Re: [nafex] Pomegranates for cold places

Probably 15+ yrs ago, I got cuttings of two dozen different pomegranate
varieties from NCGR.
Planted them in-ground here in southern west-central KY, just 20 miles
north of the TN border - and zone 6/7interface.
All but two died out over the past decade and a half. None ever fruited.
I dug the last two survivors... probably Kazake or Salavatski - last spring
and put them in pots, as we were renovating that spot to raspberries. I
think I probably let them die over the summer when I stopped watering
potted plants in my little potted plant nursery area.
I'm brutally neglectful. If a plant can't pretty much make it on its own
with minimal to no care from me, it's eventually gonna die or be replaced.

Lucky

On Mon, Jan 23, 2023 at 8:19 PM Devin Smith via nafex <
nafex@lists.ibiblio.org> wrote:

> Lucky mentioned rooting pomegranates. As it happens, I'm hunting around
> for a pomegranate or two that would be viable in my high tunnel here in VT.
> I'm generally of the thinking that ripening time is going to be the crucial
> thing, not so much hardiness. I'm not sure if I'll actually be able to
> winter it over in the ground or if I'll need to dig it each year. We have
> been duly impressed by the difference floating row cover has made though,
> often 5-6 degrees. Also, it's pretty remarkable how differently plants
> respond to cold in the high tunnel. We registered 27 or 28 degrees several
> times inside with no sign of frost on tender things like cucumbers, summer
> squash, and tomatoes. We have an indoor/outdoor thermometer with one right
> at ground level and the other at chest height, so temp stratification can't
> explain it. All of this makes me think that wrapping may be an option.
>
>
>
>
> Those of you growing pomegranates at the margins, what is your experience
> like? How do you protect or overwinter them? What varieties would you
> suggest?
>
> Thanks!
> -Devin SmithRockingham, Vermont
> __________________
> nafex mailing list
> nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters
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Re: [nafex] Pomegranates for cold places

*In 2006, I received cuttings of Siberian Pomegranates (Agate and Kazake)
to test them here in Thornhill Ontario (zone 6B just north of Toronto).
They rooted easily in a vermiculite tent medium indoors (shaded) and I
nurtured them into potted outdoor plants. They overwintered in my garage
which at times was minus 10-15 Deg Celsius, but the plants did survive,
ultimately growing to a meter in height in a 16 inch pot. After 3 years,
they had copious gorgeous flowers (minimal female flowers) and did bear
fruit. Fruiting was sparse, about a dozen or so on 4 plants, from marble to
tennis ball size. Sweetness was quasi due to our short growing season and
our usually high summer humidity. I found they required much water and
quickly went dormant with the cool October temperatures. Had our growing
season been two weeks longer, I'm sure the fruit quality would have
improved. I found the plants degenerated thereafter and after a few years,
died away, the last one dying in 2021. Still the process was interesting.*

*I did plant one cutting into a NW exposure near my house foundation. It
grew well in the summer and in spite of being covered with snow over the
winter, the stems died back to the ground. The plant did sprout again the
following spring! Since fruit is only borne on 2+ year old stems, the whole
purpose is defeated and the plant was removed.*


*I found pomegranates generally similar to the propagation of figs of which
I maintain six varieties - but there again, although I have much better
crops, production and maturation is reduced from our shorter and humid
growing season. (Oiling with olive oil in late August does help)*

*John Barbowski - amateur gardener*


*Two pics attached with 2 commercial fruit on the left on the left and one
of the flowers*



On Tue, Jan 24, 2023 at 11:45 AM yearroundgardening@comcast.net <
YearRoundGardening@comcast.net> wrote:

