Recently I saw a post on another forum reguarding when to repot Pomegranates. Although the thread starter lived in a cooler climate than myself, the replies/advice he/she was given was interesting and may well have answered my question....but being in Australia and having this wonderful new site at my disposal I thought I'd ask the locals to get a more specific answer.
In the past I've repotted my one and only Pom, in Spring. So far (4yrs I've owned it) it has responded fairly well to a light root prune and fresh soil at this time of year. However, a reply to this thread suggested that Pomegranates like being repotted alot later and well into the Summer months. The reason given was that in the cooler Spring temps they tend to be slow to recover. This person also said that in fact they can be repotted in full leaf, once the new fresh growth had hardened off
Can anyone give me a clear answer on this in regards to Australian conditions.
You can dig them in mid summer as well after the growth hardens off, I think they go dormant when the temp reaches a set degree, but I'm not entirely sure.
i normaly repot late winter to spring. but i guess it depends where you come from. have they got freezing conditions? but could be so. this year i have repotted olives and mugo's and a juniper in the middle of summer and all have responded better than ever before.
Thanks for the replies so far. As yet nothing that really answers my question fully so I suppose I'll just hold off until Spring. That is unless someone comes up with a definitive answer. Thanks anyway.
I'd repot pommies mid/late spring. Olives and Junipers can take repotting almost anytime of the year except maybe mid summer and mid winter, pines I am no authority on, but with flowering trees I would stick to spring. I've done pyracantha's later with no problem but I've not found them particularly sensitive.
I just finished researching pom's. Most of this comes from Bonsai Today Issue 107 which I've condensed. There are good illustrations in the article which are worth studying. I didn't copy any of them for copyright reasons.
Cultivars
The two main cultivars used for bonsai in Japan are Neijikan and Oomi zakuro, however in Australia we only seem to have P.g. nana, and fruiting cultivars such as “wonderful”. Some authors say that nana will develop a spiraling trunk habit, though this is not confirmed.
Pruning and shaping
With all pomegranates there is a close relationship between roots and branches. Removing a large branch can cause the sap to stop flowing downwards. When the sap fails to reach the corresponding root it eventually dies. Likewise, pruning a thick root too drastically will harm the corresponding branch. For that reason avoid pruning thick roots or branches.
The preferred method of shaping is for branches to be trained slightly upward. Since pruning thick roots is dangerous, it is important to try and build as much of the branch structure as possible while the tree is young.
Field growing is restricted to a maximum of three years, as the roots become too thick.
The ideal time to prune is December. Always remove one of each pair of opposite branches to develop alternating branch structure.
In spring, pinch the tips of strong shoots when they have extended by about four leaves, if thickening branches, let shoots grow and prune back to 2-3 buds when leaves have fallen in autumn.
Wire from spring to early summer (September – December) when branches are still young; no thicker than a pencil. Gut wires can assist on thicker branches. Wire so that there is a general upward movement.
Repotting
Do not cut off thick roots, it will severely weaken the tree, or cause die back.
Avoid repotting in the cold season, the best time is around October to early November, depending on where you live. Transplanting too early can inhibit the buds from sprouting. Repot mature trees every 2 or 3 years, young trees every 2.
General care
Pomegranates are not noted for tolerating frost, though this depends on who you talk to and the cultivar. Allow plants to dry out before watering, excessive watering can cause root problems. The species does not like acid soil. Occasionally amend with dolomite, or water with diluted ash, and water again. Fertilize after flowering has stopped, and continue into late autumn. Trees benefit from some sun protection in summer, those these trees are of Mediterranean origin and don't mind a bit of heat.
What I do know about these is that you can strike cuttings very easily just prior to leaf swell. I got 100% strike on Nanas and a seedling cultivar with purple fruit like Emperor called 'Evergreen's Red Dwarf'. Now I have more than I know what to do with. I just cut them and popped them in my humidity dome with bottom heat and they rooted like mad in two weeks.
I just cut them and popped them in my humidity dome with bottom heat and they rooted like mad in two weeks.
