomegranates are taken out of the cold room and, while the buds have not yet blossomed, they are pruned. The plant tolerates this pruning procedure best of all. Most of all small young twigs should be removed. To stimulate branching, it is necessary to prune the branches outside the bud at an acute angle, leaving no more than five internodes on the shoot. Important! When forming a pomegranate (a photo of which is in the article), never forget to leave within six skeletal branches, which form the basis of the entire plant.

If you get carried away with pruning, you can significantly weaken the tree. By the way, it is for the formation of the woody form of pomegranate (including bonsai) that you need to mercilessly remove all the young growth in the pot. When forming branches and pruning, you need to be extremely careful, since the shoots are fragile. Excess shoots formed during the current growing season can also be removed in summer. In this case, it is advisable to close the wound with garden pitch.

How is the transplant performed?

Up to three years, it is necessary to transplant pomegranates annually. After reaching three years, the frequency of the procedure is reduced to once every two to three years. It is preferable to do this in the spring. The transplant itself is simple, as it is done by ordinary transshipment. To do this, you should take soil with the obligatory addition of sand. Of course, it is extremely important to have drainage in the pot.

Despite the developed fibrous system, the pomegranate does not need an exceptionally wide pot. An increase in capacity should be carried out at the rate of two to three centimeters per transplant, no more. By the way, the closer the roots in the pot, the more abundant the flowering of the plant (but do not overdo it!). Here's how to care for your indoor pomegranate.

Propagation of pomegranate seeds

We warn you right away that for the successful cultivation of a plant from seeds, it is extremely important to buy them in specialized stores or from trusted suppliers. However, all growers who grow indoor flowers will tell you about this. A pomegranate grown from normal seed will allow you to enjoy flowering in the first year, and you can taste your own pomegranates in about two to three years.

However, no one forbids trying to grow a tree using seeds from an already ripe fruit. Note that they retain their germination capacity for about six months. You need to choose seeds only from the largest and well-ripened pomegranates. After that, they are cleaned of pulp and dried properly in a warm and dry room. They can be sown in April, to a depth of approximately 0.5 cm. Attention - the pomegranate, the fruit of which appeared on the tree for the first time, is absolutely unsuitable for use for seed purposes, since its seeds may be too weak and will not sprout.

The substrate for this is made from equal parts of sand and peat, after which it is moderately moistened. Germination occurs at a temperature of about 25-27 degrees Celsius, seedling development begins quickly. As soon as two or three true leaves appear, the strongest and healthiest-looking seedlings are distributed in pots with a diameter of about six centimeters. For plants to grow and develop faster, they need warmth and moisture during this period. For better bushiness, they need to be pinched. Here's how to get indoor pomegranate from seeds.

Important! If you buy a pomegranate at the market or in a store, deciding to use its seeds for sowing, then keep in mind that you can expect flowering from it in seven years at best. In addition, the size of such a plant will be too large (two to three meters) for an average city apartment. Recall that indoor pomegranate, the cultivation of which does not cause any particular difficulties, rarely grows even up to a meter.

Propagation by cuttings

Cuttings should be taken from mature and well-bearing plants. In the summer, you need to take those of them that are half numb, and in the winter (in February), respectively, are numb. You need to cut the branches into pieces with five to six buds. The soil for planting is made from equal parts of sand and peat, planting is done at an angle, to a depth of approximately three centimeters. Here is how the cuttings propagation of indoor pomegranate is done.

The cuttings should be covered with a cut plastic bottle or jar, and watered frequently to maintain high humidity in the air and soil, as this is necessary for rooting. It is highly desirable to treat the cuttings before planting with some kind of humic fertilizer, since this measure dramatically increases the likelihood of successful rooting. After about two or three months, young plants can already be planted in separate pots. The buds may appear already in the first year, but the first two seasons they should be cut off, since the plant has not yet fully matured for full flowering.

In a word, pomegranate is a must-have plant for every lover of flora!

Even at home today you can grow pomegranates, the dwarf form of which I really like. The tree develops well in indoor conditions, caring for it is not difficult, although it has its own characteristics. If you follow all the recommendations, you will be able to grow a lush, beautiful plant that will decorate your home.

