How to grow indoor pomegranate bonsai

The pomegranate is called the “tree of life”. This beautiful plant with small leaves, bright flowers produces tasty and healthy fruits. Of their bones you can grow pomegranate at home. If in nature it reaches a height of 6 m, then at home the plant will not exceed 1 m.A tree in a pot will produce fruits up to 8 cm in diameter.

Indoor pomegranate looks especially aesthetically pleasing during flowering and fruiting. To make the plant a full-fledged element of the interior and look interesting, even when there are no flowers and fruits on it, it is worth trying to grow a bonsai. Shaping the trunk will take time and attention, but following the step-by-step instructions and our recommendations, you will definitely cope with this task.

What is bonsai

The word "bonsai" (盆栽) literally means "grown in a tray" in Japanese. This is the name for miniatures of real trees or shrubs.

Many people think that bonsai are obtained from special dwarf varieties. In fact, this is not the case. Miniatures are made from common trees and can be grown from seeds taken from store-bought fruit. The compact size of the plant is due to the restriction of the growth of the root system, which is achieved by the choice of small containers.

There are over 17 styles of bonsai formation. The most popular option is with a curved long trunk and an unusual crown. This effect is achieved by trimming leaves and shoots and forming a curved trunk.

In Japan, they believe that bonsai masters should be not only gardeners, but also artists. After all, their task is to show all the beauty of nature in one tree.

Bonsai are grown from grenade... The plant takes root well at home, has beautiful bright green medium-sized leaves and red, silk-like flowers. Even on the windowsill, the tree will bear small fruits, complementing the beauty of the bonsai.

It is interesting! Bonsai are made not only in home pots, but also in the garden.

Planting seeds

The first stage of growing bonsai is not much different from planting a regular tree. However, there are still some nuances in this process.

Selection and preparation of indoor pomegranate seeds

To grow a miniature pomegranate tree at home, seeds or cuttings are used. Seed planting material is preferable, since in this case it is easier to form the trunk.

The most common way to obtain seeds is by removing them from a purchased pomegranate fruit. In this case, when choosing a planting material, the following rules are followed:

1. The fruit should have a regular round shape and red color. It is important that it is free from green spots, rot, mold, damage and traces of disease.
2. The pulp around the seeds is a deep red color. Instances with white or green flesh will not work.
3. The seeds themselves should be white or cream colored. It is important that the planting material is firm and smooth. Soft seeds with signs of disease or green color will not work.

The seeds are carefully peeled from the pulp with your hands. It is important not to damage them.

Pomegranate seeds do not have the highest germination rate. Therefore, if you plan to grow 1 pomegranate, take at least 10 seeds.

Note! In most cases, pomegranate hybrids are sold on store shelves. The seeds from these fruits will sprout, but will produce regular game. Their fruits will be small, light red, with a sour tart taste.

The second option for obtaining planting material is to buy dwarf pomegranate seeds. These plants are initially short and are suitable for indoor growing. The best varieties for potting include:

• Baby;
• Ruby;
• Uzbekistan;
• Shah-nar;
• Carthage.

Seeds intended for planting, bought in a specialized store, are processed at the factory. This is evidenced by the inscription on the packaging.

Planting material, independently collected from fruits, needs preliminary preparation for planting. It includes the following steps:

1. Removing the pulp. The seeds are soaked in warm water for 30 minutes. and cleaned from the pulp. The specimens that have sunk to the bottom have a much greater chance of germinating.
2. Disinfection. The planting material is soaked for 30 minutes. in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate.
3. Growth stimulation. The seeds are soaked in a solution of a growth stimulant ("Epin", "Solution") for 12 hours.

During soaking, the container with seeds is placed in a cold place without drafts.

Soil and container for planting

For growing pomegranate bonsai is best suited to loose, slightly acidic or neutral light soil. However, the tree grows in any soil. It is sold in gardening stores.

They prefer universal soil or soil mixture for begonias and roses. To prepare the soil yourself, mix in equal proportions:

• turf;
• humus;
• sand.

Add 2 tbsp to the soil mixture. l. ash. Some gardeners additionally use superphosphate.

Both purchased and homemade soil are disinfected. To do this, it is calcined in the oven, watered with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate or a hot solution of copper sulfate.

In addition to soil, drainage is recommended. Broken ceramics, fine gravel, crushed expanded clay, shell rock will do. The drainage is also disinfected.

First, the seeds are sown in one common container. To do this, use:

• wooden boxes;
• plastic trays;
• cut plastic bottles, etc.

After germination, the strongest seedlings are selected and dived into separate containers. The pot plays an important role in the formation of the bonsai. It is he who limits the growth of the root system and makes the tree miniature. It is recommended to choose for the plant shallow, but wide containers of any shape, resembling pallets. A height of 4-10 cm is enough.

All containers are disinfected. They are sterilized with boiling water or soaked for 30 minutes. in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Important! There should be drainage holes in the bottom of containers for growing pomegranates.

Sowing seeds and care before picking

Their germination and viability depend on the correct sowing of seeds.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. A layer of expanded clay is poured at the bottom of the box. The rest of the volume is filled with soil.
2. The soil is watered with settled water at room temperature.
3. In the ground, grooves are made with a depth of 1-1.5 cm at a distance of 3 cm from each other. Seeds are placed in them, leaving a free space of 3 cm.
4. The containers are covered with a film or a transparent plastic lid (for example, the top of the cake package or the remains of a cut bottle) and placed in a warm, bright place.

