Punica GRANATUM

Punica GRANATUM - Pomegranate, Common pomegranate, Punica granatum, Pomegranate tree.

Can be grown as a bonsai!

Pomegranate is a very small genus in the family Lythraceae, comprising only two species. Previously, it was segregated into a separate family Punicaceae, and this name is still found in literature. One species is endemic to Socotra island, while the second, common pomegranate, originates from the region from Iran to northern India and is cultivated throughout the warm zone of the planet.

The plants are deciduous or evergreen, shrubs and small trees up to 5-10 m (16-33 ft). Shoots are erect, branching abundantly, often ending in thorns. The bark is grayish-brown. Leaves are opposite, sessile, leathery, lanceolate or oval, glossy.

The flowers are solitary, large, bright red, funnel-shaped, with a fleshy calyx. They are of two types: with a short style - sterile, producing no fruit, and with a long one - fertile. The fruit is a balausta: a special type of berry-like fruit with a leathery pericarp and numerous seeds, each surrounded by a juicy edible casing.

Common pomegranate is a deciduous, rarely evergreen shrub or small tree, in culture usually up to 5 m (16 ft), in nature up to 10 m (33 ft). The species originates from Iran to northern India, but is grown widely in the Mediterranean, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and both Americas.

Flowering is prolonged and highly ornamental. Cultivars differ not only in fruit taste and size, but also in flower color and form: there are double forms, white-flowered forms, and dwarf forms bred specifically for container culture. It is dwarf forms that have become the classic flowering bonsai.

Pomegranate seeds are angular, dense, light-colored, surrounded by a juicy sarcotesta that must be completely removed and the seeds washed before sowing: pulp residue causes mold. Stratification is not required, but a month of cold treatment at 4-6 °C (39-43 °F) noticeably increases germination. Scarification is not needed.

Seeds are soaked for 1-2 hours in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, then soaked for 12-24 hours in warm water with the addition of a growth stimulant: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminosol, Epin, or Zircon. They are then sown into a loose substrate with added sand to a depth of about 1 cm (0.4 in), moistened from a spray bottle, covered with film or placed in a propagator, and germinated in the light at a temperature of 22-26 °C (72-79 °F).

Under favorable conditions, the first seedlings appear within 2 weeks, main germination is completed within a month, and individual seeds may delay longer. Sowings are ventilated regularly; waterlogging and drying out are impermissible. Pricking out is carried out after the formation of 2-3 true leaves, into individual pots. Seedlings do not replicate the cultivar of the parent plant, but bloom quite early - in the third or fourth year.

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In summer it is best to keep the plant outdoors, in a bright or semi-shaded spot: outdoors the likelihood of profuse flowering is much higher than indoors.

In winter pomegranate needs a cool room, but without sub-zero temperatures. It overwinters best in a cold bright room at 5-10 °C (41-50 °F), during which leaves may drop entirely or partially. If overwintering occurs warmer than 15 °C (59 °F), the plant must be misted frequently.

In summer watering is regular, as the top layer of the substrate dries out. In winter under cool conditions watering is sharply reduced, but the root ball is not allowed to dry out completely.

The substrate is composed of clay granulate, coarse sand, and nutrient soil in a 2:1:1 ratio. Drainage must be placed at the bottom of the pot.

Fertilizer is applied from spring to late summer, every two weeks, with a balanced fertilizer for fruiting or ornamental flowering plants. Fertilizers are not applied during dormancy.

Repotting is carried out in spring, before growth begins. Pomegranate tolerates pruning excellently: it is performed in spring, shortening shoots and shaping the canopy. In addition to seeds, the plant is propagated by cuttings.