In nature, pomegranate grows up to 10 m in height, at home its height varies between 30-100 cm, so it is easy to grow it in an ordinary apartment or a country house.

Among the plant varieties, the most popular are:

• "Dwarf Carthage" up to a meter high;
• miniature baby, it grows up to 30-50 cm in height.

The shoots of the tree are covered with oval glossy foliage. During the flowering period, which lasts from April-May to August, the eyes are delighted with bright red pomegranate flowers up to 4 cm in length and 2-3 cm in diameter. They have the shape of a bell or a jug and are distinguished by self-pollination.

In the autumn, small, round fruits up to 5 cm in diameter are formed, the shade of which can be either light orange or maroon. Fruits with a tough, thin skin are sour taste, contain many small scarlet grains with seeds.

Landing preparation

Indoor pomegranate is grown by planting seeds of a house plant. Before sowing them, you need to prepare the soil.

To plant them, you will need a neutral, fertile, loose soil. A store-bought composition for roses or begonias is suitable.

You can make the mixture yourself, using for this in equal proportions:

1. sand;
2. humus;
3. turf and leafy land.

Drainage is laid at the bottom of a wide, shallow pot, which is used as pebbles or expanded clay.

Landing

To grow dwarf pomegranates, take hard, cream-colored seeds. They are washed, kept in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 12 hours, and dried. The seeds can be stored and used for up to 6 months.

Planting is carried out in the spring, then the seeds will sprout quickly. If you do this at a different time, the process will be delayed.

The seeds are sown in the soil prepared in advance, deepening by 1 cm, covered with a film and waiting for shoots. They appear within 2 weeks under the following conditions:

• good lighting;
• indoor air temperature 25-27 degrees;
• moistened soil.

After the appearance of the first leaves, the seedlings are picked into separate pots. When the tree reaches 10-15 cm in height, the shoots are pinched so that they bush better.

Reproduction

At home, pomegranates are propagated by cuttings and grafting.

Propagation by cuttings

This is the best method, because the cuttings root and take root without any problems, while retaining the properties of the mother bush.

To propagate a pomegranate, you need to cut off its young shoots, which begin to grow stiff, with 4-5 live buds. You can carry out this procedure:

• in the spring;
• summer.

Cuttings take root faster in this case.

Cut shoots are soaked using a rhizome growth promoter. The lower part of the cuttings is cleaned of buds, stuck into the prepared soil. Planting is carried out at an angle, deepening the shoots by 3-4 cm.

When the rooting process is completed, new shoots appear. When this moment comes, each seedling is planted in a separate container.

Reproduction by grafting

This is an efficient, albeit time-consuming, process. Any young indoor pomegranate is used for the stock. You will also need cuttings from a varietal, healthy, fruiting tree.

Any grafting method can be used, for example:

1. in a lateral section;
2. into cleavage.

Care features

After planting or propagating a pomegranate tree at home, he needs to provide quality care.

A place

A pot with a dwarf pomegranate is placed on the windowsill. If there is a lot of light, it will do:

1. southern;
2. eastern;
3. west side.

On cloudy days, a dwarf pomegranate is provided with a phytolamp illumination.

Lighting

The pomegranate tree loves bright lighting, without which it begins to shed foliage.

In summer, you can take the plant out to the balcony, in a private house - to the street. The first days he needs adaptation, keep it in direct sunlight a little, gradually increasing the duration.

Temperature

For the growing season, which lasts from spring to autumn, the plant requires an air temperature of 24-26 degrees. For the rest period, it is reduced to 12 degrees. Rest lasts 1-2 months, its duration affects the subsequent flowering and fruiting.

If there is no way to reduce the temperature in the room, then a number of conditions must be met:

• reduce the number of waterings;
• place a grenade in a dark place;
• remove foliage from the tree.

Watering

The pomegranate tree needs a lot of water. It is watered as the soil dries.

It is necessary to ensure that there is no excess moisture, otherwise the plant will get sick. For the wintering period, the soil should not be allowed to dry out.

Humidity

To maintain the desired level of humidity, spraying must be carried out. They are performed by:

1. once a day during a hot period;
2. in warm weather - 2 times a week.

These treatments improve the appearance of the plant. For the rest period, spraying is stopped.

