[Arid_gardener] RE: pomegranate question

Sat May 3 14:16:40 MST 2008

Dear Rosemary - this is a "shot in the dark" idea...

Just how big is your pomegranate? There is a dwarf pomegranate variety
whose fruits are essentially inedible. Is it possible you could have gotten
a dwarf variety? They typically grow no more than about 4-5 feet tall.

    Don Garnett
    Tucson> ----------------------------------------------------------------------> > Message: 1> Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 22:23:04 -0700> From: "Dick" <rkgross3 at cox.net>> Subject: Re: [Arid_gardener] Re: pomegranate tree > To: "Leo M/Rosemary J Abrami" <abrami at cox.net>> Message-ID: <042e01c8ac14$9946b350$1f22e644 at your55e5f9e3d2>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";> reply-type=response> > Rosemary, I can't picture in my mind what might be ailing or retarding your > Pomegranite. As a wild guess, I would surmise that your irrigation is > restricted too close to the center missing the feeder roots that would be > near the drip line. To determine where it is located use a stick to make a > line around the bush defining approximately the outer reach of the foliage. > Make that line the center of a shallow trench a foot to two feet wide. > Adjust the hose flow to maintain a shallow head of water in the trench for > as long as it takes to soak to a depth of about three feet deep. To check > depth, make a probe with a 4 foot length of 1/4th brass rod from the > hardware. Put a dull point on one end and mount the other on a piece of old > broom handle. When you can sink the probe to its hilt several places around > the basin, shut the water off. Don't irrigate again until you can scratch > three inches in the basin and find dry soil. As your tree grows you must, of > course move the trench outward to approximately keep up with it. I have > thirty eight year old citrus trees that have never had a drop of water > inside that trench unless it rained, but you must, I believe, flush irrigate > to a depth of at least 36 inches to disolve salts from the feeder root zone. > Use 21-0-0 in the same trench.> > If this creates more questions than it answers, Rosemary, don't hesitate to > inquire further.> > Dick Gross, Master Gardener Volunteer> U of A Maricopa County Cooperative Extension.> Bcc: Arid Gardener,> > From: "Leo M/Rosemary J Abrami" <abrami at cox.net>> To: "Dick" <rkgross3 at cox.net>> Cc: "Olin Miller" <>; <>> Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 8:21 AM> Subject: Re: [Arid_gardener] Re: pomegranate tree> > > > Thanks for all this advice.> > We bought the plant from a nursery and I haven't a clue what variety it > > is - maybe I can backtrack and ask them what they sold us.> > Last year we left the fruits on for aaaaages, hoping they would turn red, > > so I don't think that was the problem. I suspect that the one red fruit > > we got was from the stock and the rest may be from the graft - is this > > possible?> > Don't know how to handle the watering situation. As I said, the bubbler > > frequency is controlled by the condo association system and, besides > > which, the pomegranate is surrounded by other plants (including my > > thriving herb garden) that need water. Will have to think about that...> > Our whole garden is 24' x18' with a paved patio in the middle and a path > > on two sides so there's really very little room. Despite this we have > > four trees: lemon, apricot, fig, pomegranate; salvia, vinca, nasturtiums, > > sunflowers, assorted native bulbs, papyrus, passionflower vine, morning > > glories, aforesaid herb garden and whatever I put into pots for seasonal > > color. Oh, and four chairs, a table with an umbrella in the middle and > > one of the most beautiful lizards you have ever met! My favorite is the > > salvia which feeds bees, hummingbirds, finches and sparrows and is a > > source of never- ending enjoyment for them and me!> > Rosemary Abrami> >> >> >> >> > On Apr 30, 2008, at 9:37 PM, Dick wrote:> >> >> Pomegranites are easily and readily sprouted from cuttungs that always > >> run true. Don't waste your time with seeds but I have never heard of > >> them sprouting anyway. In the Desert Museum in Tuscon is a Golden > >> variety of Pomegranate from which I collected a cutting 20 years ago. It > >> grew but somewhere along the way I lost track of it. That Golden variety > >> is, to the best of my knowledge, a novelty. I have a vigorous Wonderful > >> in a 20 gallon pot but the species does well in this climate. In fact, I > >> believe it is a desert or low water use plant and evergreen but, if in > >> the ground, benefits from deep watering at the drip line no oftener than > >> every two weeks after it is established but almost never in the cool > >> months when the highs are rarely over 75F. You can train this plant, > >> that wants to be a bush, to a small single trunk tree if you really work > >> at it, or a multi-stem bush. My wonderful is multi-stem, eight feet > >> tall.> >>> >> Dick Gross, Master Gardener Volunteer/Sec/Ed Arizona Rare Fruit Growers, > >> Inc.> >> U of A Maricopa County Cooperative Extension> >>> >>> >> ----- Original Message ----- To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>; > >> <abrami at cox.net>> >> Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 11:33 PM> >> Subject: [Arid_gardener] Re: pomegranate tree> >>> >>> >>> Pomegranates should be deep watered every two weeks in the summer and > >>> don't> >>> really need any water during he dormant winter period. They can take > >>> more> >>> water but deep watering every twice a week seems like a lot. A> >>> nitrogen-based fertilizer like ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) the first few > >>> years> >>> is helpful but not really necessary after that. The deep red type is> >>> usually 'Wonderful" and will produce fruit the same as the parent. But> >>> there is a lot of cross pollination and if your plant was grown from > >>> seed,> >>> there is no way to tell if the grains will be pale pink or red. We > >>> also> >>> found that the fruit is a deeper red if left on the bush as long as> >>> possible.> >>>> >>> Olin Miller, Master Gardener Volunteer> >>> U of A Cooperative Extension, Maricopa County AZ> >>> ============================================> >>>> >>>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- From: <abrami at cox.net>> >>> To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>> >>> Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2008 9:41 AM> >>> Subject: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page> >>>> >>>> >>>> Rosemary Abrami> >>>> 85375-4903> >>>> abrami at cox.net> >>>>> >>>> We have a pomegranate tree in our small, sheltered yard. It is strong > >>>> and> >>>> healthy, presently covered in lush foliage and many blooms, as well as> >>>> several already-forming fruits.> >>>> Watering is on a communal bubbler system controlled by the condo i.e. > >>>> we> >>>> can't affect it, and waters deeply twice a week at present, increasing > >>>> to> >>>> three times a week in the very hot months.> >>>> I fertilized with 16-8-4P when the first buds started showing.> >>>> Last year we had an large crop BUT the fruits were dry and only pale > >>>> pink> >>>> inside, apart from one small fruit that was deep red and juicy. What > >>>> a> >>>> disappointment!> >>>> What can we do this year to make sure that we get a delicious and> >>>> nutritious crop? All suggestions gratefully accepted
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