Interesting facts about how pomegranate grows in nature and at home

Pomegranate has been known to mankind since ancient times. He is called the king of fruits not by chance - the fruits contain healthy vitamins and minerals.

It is associated with southern countries, where it grows in natural conditions, but this exotic plant is also grown in Russia, for example, in the Caucasus, in the south of the Krasnodar Territory, in the Sea of ​​Azov. Some gardeners grow them even in the suburbs.

How does it grow in nature and at home?

General description of appearance

Pomegranate fruits grow on low spreading trees or shrubs, the maximum height of which in nature reaches six to seven meters. Garden trees usually grow lower - up to three to four meters. Breeders also bred dwarf varieties for indoor cultivation.

Outwardly, they do not differ from pomegranate trees growing in open ground, but grow no higher than one and a half meters, more often 60-70 centimeters. Several shoots grow from one root, one of which is the main and thicker, so the plant looks like a tree.

The leaves are small, oblong, dense, glossy, grouped in bunches. One side of the sheet is darker than the other. From May to August, orange flowers appear in size from 2 to 5 centimeters, in appearance they resemble bells. The pomegranate tree blooms for a long time, abundantly and looks very impressive at the same time, therefore it is often used as an ornamental plant. The branches are thin, spiky, covered with a light brown bark.

Growth rate

The growth rate depends on the conditions, variety and method of planting. At home, pomegranate can be grown from seeds, but it will take a lot of time and effort. In a year, an escape planted in this way will reach 20-25 centimeters.

Planting with a cuttings speeds up the process twice, but under adverse conditions, growth slows down. In the natural environment, a pomegranate tree begins to bear fruit in the 5-6 year of life.

Garden varieties, under favorable conditions and good care, will please the fruits a little earlier - for 3-4 years, and indoor ones bear fruit in the second year.

How many years live?

In natural conditions, individual long-lived grenades are found, which grow up to 200-300 years. Pomegranate gardens are renewed after 50-60 years, since after that their fertility decreases. Dwarf house plants live even less, but their age greatly depends on the characteristics of care.

Features ripening fruit

How quickly do the fruits ripen?

The peculiarity of pomegranate trees is that the fruits are not tied from each flower (most of them fall). The rate of fruit ripening varies greatly depending on the region of growth, plant variety, conditions. This time is from 170 to 220 days and ripe fruits are harvested from September to November, depending on conditions. It should also be borne in mind that the fruits are not tied at the same time, respectively, and ripening occurs gradually.

How do they look?

The appearance of pomegranate fruits is well known to everyone. They are usually spherical in shape. In botany, this type of fruit is called "pomegranate." The color of the ripened fruit is red-brown, the surface is rough. Inside there are numerous sweet and sour seeds covered with juicy red pulp. Seeds are separated by spongy septa.

In one pomegranate there can be from 200 to 1400 seeds. The diameter of the fetus is about 12 centimeters. How much does one fruit weigh without a peel? Weight can reach 500 g, but only half of this mass is edible, about 250 g per pomegranate. Up to 60 kilograms of fruit are collected from one tree.

Home plants give smaller fruits - from 4 to 6 centimeters. They are more acidic than their southern counterparts.

Photo

In the photo below you can see how the pomegranate grows at home and in the garden.

Favorable conditions for pomegranate

Pomegranate is a southern thermophilic plant, and this must be taken into account when growing it. For planting, you should choose open light areas with fertile soil. In the middle lane, plants growing in open ground must be closed for the winter. To do this, they are even planted at an angle of 45 degrees, so that it is more convenient to insulate. On the contrary, indoor pomegranates should be kept in a cool room in winter.

Pomegranate is a useful and beautiful plant. Despite its subtropical origin, it can be grown even in the middle lane with proper care. Homemade varieties are shorter and will be a wonderful decoration for any room.

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