Top dressing

A decorative pomegranate definitely needs feeding. It is carried out twice a month during the warm period. In this case, they use:

• in the spring - nitrogenous compounds;
• during the flowering period - mixtures with a phosphorus content;
• in the fall - potassium-containing fertilizers.

A complex mineral composition is also required once a month. In the fall, feeding is performed less often, completely stopping it from December to the onset of spring.

Pruning

To form a beautiful bush, its good development, the pomegranate tree is pruned. Forming is carried out in 4-6 main shoots. Thin stems are cut in such a way that each has 5-6 buds for foliage, and a cut is made above the uppermost one.

In summer, only young shoots are pruned. This stimulates more lush flowering.

You should not get carried away with the process so as not to lose a lot of crown. This will weaken the tree.

Transfer

Young plants that have not yet reached the maximum possible height are transplanted every year. In this case, each time the size of the pot increases, taking into account the volume of the rhizome.

Mature trees are transplanted every 3 years by transshipment. This will minimize the impact on the root system.

Indoor pomegranate does not need special care, and in terms of decorativeness and beauty it will surpass many plants, becoming an adornment of the home garden.

Pomegranate (Punica), also called Pomegranate, is a plant of the Lythraceae family. The generic name punica in Latin indicates the area of ​​original growth in the Greek territories of Carthage (modern Tunisia). The Russian name comes from another word granatus, which means "grainy" in Latin.

The pomegranate grows in natural conditions in the form of an abundantly branching woody plant. Its thin, short, uneven, angular shoots are covered with light brown and slightly grayish bark. Small leaves, having an opposite arrangement, are collected in several pieces in whorls. The leaves are slightly wavy with smooth edges. The shape can vary from elliptical to lanceolate. The top of the sheet is glossy and the bottom is matte.

During the flowering period of the pomegranate, funnel-shaped scarlet flowers on short pedicels appear on it. Most often they are solitary, but can be collected in small inflorescences. Fruits can appear only on those flowers, the shape of which resembles a jug. Bell-shaped flowers are sterile. The pomegranate blooms in its natural environment all year round; the plant can simultaneously have flowers and ripe fruits.

Types, varieties of pomegranate and their photos

The Derbennikov family includes only two types of deciduous trees and small shrubs.

The most suitable for growing at home is the common pomegranate.(Punica granatum). Naturally, the pomegranate tree grows in Southern Europe and Western Asia. It is a small tree up to 5-10 m in height, with green foliage and scarlet flowers. Ball-shaped fruits reach 8 to 18 cm in diameter.

Breeders have bred a large number of different garden forms and varieties, which differ in the taste of the fruit and the degree of their abundance.

Photo. Indoor pomegranate

Another form of Common Pomegranate, which is a natural species, is widespread in indoor floriculture - this is the Pomegranate (Punica nana). It is small in size, no more than a meter, subject to regular pruning, it can be up to 30 cm high. It has small leaves and can bear fruit. Indoor pomegranate fruits do not exceed three centimeters in diameter. The seeds of this potted plant are sold in the shop under the general name "Dwarf Pomegranate" or Punica granatum "NANA".

Important: Two varieties of dwarf pomegranate seeds are suitable for indoor cultivation: "Carthage", "Baby".

Some varieties of the original species, suitable for growing at home, but exceeding the size of the dwarf species, are less common among florists:

• « Flore pleno»- the plant comes from Persia, has an exclusively decorative function, does not bear fruit. The size of the shrub reaches a height of 3-4 m. Terry bright red flowers resemble a carnation in shape;
• « Flore pleno alba"- similar to the previous species, but its flowers are white;
• « Double flower"- another type of terry pomegranate, which has multi-colored flowers, where in one inflorescence there are simultaneously petals of red, white, pink flowers, can be one-color, have stripes or specks.

In the natural environment, there is another known - the second - type of plant, this is the Socotran Pomegranate (Punica protopunica). Its homeland is the island of Socotra. It is a tree or shrub with abundant branching. It can reach a height of 4.5 meters. It differs in smaller flowers, they are not red, but pink in color, smaller fruits and rounded leaves. This species was not accepted by gardeners due to its inferior taste.