> Here in Houston, pomegranates routinely take mid-teen temperatures when
> they are dormant, but freeze back badly when they aren't. But we very
> rarely get anything below 25˚F. Ours two years ago survived with dieback a
> late freeze at 15˚F. If you can keep them above 20˚F, you shouldn't have a
> problem on that end. Also of course, they root easily from cuttings so you
> can always hedge your bets.
>
> They really like hot dry weather for production. Whether you can get ripe
> fruit that far north with so much darkness late in the fall is another
> question. Lights?
>
> Bob Randall, Ph.D.
> lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
>

Re: [nafex] Pomegranates for cold places

Here in Houston, pomegranates routinely take mid-teen temperatures when they are dormant, but freeze back badly when they aren't. But we very rarely get anything below 25˚F. Ours two years ago survived with dieback a late freeze at 15˚F. If you can keep them above 20˚F, you shouldn't have a problem on that end. Also of course, they root easily from cuttings so you can always hedge your bets.

They really like hot dry weather for production. Whether you can get ripe fruit that far north with so much darkness late in the fall is another question. Lights?

Bob Randall, Ph.D.

> On Jan 23, 2023, at 8:18 PM, Devin Smith via nafex <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org> wrote:
>
> Lucky mentioned rooting pomegranates. As it happens, I'm hunting around for a pomegranate or two that would be viable in my high tunnel here in VT. I'm generally of the thinking that ripening time is going to be the crucial thing, not so much hardiness. I'm not sure if I'll actually be able to winter it over in the ground or if I'll need to dig it each year. We have been duly impressed by the difference floating row cover has made though, often 5-6 degrees. Also, it's pretty remarkable how differently plants respond to cold in the high tunnel. We registered 27 or 28 degrees several times inside with no sign of frost on tender things like cucumbers, summer squash, and tomatoes. We have an indoor/outdoor thermometer with one right at ground level and the other at chest height, so temp stratification can't explain it. All of this makes me think that wrapping may be an option.
>
>
>
>
> Those of you growing pomegranates at the margins, what is your experience like? How do you protect or overwinter them? What varieties would you suggest?
>
> Thanks!
> -Devin SmithRockingham, Vermont
> __________________
> nafex mailing list
> nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters
> subscribe/unsubscribe|user config|list info:
> https://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex

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Re: [nafex] Pomegranates for cold places

Thanks, Lee. That real world experience is just what I was looking for. I was looking at Sverkhranniy myself, as it seems to be one of the earliest around. I'd love a stick or two if you'd spare it. Too bad that it hasn't really shaped up in terms of quality. I've trialed lots of different subtropical and non-hardy fruits here in SE Vermont. Now that we have a high tunnel (30x48 and covered in Solawrap) I have some more options for stretching the season on some of this stuff. I'd really like a heated space so that I can grow things in the ground, but that's not in the cards for the time being. A lot of things haven't done well because the phenology is just not there. I grew out some Loquat seed and grafted named varieties onto them some years back. They flowered in early-mid winter and there just wasn't enough sunlight to size the fruit up much or give them sweetness. Lots of things I tried have thrived in warm weather but resented the abrupt shift to months long cold and dark in my well lit basement. I've also tried carambola, guava, strawberry guava, pineapple guava (Feijoa), Chilean guava (Ugni), and a couple different Annona species. Most died or failed to thrive. Probably others I'm forgetting. The things I've stuck with are Citrus and Fortunella (and their hybrids), figs (modestly successful, need to try in the ground), and tree tomatoes (Cyphomandra), which are probably the most productive for me. All seem to do just fine with extended dormancy and flower /fruit at times where the weather is reasonably copacetic. Most importantly, they actually taste good!

-Devin SmithRockingham, Vermont
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Re: [nafex] Pomegranates for cold places

My plant, Sverkhranniy, is allegedly cold-hardy to just below zero degrees F, but have it potted and in a cooler for winter. Last spring I moved it into my greenhouse once weather warmed. I hand pollinated and, for the first time, ripened a fruit. The flavor was disappointing.

I might give it one more year to prove its worth, ot not. In the many years that I've grown it, I've had very few blossoms and fruit, probably because I haven't allowed it to grow large enough. Gotta keep the pot manageable to move around.

