How to Grow Pomegranate Tree in Pot

How to Grow Pomegranate Tree in Pot | Growing Pomegranates in Containers

Learn how to grow pomegranate tree in pot. If you’ve grown citrus in pot, growing pomegranates in containers can not be difficult for you. Moreover, pomegranate is more cold hardy and easy to grow.

*Pomegranate is one of the nicest fruit trees and perhaps the easiest to grow in pots because it has shallow root system when compared to other fruit trees.

Pomegranate tree if grown under optimal conditions, live up to 200 years. It is native to Middle East (Iran) and South Asia. It is a shrub or small tree that might grow up to 6 m (20 ft) but usually reduced to 2 m.

Appearance

The exotic container plant is adorned with five to eight centimeters long lance shaped leaves that are shiny and bronze in color from the bud, which later turn green.

Pomegranate flowers are delicate, bell-shaped and show up in the wild bright red. Its flowers are up to 3 centimeters wide. Ornamental varieties can have flowers in pink, cream, and even white.

In addition to the decorative foliage and flowers, it is mainly the fruits that make the pomegranate tree so desirable. They have the size of apples and a yellow-brown to reddish-brown shell. The juicy, red pulp inside the fruit enveloping the countless seeds that tastes aromatic and sweet.

Dwarf Pomegranate Varieties

Fruiting Varieties

‘Nana’ – The most interesting variety among the pomegranates trees is the dwarf variety ‘Nana’. It grows compact, floriferous and is considered robust and cold hardy. As a container plant it grows up to only about 1 m tall, forms orange to garnet red flowers that produce small fruits with viable seeds.

‘Provence’ – When most of the pomegranate varieties are not much cold hardy, provence is one you can look at. It can tolerate temperature down to 5 F (-15 C) and can be grown in cold climate.

‘State fair’ – State fair is manageable variety for containers. It grows up to 1 . 5 m tall and grown in USDA Zones 7 to 11.

Ornamental Varieties

‘Flore Pleno’ – It is fruitless variety of pomegranate, the name translates as “double flower”. In summer, it produces countless beautiful orange-red flowers.

Punica granatum ‘Madame Legrelle’ – A well-known ornamental variety. Special thing about this variety of pomegranate is its extraordinary, dense double flowers that come in shiny orange to salmon colors with white border.

Pomegranate is a manageable plant, you can also try large varieties.

Propagation and Growing Pomegranates in Containers

Pomegranate plants can be propagated by cuttings or by seeds in spring to summer when temperature remains in range of 68 F (20 C) but it is better to buy a 2 – 3 year old plant from nursery or online. This way you don’t have to wait long for fruits.

Propagation by seeds

Buy as ripe pomegranate as possible. Separate and clean seeds from the pulp by rubbing them from paper towel, let them dry up for a few days before sowing.

Plant the seeds no more than ¼ inches deep in light seed-starting mix. Place the pots in a bright location, optionally inside a plastic bag or greenhouse that maintains a temperature around 68 F (20 C). Always keep the soil moist. Seeds will germinate within 1 – 6 weeks depending more on the variety and climate.

Propagation by cuttings

Take several 8 to 10 inch-long cuttings. Plant the cutting in a well drained potting mix. It roots easily and quickly at ambient temperature of 20 degrees Celsius and high humidity.

*If you’re living in tropics, growing pomegranates is extremely easy for you, you can grow pomegranate in any season except peak summer. All other growing requirements given below are similar.

Choosing a pot

Pot should be appropriate to the size of plant, increase the pot size by repotting as your plant grow. Also care about to have sufficient holes in the base of pot you’re using for proper drainage.

Requirements for Growing Pomegranates in Potsgrowing pomegranate trees in pots_mini

If you’ve grown citrus in pot, growing pomegranates in pot can not be difficult for you. Moreover, pomegranate is more cold hardy and easy to grow. It requires a lot of water and fertilizer. It is also frost sensitive but after all of this care it rewards you with iron rich, fresh juicy fruits.

Location

Choose a sunniest location to keep your pomegranate plant happy and healthy. The more sun it will receive, the more it will fruit. However, it also thrives in partial shade but it makes the plant to bloom and fruit lesser. It is also possible to cultivate pomegranate tree near a windowsill if it receives full sun.

Soil

Soil should be loamy, rich in organic content, loose and permeable.

Watering

In the growing period its water requirement is medium to high. Therefore, it should be watered regularly and deeply. Soil must be kept moist but not wet or waterlogged.

In the winter watering should be reduced.

Pomegranate Tree Care

Fertilizer

During the growing season pomegranate tree is fertilized regularly, fertilize after every two week using half strength liquid 8-8-8 fertilizer according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Pomegranate tree in pot often becomes zinc deficient, which is indicated by yellowing leaves. To overcome this, you can spray diluted zinc solution on foliage.

Application of compost or manure is also beneficial. Take care not to over fertilize it as it can cause the tree to produce lots of foliage and comparatively less flowers.

Overwintering Pomegranate

Overwintering pomegranate is similar to citrus. It is a deciduous tree that worships sun. Most of its species are sensitive to frost. But to low temperatures, the plant has developed a protective mechanism.

It sheds its leaves and become dormant below freezing temperature. There are only a few pomegranate tree varieties that survive really freezing temperatures with more than -10 C without damage.