Caring for a pomegranate at home

Among the huge variety of plant species for home cultivation, dwarf pomegranate is the most unpretentious exotic specimen... It perfectly takes root in pots or containers placed in a conservatory, greenhouse, or just on a windowsill.

Note: The dwarf pomegranate was awarded an Honorary Diploma of the Royal Horticultural Society of Great Britain for its exceptional decorative properties

In order for this beautiful plant, the decorative properties of which were highly appreciated and recognized, to become a real decoration of the interior, you need to know how to properly care for it.

Required lighting and temperature

Despite the fact that the pomegranate is not particularly picky about the conditions of detention, however, there are a number of rules that should not be violated.

The main requirement for proper plant maintenance is a high level of illumination. In order for flowering and fruiting to be abundant, it is best to provide the plant with direct exposure to sunlight. It feels great in the fresh air, so it can be transplanted into the garden.

In indoor conditions, it is best to place the pot on a south, west or east well-lit window.... North windows should be avoided. On gloomy and cloudy days, turn on an additional phyto-backlight.

Indoor grenade requires a high level of lighting

You can shade the young seedlings of the plant a little at noon when the sun is too bright. In the summer, you can put the flower on the balcony, where it will have enough light and air.

In the winter season, with a lack of illumination, pomegranates can begin to partially shed their foliage. You can help him if you put powerful phytolamps, providing daylight hours for at least 12 hours. Under this condition, the flowering and fruiting of the plant will continue in winter.

Despite the fact that in the historical homeland of the pomegranate, the air temperature is usually quite high, for indoor species a moderate summer heating of the air within 20-25 degrees is quite suitable. The plant does not like hot or stuffy air and can lose leaves. At the same time, growth slows down noticeably. In this case, cool sprays or moving the pot to cooler conditions, such as a balcony, will help.

Often there is an opinion among florists about the presence of a pronounced dormant period in a flower, which lasts from November to March. On this basis, you can find recommendations to place the pomegranate at this time of the year in a cooler place.

However, based on practical experience, it should be noted that if the flower is left in winter at normal room temperature, there is no decrease in flowering intensity. Also, the content in the heat will not have a negative impact and will not affect the formation of flower buds in any way.

Necessary watering and air humidity

Good conditions for keeping a pomegranate include knowing the rules for watering it.

• In the winter season, the flower should be watered extremely rarely, no more than once every one and a half or even two months.
• A gradual increase in watering begins in February, it should saturate the entire soil in the pot with moisture. Each subsequent watering begins after the top layer has dried.
• Slightly reduce watering during the flowering period. This is exactly what happens in natural conditions, where the pomegranate blooms in the hottest and driest season.

Important: Both a lack and an excess of moisture can lead to a sharp loss of all buds by the flower at once.

• If the weather is hot, and the room is clearly stuffy, it is necessary to spray the indoor pomegranate with cool water. But this is not necessary if the air in the room is not very hot.
• Immediately after the end of flowering, pomegranates require abundant watering, this will ensure the formation of a large number of flowers next year.
• If the task is to grow pomegranate fruits, then in the autumn period watering is carried out with great care. Excess moisture leads to cracking of the fruit.

Requirement for soil and fertilizer for indoor pomegranate

The soil for the indoor pomegranate must be loose

Despite the fact that the natural conditions for the growth of pomegranate are distinguished by the scarcity and dryness of the soil, more comfortable conditions should be provided to breed the decorative species.

To grow dwarf pomegranates, the soil must be sufficiently loose, nutritious, with rich drainage and a neutral reaction. A suitable mixture is not difficult to prepare yourself. To do this, you can take a number of components in one part: sod, humus, leafy soil and coarse river sand. Ready-made soil recommended for roses and begonias is also suitable. The drainage layer is formed from pebbles or expanded clay, they will help remove excess water that may arise after too much watering.

If there is any doubt that the reaction of the earthen mixture is really neutral, you can prepare the soil according to the following recipe:

Take the components in the following proportions and ratios:

1. Option

• sod land - 50%;
• leaf humus - 25%;
• peat - 12%.
• sand - 13%.

Option 2

• sand - 50%;
• loam - 25%;
• peat - 25%.

