Buying a marvelous fruit in the store, few people wonder how and where, pomegranate grows in nature and at home. The fruit evokes associations with the hot and sunny south, and the fruits are bright red and scarlet in color similar to fire, which gives heat in severe winter time and reminds of the enchanting colors of summer.
A bit of history
In antiquity, pomegranate grains attracted many people. In Rome, thanks to grains, the fruit was called malumgranatum, which means “granular apple” in Latin, hence the Russian name - pomegranate.
In the era of the great pharaohs of Egypt, pomegranates grew in Carthage (modern territory of Tunisia). Therefore, the Romans called the fruit punicus or malumpunicum - Punic (Carthaginian) or "Punic apple".
It is reliably known that in 825 BC, the Phoenicians founded Carthage, and before that they lived on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea (the modern coastline of Syria and Lebanon). From these places they brought pomegranate seedlings. Carthage was one of the most prosperous trading cities, which greatly affected the Romans, and when they took possession of Carthage, literally wiping it from the face of the earth, only grenade survived.
Pomegranate was revered and considered the “king” of fruits, because it even externally differed among other fruits, since sepals resembled the shape of a crown. It is believed that they became the prototype of the king’s main headdress.
One can only guess what difficulties the inhabitants of North Africa had to grow a marvelous fruit under the merciless African sun. Pomegranates grow in the tropics and subtropics, it is very convenient to cultivate them in places where the climate is hot and dry.
Currently, pomegranate grows in abundance in the Crimea, in the south of the Krasnodar Territory, in the hot regions of the North Caucasus. What is characteristic, it is still found in the wild today, for example, in Transcaucasia. Here it can be seen in small undergrowths of pine or oak, on rocky slopes and salt marshes. It is cultivated in Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, the Mediterranean.
Useful qualities and properties of pomegranate
Pomegranate flowers are used in the textile industry. They contain a large number of organic dyes, which dye fabrics.
Useful properties of pomegranate invaluable, the berries contain vitamins, minerals, minerals. The juice contains sugar and glucose, about 10% acids, in a large amount of tannins.
Pomegranate fruit quench thirststimulate appetite, strengthen the immune system and the walls of blood vessels, improve blood formation. Pomegranate juice is recommended for heart diseases, it normalizes blood pressure, cleanses the liver, and helps fight depression. Juice is recommended for diabetes. If it is consumed daily in a small amount, blood sugar will decrease already on the fourth day.
The peel tastes bitter, but it acts as a good fixing agent for indigestion, and a decoction of the peel is an excellent anti-inflammatory agent for gargling.
The jumpers that separate the pomegranate seeds are dried and added to tea, which helps to get rid of insomnia, relieves anxiety and arousal. Bones stimulate the intestines and are a source of valuable pomegranate oil, which are rich in vitamins F and E, protecting the body from cancer and promoting rejuvenation.
In cooking, mainly in the Caucasus, condensed or boiled pomegranate juice is used as a seasoning for a variety of dishes.Whether meat or a vegetable dish, the taste will be unique.
Growing pomegranate in nature
Pomegranate loves bright light and requires lighting without a shadow. If he feels a lack of lighting, he will not bloom. To ripen the fruit requires a long and hot summer, and not very cold and short winter, as the plant withstands temperatures of at least -12 degrees.
Pomegranate is bred with grains, cuttings, layering and grafting on seedlings. It is troublesome, difficult and long to grow from grains. The best option is to purchase a finished seedling and then cultivate it. The seedling is planted in a place with maximum access to sunlight. Water the plant 2-3 times a week in the first month after planting, then watering is reduced to 1 time per week.
Fruiting pomegranate depends on the seedling. If the cuttings or layering, the harvest will have to wait 6-7 years, and if the seedling is strong, the first fruits will appear in the third year after planting. The plant reaches maximum fruiting by 8-10 years.
A tree lives on average 50-70 years, but there are individual bushes-centenarians. Pomegranates grow in the parks of Paris, which bear fruit for more than 200 years, and in Azerbaijan - more than 100 years. There are rare specimens that are almost 3 centuries old.
Pomegranate is so unpretentious that it grows in almost any soil. Amazingly grows on clay and acidic soil when warm and sunny. Belongs to the family of shrubs and grows up to 6 meters in height.
