How to properly prune pomegranates in the garden and at home

Pomegranate is a low tree that looks aesthetically pleasing at all stages of development. It has a beautiful dense crown with small green leaves, delicate white flowers and bright fruits of an interesting shape. In hot countries, pomegranates are grown in the open field, in most regions of Russia - as a houseplant.

An integral part of caring for a pomegranate tree is pruning. The shape of the crown, the size of the fruits, as well as the health of the plant depend on the correctness and regularity of this procedure. How to cut pomegranates in the garden and at home - we will tell in the article.

Why prune a pomegranate tree

In the wild, pomegranate grows without pruning... Breaking off old and damaged branches occurs naturally. Such trees have a thickened crown, give small and tart fruits, and have a lower yield.

It is interesting! Wild pomegranate is more hardy and less susceptible to disease than cultivated varieties. Without timely pruning, cultivated trees begin to hurt and die.

Garden and indoor pomegranates need pruning.

This the procedure gives cultivated plants many advantages:

1. Aesthetic appearance of the crown... Without the formation of a crown, it will look untidy. During pruning, the pomegranate crown is given a spherical, fan-shaped or bush shape. Bonsai are made from pomegranates - ornamental house trees.
2. Early fruiting... Pruning excess shoots stimulates the formation of branches of a new order, on which fruits are formed - without formation, lateral branches may not grow.
3. Strengthening skeletal branches... By pruning off excess shoots, the skeletal branches get room for development. They grow faster and are more powerful. This protects them from fractures under the weight of the fruit, due to the effects of wind and precipitation.
4. Prevention of crown thickening... The plant spends a lot of energy and nutrients on a too dense crown. Because of this, few inflorescences are formed, and the fruits are small. Extra branches create shading that negatively affects the taste of the fruit. Also in the thickened crown there are optimal conditions for the development of fungi.
5. Prevention of infection and pests... Many fungi and insects hibernate under the cracked bark of the plant. Therefore, damaged branches must be removed.

Terms of the procedure

Pruning is carried out in spring or autumn... When pruning in spring, a period is chosen when the buds have not yet woken up. In autumn, the procedure is carried out after leaf fall.

Can pomegranates be trimmed in summer? Experienced gardeners do not recommend doing it. Removing shoots during the active growing season in summer is stress for the plant. Because of this, the tree stops blooming or sheds fruit. Increased gum flow may begin, the risk of infection increases.

In winter, pomegranates cannot be cut... This will reduce its frost resistance, and the plant will not survive the winter.

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Types of trimming

Pruning is a must for pomegranate growing in the garden and at home. There are three types of procedure.

Sanitary

Sanitary pruning reduces the likelihood of plant disease and pests, reduces the thickening of the crown.During this procedure, all damaged, cracked, with cracked bark shoots, dry and frostbitten branches, plant parts with spots, seals and other traces of infection and pests are removed.

Sanitary pruning recommended in autumn.

Formative

Formation makes the crown aesthetic, stimulates the formation of shoots, on which fruits and inflorescences are formed, reduces thickening. In the process of formation, weak, improperly growing and excess shoots are removed, leaving the strongest and most developed. Some branches are sheared to give the crown the desired shape.

Anti-aging

Rejuvenating pruning is used for older trees with reduced yields... The entire crown is cut, stimulating the growth of new shoots. The procedure is carried out no more often than once every 25 years.

How to properly prune a pomegranate

Pruning indoor and garden pomegranates has some differences. On the tree growing in a pot, not affected by weather conditions... Therefore, with sanitary pruning, fewer branches are removed. Formative pruning involves not only giving the crown an aesthetic and comfortable shape, but also limiting the size of the plant.

Much more attention is paid to sanitary pruning in the garden... The risk of disease and pests in the open field is higher. In addition, shoots often break under the influence of negative weather conditions. The size of the tree and its crown on the street will be larger than in a pot - this is taken into account when forming.

Room

It is easier to form a fruit tree at home than in a garden.... In this case, the main task of the grower is to give the plant a beautiful shape, remove damaged branches and bring the first flowering closer.

Since the tree is in constant temperature conditions, pruning is done before flowering and after fruiting. It is not recommended to carry out the procedure in winter, when even in the warmth the life cycles of the plant slow down.

How to shape indoor pomegranate:

1. Pinch the top when the plant reaches a height of 20-25 cm, stepping back 5 cm from the end of the seedling. This is necessary in order for the tree to start throwing out side shoots.
2. Pinch the side shoots when they reach a length of 15-20 cm to stimulate the formation of branches of a new order.
3. Leave no more than 3-4 branches of each order. Choose the strongest and most developed shoots, remove old and directed towards the center of the plant or down.

Every year the pomegranate is inspected for disease and pest damage., the presence of dry and damaged branches. Such parts of the plant are removed.

If desired, the crown is sheared, giving it a shape... The pomegranate tree successfully transfers the cut and maintains its given shape.

Note! The pomegranate tree will not grow large without pinching the growing point, as its growth is limited by the size of the pot. However, in this case, lateral shoots will appear later and will develop more slowly.

Garden

Proper pruning is important for a garden pomegranate... At home, there are no strict requirements for the size and quality of the fruit, since the tree is grown rather for decorative purposes. In the garden, harvest is the gardener's priority. In addition, a well-formed tree tolerates wintering more easily.

More stringent requirements are imposed on the timing of pruning.... The procedure is carried out either in early May, while the kidneys have not yet woken up, but the temperature is already above zero, or in the fall, after leaf fall, before the onset of frost. Pruning at low temperatures will reduce frost resistance.