3.Variant

• clay-sod land - 100%;
• leaf land - 50%;
• humus - 50%;
• sand - 50%.

Young indoor pomegranate plants take root well in leafy and humus soil.

Young plants take root best in turf, humus, leafy soil mixed with sand.

It is necessary to feed the plant twice a month, but not more often. In spring, any kind of nitrogen fertilizer is suitable. During flowering, phosphorus fertilizer is used. Gradually, with the approach of the autumn period, they switch to potassium fertilizers.

Complex fertilization will have a good effect once a month. It should also be added if cloudy weather persists for a long time.

Fertilize the soil that is sufficiently moist. A dry earthen lump must first be watered, while draining excess water from the pan.

In autumn, along with a decrease in temperature and a decrease in watering, the amount of dressings is reduced. The beginning of the period that does not require feeding begins in December.

Pruning, is it necessary to transplant pomegranates after purchase, transplant

Pomegranate pruning begins during the period of bud formation on the plant. This usually occurs in February. The pot is transferred from a cooled room to a warm one and the pruning of dry twigs begins, on which there are no extra shoots and no foliage has appeared.

Usually pruning has a beneficial effect on the plant.... In this case, most of the small branches that have appeared are cut off.

Stimulation of branching will be facilitated by pruning carried out over the bud of the young shoot, looking outward. No more than five internodes are left on this shoot.

Important: During the molding of the pomegranate, you need to leave from four to six skeletal branches

Heavy pruning can weaken the plant. Trimming the root of the pomegranate will help shape the plant into a tree, for example, if you want bonsai. Fragile branches should be handled with care, not broken off.

Sometimes the extra shoots that appear are cut off in the summer, when the plant grows. Pruning promotes more buds, which usually only develop on well-developed annual shoots.

Young plants need to be replanted annually. Pomegranates older than three years old are transplanted only once every two or three years. The most favorable time is spring. The transplant is carried out by the transshipment method. The seedlings are planted in sod soil, to which sand is added and drainage is required.

Increase the size of the pot during each transplant., while each subsequent diameter should exceed the previous one by 2-3 cm, but no more. Although the root system of the dwarf pomegranate is a surface type, you should not choose a pot that is too wide, because flowering is more abundant when the roots are slightly crowded.

Propagation of indoor pomegranate seeds and cuttings

Indoor pomegranate can be propagated in two ways.

Pomegranate propagation is carried out in two ways: by seeds and cuttings.

To get a pomegranate from seeds, you need to take ready-made ones, bought in a specialized store. In this case, flowering will begin in the year of planting, and fruiting in a year or two.

The seeds of a fresh fruit growing dwarf pomegranate are also suitable. Their germination capacity lasts up to six months. The seeds of the largest and most ripe fruits will do. They are washed from the pulp and dried. You can sow them in April, putting them in the ground no deeper than half a centimeter. Seed growth occurs quickly enough and then the strongest of the seedlings are planted in pots. Provides warmth and good watering when grown. You can pinch it several times.

Cuttings can also be taken from fruiting plants. In the summer, take semi-lignified shoots, and in February - lignified shoots. They are cut, leaving 4-6 buds on each and planted in moistened soil at an angle. Each stalk is covered with a bottle or jar, left in a humid environment. Requires daily airing, spraying and watering. Cuttings are planted after 2-3 months. Bloom will come in a year or two.

Diseases and pests

Indoor pomegranate is susceptible to the scabbard pest, phytoverm is used to fight.

A dwarf pomegranate growing indoors is susceptible to disease. The most common indoor pomegranate diseases are powdery mildew, whitefly, scale insect... If pests are few, you can pick them up by hand. With significant reproduction, chemical preparations are used, fitoverm is suitable.

In a too dry room, spider mites may appear. To prevent it, you need to spray. The plant is treated with Actellik, covering the ground with polyethylene for a while.

The pomegranate can hurt if you water it too much. At the same time, his leaves turn yellow. In this case, it is transplanted into dry soil, the rotten roots are cut off, and they are sprinkled with crushed coal.

Dormant period

When breeding at home, you can often see the flower shed its leaves at the end of November. This occurs after the ripening of its fruits. It is for this reason that many gardeners believe that then there is a dormant period when the plant needs to be kept in cooler conditions.