The film is opened daily for 30-120 minutes. As the soil dries up, it is moistened with a spray bottle.

note! It is impossible to predict the timing of the appearance of the first shoots. Pomegranate seeds germinate from 1 week to several months. It is believed that planting material sown in November or February germinates faster.

It is important for seedlings to provide proper care:

1. Airing. When the first shoots appear, the plants begin to air, gradually increasing the duration of this process. When 2 real leaves appear, the impromptu greenhouse is dismantled.
2. Watering. Seedlings are watered from a spray bottle with warm, settled water as the topsoil dries out. It is important not to let the soil dry out, but also not to flood it.
3. Loosening. After each watering, the soil is loosened, destroying the earthen crust.
4. Lighting. In spring, summer and autumn, seedlings do not need illumination. In winter, it is recommended to illuminate the pomegranate with a phytolamp so that its daylight hours are 12 hours.

When 3-4 true leaves appear on the plants, they dive into separate containers. Choose sprouts with bright green foliage, dense stems and good turgor. Pale weak specimens are thrown away.

The pot is filled according to the same principle as when sowing seeds: first, a layer of drainage is poured, and then soil. The soil is watered with warm, settled water. Seedlings are also watered.

Selected seedlings are carefully removed from the box with a teaspoon or wooden stick along with a lump of earth, taking care not to damage the roots. The pomegranate is transferred to an individual pot. Sprinkle it with soil without deepening the root collar. The plant is watered and placed in a sunny place.

Important! The first 2 days after transplanting, the pomegranates are not watered, allowing it to take root.

Bonsai pomegranate tree formation

How to make bonsai from regular pomegranate? In fact, a tree grown in a shallow flower pot is already a bonsai. However, a real bonsai means a plant with a beautifully curved trunk and a curly crown.

To achieve this effect, the trunk is artificially formed and the crown is cut. It is this process that is considered the most difficult in bonsai cultivation.

Trunk

To make a bonsai from an ordinary indoor pomegranate with your own hands, it is important to correctly form the trunk. There are directions that do not require this process, but it is trees with a curved trunk that look especially interesting.

The trunk begins to form until its bark is too hard. Otherwise, scars will remain on it, which will take a long time to heal.

The trunk is formed by winding copper wire from the base up to the first branch. The winding should not be too tight so that the bottom crust does not crack.

After the wire has been wound, the barrel is bent with it. Usually 2-3 not too sharp bends or turns are made.

Advice! 1/3 of the trunk must be completely bare. The ideal proportion of barrel thickness and length is 1/7.

You can thicken the barrel if you wish. To do this, in the area where the seal should end, a tight winding is made. The task of the wire is to slow down, but not block the sap flow. When the bulge has formed, the wire is removed.

If the tree turns out to be too tall, then it is transplanted into a pot, burying the trunk to the desired level. A year later, when a sufficient number of roots are formed in the buried area, the tree is replanted, cutting off the old root system.

Pruning branches

Crown formation also plays a role in bonsai cultivation. The tree should have small leaves and an aged look. At the same time, a too thick crown is harmful to the pomegranate, as it promotes the formation of mold.

3-4 branches and a top are left on the main trunk. In this case, the distance between the branches should be large. Each branch is constrained to a point of growth when it reaches the desired size.

To increase the amount of foliage and reduce the size of the leaf plates, 1 and 3 leaves are regularly cut off. In the process of growing, the tree is rejuvenated by breaking off old foliage.

When growing bonsai, it is recommended to draw up a diagram of the tree that should ultimately turn out in advance. This will make it easier to shape the crown.

Usually, the lower branches closer to the trunk are left bare, and abundant foliage is grown at the ends. The higher the branches, the more foliage and shoots are left on them.

The shape of the crown is given with a haircut. Pomegranate tolerates this process well. The thick branches are shaped and guided with wire. This is done until the bark is stiff.

How to care for a pomegranate bonsai tree

In order for a bonsai to grow for more than one decade, it is important to take care of it regularly:

1. Watering. Water the pomegranate as the topsoil dries out.This happens faster in shallow, wide containers than in conventional deep pots. Watered with warm, settled water so that the soil is moistened, but not flooded. In summer, the soil is moistened more often than in winter.
2. Pruning. Once every 2-3 years, weak, diseased and dry branches are removed. Old large leaves are periodically cut off.
3. Transfer. Bonsai are transplanted into a new container every 3-4 years. The new pot should be slightly larger and deeper than the previous one. When transplanting, the horses of the tree are cut by 1/3, removing dry and old shoots.
4. Temperature. In summer, pomegranate feels comfortable at a temperature of + 20 ... 25 ° C. In winter, it is recommended to reduce the values ​​to + 12 ... 15 ° C.
5. Bloom. In the first flowering, the flowers are cut off so that the plant does not die. To get fruit, it is recommended to additionally pollinate the flowers with a brush.
6. Top dressing. From early spring to mid-autumn, top dressing is applied once every 1-2 weeks, alternating special fertilizers for pomegranates or bonsai and chicken droppings diluted 1:10. In winter, pomegranates are not fed.

In winter, the pomegranate drops its leaves.

It is interesting:

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Conclusion

Pomegranate bonsai is a beautiful and unusual plant. It looks interesting and aesthetically pleasing at any time of the year. During flowering, it is decorated with orange flowers, the petals of which resemble silk, and during fruiting - round bright red fruits.

Growing a bonsai from a pomegranate seed is not difficult. The only difficulty lies in the formation of the trunk and crown. For beginners, it is better to draw up a project of the desired tree shape in advance and practice on several plants at once.