Punica Granatum (Pomegranate)
The Punica Granatum, or pomegranate, is a Mediterranean plant with beautiful, small leaves. These trees do well whether planted in the ground or in a tub, container, or pot. If you plant it in any kind of container, you can move it easily to a warm and sheltered spot in the winter. The plant is self-pollinating, which means you only need to buy one. The plant produces stunning, orange-coloured flowers. The fruit flesh of the edible yellow-red pomegranates is dark red.
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- Customers rate us with a 9/10
- Free advice for planting and care
Punica Granatum (pomegranate)
The pomegranate has distinctive orange flowers in June/July, while the plant’s leaves are a beautiful brownish-yellow in the autumn. The plant grows from a bush to a small tree, with a round, dense crown. The bark can start to flake in older trees, revealing a cream-coloured trunk. You can enjoy the flowers and the dark orange-red, crumpled petals almost throughout the entire summer. After that, the plant bears edible pomegranates. As soon as the pomegranates are ripe, they split open. Feel free to have a bite – they’re delicious!
Growing pomegranates
The Phoenicians, the early inhabitants of what is now Lebanon, are said to have spread this plant around the Mediterranean Sea. You can now find them all over the world.
Why choose a Punica Granatum?
- It’s a stunning and extremely colourful plant, including in the autumn.
- It produces beautiful flowers and edible pomegranates.
- Pomegranate trees grow well in all types of soil.
When should you plant your Punica Granatum?
It’s best to plant your pomegranate in early spring, after the last signs of frost.
What’s the best way to plant your pomegranate tree?
In early spring, once no more frost is likely, dig a hole of around 60 centimetres deep and wide. Make sure that you select a sunny spot that’s moist but not too wet and that the soil is well drained. Remove your Punica Granatum from its pot and slightly loosen the root ball with your fingers at the bottom. Why? So that the plant will spread its roots more quickly. Place the pomegranate in the ground. Fill the hole with garden soil and press down well. And give the plant enough water straight away. After that, water the plant every other day until new leaves form. This is a sign that the plant is well established and daily watering is no longer necessary. Reduce the watering gradually. In the end, the plant only needs water every few days.
Tips
Punica Granatum feels most at home in a sunny and sheltered spot, preferably as warm as possible and properly sheltered from the wind.
Water your plant regularly in the spring and summer months. Check first whether the soil feels moist. If that’s the case, don’t give any water. But do make sure that the soil doesn’t dry out, as your pomegranate tree doesn’t like soil that’s too dry.
You can plant your tree in all types of soil. Make sure that the soil is fertile, moist, and well-drained.
In the winter, it’s important that the pomegranate stands in drier soil, otherwise too much moisture will be absorbed and stored in the trunk. In really freezing conditions, the moisture in the tree will then freeze and expand, which can crack the trunk and branches. So, make sure you protect your tree if longer periods of frost are forecast.
Positioning
Your Punica Granatum can reach up to eight metres in height. You can imagine that such a high tree needs enough space, so don’t place other trees, plants, or bushes too close to a pomegranate tree. Make sure they all have space.
Advice and Care
Water
You should water the plant regularly in spring and summer. Always feel the soil first to check whether that’s necessary. And make sure that the soil doesn’t dry out.
Fertilizer
Once the pomegranate tree has become established, feed it with an organic fertilizer. Apply this three times during the plant’s first year of growth: in February, May, and August.
Pruning
It’s not necessary to prune Punica Granatum. You only need to prune your plant if you think the crown is too large or if the branches are growing too wildly for your liking. It’s best to prune long or dense branches in the spring. You can prune into topiary shapes in spring, just before the plant starts to grow again.
Treating common problems
Pomegranate trees are very strong plants and hardly suffer from diseases and infestations. In some cases, however, they may have aphids. If aphids appear, you can easily control these with an aphid insecticide.
Advantages and disadvantages of pomegranate trees
Advantages
- Pruning is not necessary, so they don’t involve a lot of work.
- The Punica Granatum is very strong and can cope with a lot.
- Pomegranate trees grow well in all types of soil as long as you take good care of them.
- The trees are hardly affected by diseases or infestations.
- You can plant them in the ground, or in a tub, container, or pot.
- Pomegranates are nutritious and delicious fruit.
Disadvantages
- Pomegranate trees cannot withstand frost. If you plant your tree in the ground, you’ll need to wrap it carefully during periods of frost. You could protect it with a fleece or a tree jacket to be safe. If you plant your tree in a pot, tub, or container, you’ll need to move it to a sheltered, warm spot, such as your garage or summerhouse. Make sure that the plant gets enough sunlight.
Conclusion
If you want a beautiful and strong tree for your garden that also bears delicious fruit, the pomegranate tree or Punica Granatum is the perfect tree for you. Order one via our website now. If you have any questions about this tree, please feel free to contact our customer services.