To: mailing list at ibiblio - Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [nafex] Pomegranates for cold places
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2023 04:57:08 -0500
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.
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•A Northeast Gardener’s Year
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•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
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> (505) 281-0684 (landline, no texts)
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>
> 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
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