Plenty of heat here in summer and, surely, in the greenhouse.

Lee
Lee Reich, PhD
Come visit my farmden at
http://www.leereich.com/blog
http://leereich.com <http://leereich.com/>

Books by Lee Reich:
•The Ever Curious Gardener: Using a Little Natural Science for a Much Better Garden
•A Northeast Gardener's Year
•The Pruning Book
•Weedless Gardening
•Uncommon Fruits for every Garden
•Landscaping with Fruit
•Grow Fruit Naturally
•Growing Figs in Cold Climates
• Fruit: From the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection (Tiny Folio)

> On Jan 23, 2023, at 11:38 PM, Jay Cutts <orders@cuttsreviews.com> wrote:
>
> I see what you mean about ripening time. Your season may not be long enough. It may also not be hot enough.
>
> I am in New Mexico at about 4700 feet. We get temperatures here down to a few degrees below zero at times. I have my pomegranates surrounded by a wall of straw bales two layers high. The whole area is covered with a clear tarp and I have heat fixtures inside it that go on at 20 degrees.
>
> My understanding is that the plants don't want to get below 15 or 20 degrees without the tops being killed. I have soft seeded varieties, which are a little less hardy than the hard seeded ones. Younger plants are probably even more susceptible.
>
> The new leaves in the spring seem to be very sensitive to temperatures below 32. The straw enclosures make them leaf out early so I have to keep them protected until we are way past a frost danger. The good news is that they get an earlier start at growing. You might also be able to extend the season with the kind of enclosure I described.
>
> I've had the impression - though I've never tested it out - that dwarf pomegranates may be hardier and may ripen their fruit earlier.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jay
>
> Jay Cutts
> Director, Cutts Graduate Reviews
> Lead Author, Barron's MCAT Prep Book
> Lead Author, Barron's MCAT Flash Cards
> Lead Author, Barron's LSAT Prep Book
> (505) 281-0684 (landline, no texts)
> (505) 717-6394 (cell, text or voicemail)
> 10 am to 10 pm Mt Time, 7 days
>
> On 1/23/2023 7:18 PM, Devin Smith via nafex wrote:
>> Lucky mentioned rooting pomegranates. As it happens, I'm hunting around for a pomegranate or two that would be viable in my high tunnel here in VT. I'm generally of the thinking that ripening time is going to be the crucial thing, not so much hardiness. I'm not sure if I'll actually be able to winter it over in the ground or if I'll need to dig it each year. We have been duly impressed by the difference floating row cover has made though, often 5-6 degrees. Also, it's pretty remarkable how differently plants respond to cold in the high tunnel. We registered 27 or 28 degrees several times inside with no sign of frost on tender things like cucumbers, summer squash, and tomatoes. We have an indoor/outdoor thermometer with one right at ground level and the other at chest height, so temp stratification can't explain it. All of this makes me think that wrapping may be an option.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Those of you growing pomegranates at the margins, what is your experience like? How do you protect or overwinter them? What varieties would you suggest?
>>
>> Thanks!
>> -Devin SmithRockingham, Vermont
>> __________________
>> nafex mailing list
>> nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
>> Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters
>> subscribe/unsubscribe|user config|list info:
>> https://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
>>
>
> __________________
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> nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters
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Re: [nafex] Pomegranates for cold places

I see what you mean about ripening time. Your season may not be long
enough. It may also not be hot enough.

I am in New Mexico at about 4700 feet. We get temperatures here down to
a few degrees below zero at times. I have my pomegranates surrounded by
a wall of straw bales two layers high. The whole area is covered with a
clear tarp and I have heat fixtures inside it that go on at 20 degrees.

My understanding is that the plants don't want to get below 15 or 20
degrees without the tops being killed. I have soft seeded varieties,
which are a little less hardy than the hard seeded ones. Younger plants
are probably even more susceptible.

