Pomegranate seedlings

[bonsaifreak07]

Hey guys, so i've started some poms from seed last spring so they're about a year old now. I haven't touched them yet so they're about 10cm tall and all of them are bunched together in one pot. So my question is: When should I repot/pot up individually and should I root prune? And when to prune the plant itself and how much, or should I just let em go crazy to get some girth? Sorry bout all the q's. just trying to learn the ways...

[shibui]

You can pot up seedlings (known as pricking out) as soon as they are large enough to handle - any time after the first set of true leaves.
Pricking out into individual pots early will give the seedlings the best opportunity to grow but they can be potted on at any time. I have had seedlings in community pots for several years before potting up - they just grow slower while bunched together.

SO...
You could pot up your pomegranate seedlings now with no problems. While they are dormant without leaves is considered the best time, late winter is considered ideal.
If you intend to use them for bonsai cut roots quite hard (as short as you are game? Ideally cut all downward roots off and shorten laterals to 2cm but it depends what roots are there. Young seedlings can cope with very radical root removal.) when you pot up to develop good radial nebari in future. If they are for garden plants where root arrangement is not important just cut enough so the roots don't bunch up or curl when you pot up.
Let them grow after you have them in individual pots. They will grow much better and quicker with some space.

[Neli]

Have you thought of fusing them together, like one of those twisted pomes I have seen in Japan and China? It will give you a large trunk faster, and interesting movement.

[bonsaifreak07]

Thanks Shibui and Nel. I'll definitely consider the fusing idea.