As a rule, young plants that have not reached the age of three years do not need special air cooling, they do not need rest.

Growing an indoor pomegranate is not particularly difficult. Subject to the basic rules of care, this delightful exotic plant will delight the eye with bright colors and even fruits.

Indoor pomegranate, not very often found among amateur flower growers, especially beginners. The point is not even that on sale it, for a completely incomprehensible reason, is extremely rare. Many novice flower growers consider pomegranate to be a capricious and difficult plant to care for. They put it on a par with home exotics - or. But this is absolutely not the case!

Indoor pomegranate is a very simple, unpretentious plant and caring for it at home is simple. No harder than growing or. You only need to know a few basic nuances of its content.

How to care for indoor pomegranate

Lighting

You shouldn't have much trouble with placement and lighting for a room grenade. Give him as much light as possible and he will be quite happy. If the sun's rays fall on him, then in reasonable doses they are even useful to him. But it is reasonable, if in the summer a large amount of the midday burning sun gets to the place where your pomegranate stands, then at this time it is better to protect the plant from it. Actually, in the summer, the indoor grenade is not in a stuffy room, but in the fresh air.

Temperature

As already mentioned above, in the summer it is advisable to keep indoor pomegranates on the street (balcony, front garden, at an open window, finally). At this time, the temperature for this indoor plant is not particularly important. He will easily transfer even very essential ones. But this is during the warm season. In winter, the indoor pomegranate goes to winter rest. It is in this peace that some danger lurks. And it's not about the temperature of the content, which is desirable low (optimally + 10-12 degrees). But this is the recommended winter temperature. In fact, pomegranate can withstand both lower (but not negative!) And higher temperatures. The danger lies elsewhere. The name of this phenomenon is ignorance!

Note! The pomegranate is a deciduous plant, which means that it drops foliage for the winter. This is a normal natural phenomenon! , without foliage, pomegranate looks very unattractive and looks like a dead tree.

But there are such growers who successfully grow unpretentious ones, and even when faced with massive fall of pomegranate foliage in late autumn - early winter, they begin to panic and urgently "treat" it. Of course, none of this is possible, the plant is recorded as dried up, hopelessly lost and sent to the trash. This, alas, is not an unfounded horror story. I know of more than one such cases. It was from such grief - flower growers that the fame of the capriciousness of the indoor pomegranate went.

Watering and humidity

Forming and pruning a bush

Indoor pomegranate forms beautifully. Here it can be compared with, and. The bush can be shaped into almost any shape. It is an excellent plant for making bonsai. But young shoots grow quite quickly, so the young pomegranate should be given more attention and periodically pinched the shoots for better branching. Planned trimming of indoor pomegranate is most convenient to do in the fall, when the leaves are just beginning to fall and in the spring, with the appearance of new ones. In addition to formative pruning, hygienic pruning is also required. They are usually combined. During such pruning, all dry, fattening branches growing in the middle of the bush are removed.

This pomegranate was grown from grain in the same year. He is less than 8 months old. As you can see, it is already going to bloom.

How to propagate indoor pomegranate

This can be done in two ways - by seeds and cuttings. The second method is very unreliable and time consuming. To obtain a positive result, it is better to plant several young, semi-lignified cuttings for rooting and cover them with a transparent cap to create greenhouse conditions.

The reproduction of indoor pomegranate by seeds is somewhat easier. But it must be borne in mind that the seeds must be well ripened and fresh.

Advice. You need to plant only seeds in a soft shell! That is, grains with pulp, not dry bones. In this case, their germination capacity increases many times over.

Previously, it is advisable to keep the seeds of indoor pomegranate for 6-8 hours in a solution of any root formation stimulant or aloe juice. You can plant grains both in clean peat and a mixture of peat with coarse sand or. Further, everything is as it is. The container with seeds is covered with foil or glass. With the emergence of seedlings, the cover is removed, and the container is transferred to a well-lit place. When the seedlings grow enough (up to about 4-5 cm), they can be planted. Young pomegranates grow very quickly. According to "science", indoor pomegranate can bloom in the second year of life. But with early spring sowing and proper care, this can happen in the same year, as evidenced by the photo above.

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