Pomegranate pruning looks like this:

1. Remove all the growth at the bottom of the pomegranate and near its roots. Do the same with branches that are inclined too close to the ground.
2. Dried, thin and frozen shoots are completely cut off. This is also done with branches that have cracks in the bark.
3. Up to 6 skeletal branches are left. It is important that they are located as far apart as possible.The strongest and thickest branches are selected, the weak shoots are removed.
4. Branches directed towards the inside of the crown are removed.

Pinching the top is optional in the case of a garden pomegranate... It is done in the event that the tree is formed by the standard method. Then the top and the formed branches are cut off when they reach a length of 20-30 cm.

The nuances of cutting a pomegranate

Pruning is stress for the plant, due to which immunity and endurance are temporarily reduced. With the correct procedure, the tree quickly recovers and becomes even stronger.

In order not to harm the grenade, it is important to know a few nuances.:

1. Pruning is carried out in the morning or evening, when the sun is inactive. It is better to choose cloudy weather in the garden.
2. On the day of formation, the plants are not watered. This will reduce the severity of stress and reduce the likelihood of plant infection.
3. The tool used to cut branches and shoots is disinfected before use - ignited with fire, wiped with alcohol or a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.
4. The cut sites are treated with garden varnish so that the plant does not become infected with infections and fungi, and also to prevent the release of a large amount of gum.

Ways to form a grenade

You can form a young pomegranate in different ways.... Depending on the method chosen, the appearance of the crown and the whole plant will differ.

As a fan

Forming a pomegranate in the form of a fan or a bouquet requires the correct garter of the branches... Step-by-step instruction:

1. Immediately after planting, remove branches that are at the bottom of the plant (too close to the ground). Only the main trunk is left.
2. When the side shoots are formed, choose two of them that are at the maximum distance from each other. The branches are fixed upward.
3. In the next circle, 2 branches are also left.
4. The central trunk is shortened to the upper bifurcation.
5. Further, several branches of the second and third order are left and maintain a given shape.

Bush

Bush-shaped pomegranate is most convenient gardener. This shape facilitates harvesting and sanitary pruning.

5-6 skeletal branches are left on the plant... Shoots that are too close to the ground and excess shoots are removed. The crown of the plant is pinched at a height of 1.5-2.5 m.

Bonsai

Bonsai - a real work of art. To get a beautiful Japanese-style garnet, they begin to form it already in the first year of life.

Basic rules for its creation:

1. The tree is pinched when its height reaches 20-25 cm.
2. The trunk, the diameter of which does not exceed 2.5 cm, is given a curved shape. To do this, a wire is wound from its base to the crown so that it does not pinch the trunk and does not interfere with sap flow. With the help of a wire, the barrel is given the desired shape.
3. The most developed branches are chosen. Leave those shoots, the location of which corresponds to the intended shape of the crown.
4. Skeletal branches are also given the desired shape using wire.
5. The branches are cut and cut to achieve the desired crown.

It is important to remove the wire in timeso that it does not leave deep scars on the branches and bark. This is done when the fixed barrel is compacted and assumes the desired shape.

Note! To correctly form a bonsai, it is recommended to draw its diagram in advance.

Stamper

Punching is used most often. The rules of this method:

1. Select the central branch of the seedling. All other shoots are removed.
2. A wooden support is installed near the trunk. The trunk is tied to it so that it turns out to be perfectly even.
3. Leave 2-3 skeletal branches, located as far as possible from each other, on the first circle. They are shortened to the desired length. They do the same with the branches of the second circle, but they are made even shorter.
4. The top of the pomegranate is cut off. Further, the shape of the tree is maintained.

How to weave a garnet

The interlaced trunk of a house pomegranate tree looks especially aesthetically pleasing.... It is not difficult to form a pomegranate in this way.

How to bind the trunk of a pomegranate tree:

1. Two shoots are chosen from a seedling, located as close as possible to each other. They are intertwined, cutting the bark and fixing the branches with electrical tape at the points of contact. The trunk is tied to a support.
2. All branches that are below 15 cm from the ground are removed.
3. Further, three levels of skeletal branches are formed.
4. The top of the tree is pinched when the main trunk reaches 15 cm.

Subsequent pruning involves the sanitary removal of damaged and dry branches, as well as maintaining the shape of the crown.

Do you need pinching

Many novice gardeners are wondering whether to pinch a pomegranate. It depends on how the plant is formed.

Most gardeners are of the opinion that it is necessary to limit the growth point.... This procedure stimulates the growth of side shoots and helps make the tree as convenient as possible for harvesting and maintenance.

Post-pruning care

In order for the plant to recover faster after pruning, it is important to properly care for it. Basic care corresponds to the standard scheme, but there are some differences:

1. Experienced gardeners recommend treating the tree with fungicides and insecticides or copper-containing preparations after formation. This will reduce the likelihood of infection of the plant weakened after the procedure.
2. After pruning, all fallen leaves, branches and other plant residues are collected and burned. The soil is watered with an antifungal agent.
3. On the first day after cutting, the pomegranates are not watered or fed.

Conclusion

Pruning the pomegranate is essential for the tree to develop properly. The procedure helps to give the plant a comfortable and aesthetic shape, accelerate fruiting, improve the quality and quantity of the crop, and prevent infection and pests.

There are several types of trimming. If you follow the step-by-step instructions, even a beginner can handle each of the options.