Newbie questions

[OBecian]

Hello All, writing from Zone 10b, but less than one mile from the coast. I recently acquired two pomegranates. One was an Angel Red. I believe it is a 2 year old tree. It has one bloom opening on a lower branch I was advised to trim by a friend with many fruit trees. I did just above the bloom which is starting to open. ? for this tree is: Is it reasonable to expect some fruit next year? Fertilized one week after planting with one cup of a 6-4-2 mixture sprinkled around the edge of the berm.

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The second is a Parfianka small plant that I moved from a pot to a 50 gallon pot that once had a 10 foot palm. The question here is whether I can just keep the Parfianka in this pot and not even bother moving it into the ground and expect some fruit in a couple of years. Fertilized two weeks after planting with about 1/4 cup of 6-4-2.

61057867059--B0160FCF-50DE-4D3D-8D38-98EB677AAE6E.JPG (463.44 KiB) Viewed 4609 times

Thanks for your help! I am hoping i can get fruit this close to the coast and a complete beginner!

C

[alanmercieca]

Hello All, writing from Zone 10b, but less than one mile from the coast. I recently acquired two pomegranates. One was an Angel Red. I believe it is a 2 year old tree. It has one bloom opening on a lower branch I was advised to trim by a friend with many fruit trees. I did just above the bloom which is starting to open. ? for this tree is: Is it reasonable to expect some fruit next year? Fertilized one week after planting with one cup of a 6-4-2 mixture sprinkled around the edge of the berm.
61057856113--6D5EC06F-BB58-4672-B77F-7DB10BD3C1E4.JPG
The second is a Parfianka small plant that I moved from a pot to a 50 gallon pot that once had a 10 foot palm. The question here is whether I can just keep the Parfianka in this pot and not even bother moving it into the ground and expect some fruit in a couple of years. Fertilized two weeks after planting with about 1/4 cup of 6-4-2.
61057867059--B0160FCF-50DE-4D3D-8D38-98EB677AAE6E.JPG

Thanks for your help! I am hoping i can get fruit this close to the coast and a complete beginner!

C

Angel Red is a great hybrid variety, I have not tried it myself, although I know of someone in California growing it, it does great in a Los Angeles kind of climate. I am not sure how it does where you live. It will likely fruit next year, yet some pomegranate bushes will flower 3 or more times before fruiting. How far away from the coast? Over a mile?

A 50 gallon clay or ceramic pot would probably work permanently if the roots could get in to the ground, yet it does not look like they could get in the ground where that pot is, on top of bricks. In a pot people usually take the plant out every now and then to prune the roots.

[OBecian]

Thanks for the tips. I live a little over half a mile from the coast where it can be very overcast for much of May and June. The gentleman at what appeared to be an excellent nursery said the Angel Red could do well in this part of town. However, I've read since that Eversweet likely would have been better in this environment. We'll see.

[Eykca]

I live in 9b, Fresno CA, so I can only speak to my experiences. I have the three varieties you mentioned. I agree with your friend's recommendation to remove the bloom and would NOT expect it to grow any fruit to full size next year either. Pomegranates have this lovely habit of talking a big game and then growing golf-ball sized fruit if the trees are not sufficiently large, at least mine do. I would set 2 years from now as a reasonable goal to grow 3-5 fruit, a low number, quality over quantity. As far as an Eversweet being a better fit than an Angel Red for your zone, I've never heard that. My Angel Red, young like yours, is doing great and so is the Eversweet. Just water once a week and have a nice thick level of mulch on them to keep the soil most and I would think you'd be great!

As far as leaving the pom in the pot, i've never heard of them making good pot plants. I have a bunch of different fig varieties and people rave about figs abilities to prosper in pots (see millennial gardener), same with lemons and kumquats (which I have in pots), but never pomegranates. I would try to find a place for it, but I don't know if that's possible.

[greenfig]

Congrats on the new great poms!
I agree with what was said and would like to reiterate that in your zone the poms should be in ground if you want to eat the best tasting fruit. I am in 10a and have them both, in pots and in ground. No comparison. Ground wins by a mile. Even more, plant them in the sunniest possible spot, not too wet, and in 2-3 years you will have nice harvests.

[OBecian]

Thanks to all of you. Now I know. I will keep the Parfianka in the pot til Spring of 2022 and then plant in the ground. My backyard already has a lemon and a Mexican Sweet lime and adding another tree would cut into the dog run I use to keep my 3 year old Sheepdog sane.
The Parfianka I will move to the front lawn once it gets bigger.
I did end up chickening out and cut the branch ABOVE the bloom. It's blooming so I will see what happens. So funny because I have been joking with my wife about golf ball sized fruit.