The new leaves in the spring seem to be very sensitive to temperatures
below 32.  The straw enclosures make them leaf out early so I have to
keep them protected until we are way past a frost danger. The good news
is that they get an earlier start at growing. You might also be able to
extend the season with the kind of enclosure I described.

I've had the impression - though I've never tested it out - that dwarf
pomegranates may be hardier and may ripen their fruit earlier.

Regards,

Jay

Jay Cutts
Director, Cutts Graduate Reviews
Lead Author, Barron's MCAT Prep Book
Lead Author, Barron's MCAT Flash Cards
Lead Author, Barron's LSAT Prep Book
(505) 281-0684 (landline, no texts)
(505) 717-6394 (cell, text or voicemail)
10 am to 10 pm Mt Time, 7 days

On 1/23/2023 7:18 PM, Devin Smith via nafex wrote:
> Lucky mentioned rooting pomegranates. As it happens, I'm hunting around for a pomegranate or two that would be viable in my high tunnel here in VT. I'm generally of the thinking that ripening time is going to be the crucial thing, not so much hardiness. I'm not sure if I'll actually be able to winter it over in the ground or if I'll need to dig it each year. We have been duly impressed by the difference floating row cover has made though, often 5-6 degrees. Also, it's pretty remarkable how differently plants respond to cold in the high tunnel. We registered 27 or 28 degrees several times inside with no sign of frost on tender things like cucumbers, summer squash, and tomatoes. We have an indoor/outdoor thermometer with one right at ground level and the other at chest height, so temp stratification can't explain it. All of this makes me think that wrapping may be an option.
>
>
>
>
> Those of you growing pomegranates at the margins, what is your experience like? How do you protect or overwinter them? What varieties would you suggest?
>
> Thanks!
> -Devin SmithRockingham, Vermont
> __________________
> nafex mailing list
> nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters
> subscribe/unsubscribe|user config|list info:
> https://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
>

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Re: [nafex] Pomegranates for cold places

I've grown the hardier pomegranates here in the Hudson Vally of NY, colder part of Zone 5. You will definitely have to dig up an outdoor plant and move it to winter protection. In tunnel, it depends on your outdoor temperature, the size of the tunnel, and how far the plant is from any of the edges.

Lee
Lee Reich, PhD
Come visit my farmden at
http://www.leereich.com/blog
http://leereich.com <http://leereich.com/>

Books by Lee Reich:
•The Ever Curious Gardener: Using a Little Natural Science for a Much Better Garden
•A Northeast Gardener's Year
•The Pruning Book
•Weedless Gardening
•Uncommon Fruits for every Garden
•Landscaping with Fruit
•Grow Fruit Naturally
•Growing Figs in Cold Climates
• Fruit: From the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection (Tiny Folio)

> On Jan 23, 2023, at 9:18 PM, Devin Smith via nafex <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org> wrote:
>
> Lucky mentioned rooting pomegranates. As it happens, I'm hunting around for a pomegranate or two that would be viable in my high tunnel here in VT. I'm generally of the thinking that ripening time is going to be the crucial thing, not so much hardiness. I'm not sure if I'll actually be able to winter it over in the ground or if I'll need to dig it each year. We have been duly impressed by the difference floating row cover has made though, often 5-6 degrees. Also, it's pretty remarkable how differently plants respond to cold in the high tunnel. We registered 27 or 28 degrees several times inside with no sign of frost on tender things like cucumbers, summer squash, and tomatoes. We have an indoor/outdoor thermometer with one right at ground level and the other at chest height, so temp stratification can't explain it. All of this makes me think that wrapping may be an option.
>
>
>
>
> Those of you growing pomegranates at the margins, what is your experience like? How do you protect or overwinter them? What varieties would you suggest?
>
> Thanks!
> -Devin SmithRockingham, Vermont
> __________________
> nafex mailing list
> nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters
> subscribe/unsubscribe|user config|list info:
> https://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex

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