If we talk about industrial plantings of culture, the soil is prepared in the classical way - firstly annual plants that are specially grown as organic fertilizer are scented, this is called siderata. Then fertilizers are applied, manure is added, special plows carry out deep tillage (planting), pits are drilled before planting and planted. It turns out a nursery for pomegranates. Purchased seedlings from such nurseries take root well at home.
We grow pomegranate in the country
Pomegranate can also be grown in the country, if the land is fertile. They dig a hole 60x60x60cm in size, on the bottom of which the top layer of soil is laid, since it is more fertile, put a seedling, bury it and water it.
If the soil is heavy, clayey, with poor oxygen saturation, it is advisable to add river sand, and if the soil is sandy - fertile soil. When planting, fertilizing, manure or humus should not be introduced into the pit, in any case, this should be done no later than 3 months before planting.
Saplings buried centimeters 10 lower than they grew in the nursery. This is done so that an additional root system is formed, and the plants take root better. It is better to arrange the seedlings at an angle of 45 degrees in the direction of the row, which in the future will make it easy to cover the bushes for the winter.
- After planting, carefully compact and flood the soil around the seedling to avoid the formation of voids.
- After 1 day, water and mulch the soil again with leaves or dark sawdust (half rotted).
- Water the seedlings at least 1 time per week. Feeding in a foliar way with a crystal according to the sheet, in May and June. For 10 liters of water (bucket) - 15-20 grams of fertilizer is enough for 10 acres.
- Kristallon well stimulates the growth and flowering of plants, is very economically advantageous and environmentally friendly.
- Periodically cultivate the soil, removing weeds.
Shelter pomegranate in November. The bushes are tilted, tied to stakes that will stand constantly, they are shoveling with earth with a shovel, which is located between the rows. Believe me, all this will be rewarded a hundredfold when in summer the bushes will be fragrant with a floral aroma, and in winter when you will celebrate the New Year, You can treat guests with their own fruits of pomegranate!
How to grow pomegranate at home
Among plant growers, lovers of home crops, dwarf pomegranate is the most popular, which begins to bloom in the second year of life.
- For planting dwarf pomegranate, a small but wide vessel is suitable, since the plant has a developed surface root system. The soil is slightly acidic.
- Pomegranate is easy to grow even on the windowsill, if there is a lot of heat and sunlight.
- The flowers are very beautifully located almost over the entire crown, but only at home there are not so many, and the fruits of dwarf pomegranate are small, 5-6 cm.
Not everyone can boast a pomegranate tree on the windowsill, which will complement curtains and decorate the interior.
Crohn's plants form 2 times a year, in spring and autumn. Autumn pruning is more thorough than spring pruning. Also monitor the state of moisture, the soil should be moist. In the summer, the pot is taken out onto a balcony or a loggia, and with the onset of cold weather they are put into a cool room (at this time the leaves fall off). The optimum temperature for wintering is about 15 degrees. Top dressing in the winter is not required. Since the bush "sleeps", watering is limited, but the soil does not dry out. In the spring, as soon as young leaves appear, top dressing is resumed.
How to grow pomegranate from seed
The question of how to grow pomegranate from seed is of interest to many. The answer of gardeners is always unequivocal: it is possible, only the process is long and difficult. From cuttings to grow a plant easier.
- Pomegranate cleanse quickly. Ideal if you can get the fruit of a tree grown at home, since practically nothing is obtained from the ones bought.
- Take out the grains (when planting, grains are used, not gnawed bones) and dry. Usually enough days.
- Grains are soaked in milk or water (for better germination). Some use special growth stimulants.
The options for planting from grains at home are diverse. Some people think that grains should not be soaked, especially in milk. When the grains are prepared for planting, we sow in the soil, previously loosened and moistened. Some use prepared soil for flowers or seedlings.
After disembarkation, the dishes are covered with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect and placed in a warm, but not bright place. It will take about a week to wait. When shoots appear, remove the film, and transfer the plant to a place where direct sunlight. It’s easy to take care of the pomegranate, the main thing is to water, feed on time, periodically remove excess shoots and form a crown.
If you want pomegranate to bear fruit, do not plant in a spacious pot. Pick up a container that exactly matches the size of the earthen coma. This is another feature of dwarf pomegranate, the closer the dishes, the more fruitful pitchers.
Any amateur gardener who grows pomegranates in the garden is worthy of respect, and if the plant is cultivated at home, it will turn out a real exotic. Having collected the fruits, you can make a delicious biscuit or squeeze the juice.
