#BonsaiNews: Grow your own pomegranate tree!
WITH the Winter solstice upon us this June 21, it would be wise to get those pomegranate seeds going right away, especially if you intend to have a fruit bearing tree within the coming years.
No you do not need to go and buy a tree, or get a cutting from a friend, all you need is to get your hands on some ripe pomegranate.
Did you know that pomegranate trees make for excellent bonsai?
First off, these are some of the things you'll need in order to get started on growing your own pomegranate tree:
A pomegranate, a knife, some lightweight seed-starting potting soil, a seed tray, a windowsill and (optional) clear plastic wrap.
Now that you've got everything you need, you'll want to scoop out some seeds from the fruit - try not to eat them all first - and, once you've collected those that you want, rinse them off with cold water to get rid of some of the pulp.
You may now proceed to dry them off with some paper towels and in doing so, remove the remaining pulp. If you intend to plant them outside, ensure that you allow the seeds to dry out a bit before planting as this will help to prevent them from rotting, especially during unforeseen rainy days.
Alternatively, gather your seeds, the potting soil and your planting tray. In order to avoid the possibility of pests, ensure that you use a sterile seed mixture.
Proceed to fill up the tray with the potting soil and, after doing so, press holes into the surface at a depth of about 1.5cm. Place your seeds individually and cover lightly.
If you did not wet the potting soil prior to planting, mist the top layer of potting soil and proceed to cover with plastic wrap.
Poke some tiny holes through the plastic and as soon as the top of the soil appears to dry out, mist it again.
Using plastic wrap to cover the planting tray allows the environment within the tray to remain humid and retain some moisture. Within a period of just over one month, generally 30 - 40 days, the seeds will have shown visible signs of germination.
It is advised that the seedlings stay indoors until winter has come to an end and thereafter you may proceed to plant them up the in the garden or individual pots. If you are lucky, and look after the tree well, it should produce fruit within a period of three years.
Hints and tips to consider when growing a pomegranate tree from seed:
Wrapping the planting tray around the base in tinfoil and placing the planting tray in a windowsill where it receives ample sunlight will reduce the amount of time required for germination - generally by around two weeks.
When planting your seedlings, ensure that the soil mixture used is rich in alkaline. Most nurseries sell soils like this however, they tend to have a neutral level of alkaline pH.
To ensure that the tree and it's fruit receive the proper amount of alkaline (a good, balanced level is 7.5) you may add some garden lime.
That's a wrap.
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