Cold Hardy Pomegranate Cultivars

[JoshHolbrook]

Hi all,

I thought I'd get the inevitable thread going... Cold hardniess in poms! I'd love to hear everyone's experience with different varieties.


The only Pom I've got with satisfying in-ground data is Salavatski. I have two multi-year in ground Sal's on my property in western NC, USA (Zone 7b). One survived with no damage, one died down to the roots on a day that reached -2F last year. I suspect the difference had to do with the one that survived being positioned on the slope. Next year, I'll be testing some other varieties in ground that are supposedly hardier - Uzbek, for instance.

[pombazaar]

I live in 6B near Detroit. Last year I bought a 6 year Russian pomegranate and kept it in a container. It produced one pom and I assumed it was a Salavatski based on hull, aril, and taste. It was pretty small for a 6 year tree so I don't think it was cared for that well by the previous owner. We had a few very cold days this winter reaching -5F and it ended up died down to the root. I also thought that was kind of unusual for a true Salavatski being kept in garage since they're known for cold hardiness. Late this summer it started shooting branches out at the base.

This year I have a verified Salavatski and Kazake. The Kazake is a monster peaking at over 5 feet! I plan on winterizing both inside my basement this year to be safe.

[JoshHolbrook]

I think a few factors go into cold hardiness - substrate, age of the plant, etc. - so I wouldn't completely discount the possibility that yours may be Salavatiski. One thing I've learned though, is that the extreme colds can kill them, but warming/cooling cycles can do a lot more - if they break dormancy then get a freeze, they're pretty much doomed to die back to the ground... They recover more quickly with time, but that's always going to set you back a year.

[pombazaar]

Oh that's actually really good to know. I'll keep feeding this thing and hopefully next year it makes a full come back. Do you foresee any issues winterizing inside without grow lights?

[crademan]

This GrowingFruit.org thread is about cold hardy pomegranates. https://growingfruit.org/t/cold-hardy-p ... e/18389/10

[JoshHolbrook]

Oh that's actually really good to know. I'll keep feeding this thing and hopefully next year it makes a full come back. Do you foresee any issues winterizing inside without grow lights?

Nope - I'd keep it nice and dark in dormancy, and as long as it's out of the wind and on a concrete floor, it should be able to take some pretty low temperatures.

[pombazaar]

My basement is carpeted and doesn't fall below 60F in the winter. You think that's still fine? I'm worried at that temp they won't actually go into dormancy but I know if I keep them in the garage (unconnected from the house and opened every day) they're likely to die.

[JoshHolbrook]

I would keep it in the garage for as long as you can - maybe keep an eye on the temperatures and move it in to the 60° room when it looks like outside temperatures are going to get below 10… In a 60 degree room it will almost certainly wake up early, but you could always put it near a window or something like that… And they will also survive just fine for a couple weeks without any light even if they are leafing out.

[Brambleberry]

I'm very interested in this thread as well.

I have a handful of cultivars that I am trialing in ground, outdoors in z6b in southern Indiana.

I had a Salavatski successfully fruit 5 years ago, after a couple mild winters where it had 0 dieback. First year it flowered but set no fruit, second year it made 5 poms, they were perfect! I grew out 5 seedlings and they are planted outside as well now.

The polar vortex winters killed the original Sal, but I had some backup cuttings. In the meantime, I planted a Lubiymi(favorite), and have found it to be as hardy as Sal. No mild winters yet though so no flowers or fruit.

I'm also gathering other cultivars to trial. Off the top of my head, they are:
Entek Habi Saveh
Surh-anor
Kazake
DK from Shelvan
Apseronski
a few others I'm forgetting

So far all of these have behaved like figs, dying to the ground each winter and sprouting up anew. Same with the sal seedlings

If anyone wants to trade cuttings or plants, I'm game!

[Hillbillyhort]

@brambleberry
That is encouraging that you got fruit in Indiana !
Are you close to the river ?