Ruud Kleinpaste: Growing Pomegranates

Growing Pomegranates is not a very popular gardening subject in New Zealand, yet, once you get into it you might be surprised what the shrub looks like and how the fruits taste when fully grown and mature.  Punica granatum is the one with red flowers that hails from the Mediterrané and Tropical and Sub-Tropical regions.  The Socotran Pomegranate hails from the Socotra Island (Yemen) and has pink flowers but less sweet fruit when it ripens.  My research tells me they grow well in warm regions, but I saw them growing well in Canterbury too, as long as the frosts aren’t too extreme.  Plant in winter…  Generally speaking, plant in a sunny spot (regular sun-light for most of the day) with a large area of well drained fertile soil of good depth (50 cm deep is a good start). Regular watering (not over-watering!) is appreciated and will allow the plant to move upwards.  Citrus fertiliser (with a decent amount of Potash in the N-P-K ration) is a great boost from springtime till autumn. Every two weeks or so will help the plant nicely.  From spring till autumn the flowers, followed by developing fruit, will absorb the food.  There are dwarf varieties (“Nana”) that are suitable to plant in large pots – they can grow to a meter long.  Often it takes three years for a plant to become habitual growers of bright-red flowers, followed by the red fruit. In some warm conditions (Northland, Auckland, coastal Hawke’s Bay, etc) the Pomegranates might take two (sometimes three) years to start delivering the fruit.  In summer, the flowers fade a bit towards an orangey look – pollinating insects will by then have done their job.  Fruit will develop in autumn or slightly later. A regular but light pruning after harvest will keep the plant in great condition for development in springtime.  Sometimes the plants show growth of “suckers” popping up beside the main trunk – when the plant is grafted, these suckers can also develop below the graft. Suckers are exactly what their name suggests, “useless suckers” that won’t develop any flowers and subsequent fruit for the future – get rid of them!  When the plant gets into the ripening phase, some sap-sucking invertebrates can do some damage: MealyBugs, Aphids, whitefly, and scale insects. Grab a Neem Oil or Conqueror Oil and smack them every fortnight.  Enjoy this fruit! Yes, it can be a bit messy, but hey! Try it out!  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.