If the pomegranate is cultivated in a pot in a cold climate below it is important to prune it in the fall. Best place to keep pomegranate plant in winter is the garage or basement that remains warm. Temperature while keeping it indoors should not fall below 37 F (3 C). However, the optimum low temperature for most of the pomegranate varieties is 7 C (45 F).

If you’re able to keep your pomegranate tree in temperature around 55 F  (15 C) indoors and allow it to take at least 4 hours of sunlight, it will not shed its leaves and go dormant. During the period of dormancy the pomegranate hardly needs fertilizer or water. However, the plant in winter should not dry out completely.

In spring, bring back the plant to a warm and bright place so that it’ll gradually acclimate the climate. A window that is oriented to South is good. Just when the plant show the first sign of growth and forms a few fully developed leaves, you can again start to fertilize it and give more water. Once the temperature comes in range of 7 C (45 F) place it outside.

Pruning

Pruning is necessary to give and maintain desired shape of your pomegranate tree and encourage flowering and fruiting. Pruning it best done after all danger of frost has passed when the tree is about to start growing.

Prune off weak, dead and undesirable branches to direct tree’s energy to right part and shorten long branches to encourage flowering.

Repotting

Repot your pomegranate tree when it becomes slightly root bound. Right time to repot is when there are no flowers or fruits on the plant, especially when it start its growth in the beginning of growing season.

Diseases, pests and other problemsgrowing pomegranate trees_mini

Pomegranate tree is not very vulnerable when it comes to pests and diseases. It is mostly attacked by fruitflies, whiteflies and pomegranate butterflies.

Fruit crack is one problem that is common in all pomegranate varieties. It occurs due to fluctuation or lack of moisture in substrate at the time of fruiting.

Harvesting

If pomegranate is grown from seeds fruits will begin to form in third year.

Generally the fruit will ripen in three to six months after the appearance of flowers.

Harvest pomegranate when crust of the fruit is of an intense red color. Simply cut the fruit’s stem using sharp pruning shear or knife.

How to Grow Black Pepper Plant

How to Grow Black Pepper Plant | Growing Peppercorn

Learn how to grow black pepper (peppercorn), growing it is difficult but you can try this. Black pepper is the most popular, most expensive and most essential spice of the world that much pricey that it is also called “Black Gold”.

Growing Conditions for Black Pepper

Pepper plant is native to South India, and is extensively cultivated there and other tropical regions like Brazil, Myanmar and Indonesia. Pepper plant is tropical, moreover, it grows mostly in the Southern states of India and these states have very humid climate (almost 90% of pepper cultivation of the world done there). It means black pepper loves extremely humid climates where temperature never falls below 60 F (16 C). It is a vine with beautiful heart-shaped leaves (like betel leaf), it grows on a support from hanging aerial roots and produces small spike like white flowers in summer before setting fruits.

How to Grow Black Pepper Plant

Propagation

Sowing pepper seeds can be done, but only fresh seeds are germinated, seeds are viable for very short period.

To propagate it from seeds fill the container with a quality potting mix that contains a good amount of organic matter. Use your finger to poke three holes, each 1/2 inch deep and about 1 to 1.5 inches apart. Drop a seed in each hole, then cover it with soil. Water the seeds often and keep the soil moist.

Pepper corn can also be propagated from cuttings.

Planting

Mix compost and sand to soil before planting. Make hole in soil and plant the seedlings or plants at the same depth as it was grown in previous pot. Pack the soil firmly around the base of plant to hold it in the right position and water thoroughly.

If planting in pots, use a pot that is large enough as black pepper plants have extensive root system.

Requirements for Growing Black Pepper

Location

While planting pepper plant always remember to choose a location that remains humid and temperature mostly be maintained constantly around 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (24 – 30 C). However, pepper plant can tolerate temperature between 50 F – 104 F (10 – 40 C)

Soil

Black Pepper plants do best in fertile and medium clayey soil that retain slight moisture. Good drainage is always the most essential need while growing black pepper, waterlogged soil can damage the plant. Soil pH level could be anywhere between 5.5 and 7, add lime if the soil is too acidic and sulfur if alkaline.

Sun

Look for dappled shade, a spot that receives daylong filtered sunlight is optimal as the plant can be damaged if exposed to too much direct sunlight. If planting in a sunny area must use a shade cloth that filters the sunlight to at least 50%.

Watering

Be sure to give the pepper plant plenty of water to keep the soil slightly moist always, not allowing the soil to dry out between watering spells.

Black Pepper Plant Care

Humidity

Peppercorn plant loves humidity, the more the better. For this, mist the plant often with soft water. If you’re growing black pepper in pots place them on saucer filled with water, this will also increase the humidity level.

Fertilizer

Apply 10 kg cow manure or compost per year on a mature plant so that the soil remains rich in nutrients. Fertilize it with 10-10-10 slow release fertilizer according to the product’s instruction in the beginning of growing season. Application of epsom salt is also beneficial. *It is best to get your soil tested before fertilizing.

Mulching

Do mulching with organic matter to prevent moisture and weeds.

Harvesting

The black, white or green peppers are actually harvested from a single plant. The color depends on the different degrees of maturation and how the black pepper is processed.

Pepper fruit is harvested before maturity and dried in the hot sun. After drying it becomes wrinkled and black.

Pests and diseases

Most common disease that infect is root rot, which happens due to overwatering. In pests it can be attacked by aphids, slugs and scale insects. Also beware of red spiders during indoor cultivation.