[Jan] Punica granatum Nana

[Jan]

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Puncia Granarum Nana -Pomegranate
Original height of stock: 130mm
Where you obtained it from: Urban Yamadori (Mum wanted it gone)
Cost of stock: Under an hour digging it.

[Edward Scissorhand]

Nice tree Jan. Typo? Is it punica granatum?

[Jan]

Opps, yes Can't believe I got spelling wrong on both words! It is Punica Granatum.

It was a very sad little plant shaded and starved by a larger tree growing nearby. Mum was about to assign it to the bin so I had nothing to lose by giving it a try. It had very poor roots when removed so I potted it into a cutting striking style of mix, treated it with Seasol and crossed my fingers.

It has languished there after a move of house and been neglected since as we got the new place in order (great house and shed but VERY degraded block of land - salvageable with lots of work), found work in a new area and “life” ate up my time - the competition has been the catalyst to see if something can be made of it after all.

I still don’t know what I’ve got to play with re roots and how much of the trunk and branching is dead (carving opportunity!) but that discovery is for after April 1.

Thanks for the wake up call, Edward Scissorhand, hope that Steven or someone with access will edit the title to clarify what species this is (Thanks in anticipation),

Jan

[Jan]

Branch chop for this plant today; the longer branches have little taper so I will chop them to try to set them up for Spring growth that should create more taper and ramification. There looks to be plenty of dead wood to carve so I'll be able to play with this one over winter. Couldn't bring myself to cut off this plants first flowers since it was rescued; I'll chop those branches later but I won't let it set fruit.

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Frosts have started here so I’ll try to extend the growing season a bit for this plant to encourage it to heal and set up new buds for spring growth by placing a poly grow tube over the plant and pot, and positioning it up against the shed water tank to take advantage of the thermal mass creating a warmer overnight micro climate.

[Jan]

Sitting in under the shelter of a callistemon, this little fellow has continued to put on new growth (but VERY slowly). I can see that I'll have to cut the flowers/fruit off to give that branch a chance to set itself up for new growth where I want it in spring.

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The carving is going to be a big feature on this one, so much of the old wood is dead. I'll attack the carving before I repot so that the plant will suffer as little damage to roots as possible while I'm applying "tools". I'll repot it when I'm happy with the carving at this stage, to let any roots damaged as I rattle the pot heal in fresh new mix.

Jan

[Jan]

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This little fellow held it leaves all winter in its sheltered position and is showing new growth.

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I'll have to investigate just where the live wood is on this plant and get a bit of carving done to bring it into balance. I'm hoping for quick growth to use clip 'n grow to build ramification and fill out this little one. What I find when I investigate under the soil surface will help to decide final pot shape/depth.

Jan.

[Neli]

I have had bad experience with PGN. Every time I trunk chopped a tree the trunk dies almost up to the base where it shoots up. Never had a old PGN shoot from the top.
Do other people have the same experience?

[Jan]

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This little one is going well, lots of flowers and thickening up nicely. BUT something needs to be done about the old trunk and ugly cuts to remover dead material.

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I started by cutting off the old trunk then set about drilling the base to disguise the flat cuts. I moved on with a dremel and an aggressive burr to refine the carving so far finishing up with a look I was happy with.

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But the ragged, hairy look of "sawdusty" bits were sticking up so out with the burning tool and cleaned up all those "hairy bits" and hardened up the wood a bit.

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Then into a new pot with minimal root disturbance, trimmed a few of the longer ones and added a bit of new mix to help with the recovery/growing on. This one has been put into my old fish tank/hot-humid house (the tank sprung a leek on a bottom joint so now I use it as a sheltered, humid place for my mame to sit in the damp gravel on the bottom and as a recovery area for things repotted a bit out of their comfort zone).
I will enjoy the flowers then give it a trim to try for a bit more ramification before winter.

[GavinG]

Nice transformation. It will be interesting to see it with fruit, when you let it. Please keep posting it after the competition finishes.

Gavin

[Watto]

I have one of those pots so I know how big it is now, well done. Like Gavin, I am looking forward to its progression but I really like what you have done with the old trunk, it adds years.

[Jan]

I decided that this one needed a trim up (it had put on a growth spurt since transplanting). As I worked I decided that it would look better moved to a slightly larger pot in a lighter colour.

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I think this pot frames the plant better and the colour compliments the lime leaves.

Jan.

[Jan]

Not a lot happening in this cooler weather but the bit of new growth shows that it is happy in the latest pot.

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Still cutting back longer growth to encourage better ramification.

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Jan.

[Neli]

Jan I have the same problem with PGN....if you trunk chop a old tree the top dies and you get shoots from the base. I have been experimenting with airlayering the top part and I get better results and buds on top. I have 2 in this competition and both reacted like yours to the trunk chop.
Conslusion: dont let escape branches get too old before chopping them back.

[Jan]

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Front

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Side

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Back

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Side 2

I'm happy with the progress so far with this one. It has been a little slow to build branches but is healthy and settling into its new pot well.

Until the last few days it has still been winter woollies weather here, so the plant has not begun to put on much new season growth. It has flowered for me and I have cut off the flowers before fruit developed, to minimise the drain on the developing plant. It was really a big cutting so I'm being gentle with it. I'm looking forward to Spring growth and the flowers.

Jan.

[Jan]

This is just the start with this tree. I plan to continue building the branch structure and will be looking to increase ramification this season. I plan to keep the tree to shohin size and in this pot for now (who can resist a better pot if we see one!) Since the plant is looking to be in good health I plan to push it along with a fertiliser program geared to vegetative growth - flowers are a bonus but I am after branch structure first.

Jan.