In planting pomegranate, you must understand that there are things one needs to put into consideration before taking the step. The recommendations for planting pomegranate are discussed in this article so as to help you know more on what do do and what not to do or consider when planting pomegranate.
Trenches digging for pomegranate planting
The pits are opened following the marking of the pomegranate planting locations. The optimum pit sizes are 23 cm in diameter and as deep, while in soils with excellent drainage, the recommended pit sizes are 11.5 cm in depth and 11.5 cm in diameter. So that the soil can be naturally sanitized by solar radiation, they are dug more than a month before planting. The size of the pits shouldn’t be larger than the size of the plant’s root system if bare-rooted pomegranate trees are to be planted.
Below are some of the tools or equipment we use in digging trenches:
- Rake: This rake is used to eliminate any clumps and smooth the soil in a new or old bed.
- Spade: A shovel is a tool used to transfer loose, granular materials like soil or gravel from one place to another as well as to dig. One of the most used instruments for trench digging is the spade.
- Trench shovel: The narrow trenches are cleaned out or dug with a trenching shovel.
- Mattock: When the earth is hard or challenging to penetrate, a mattock is helpful for digging holes and ditches when making a trench.
- Wheelbarrow: In the trench site, they are used for the movement of sand, soil, stones and any other material that can be a bit challenging to move with the bare hands.
Here are some advantages of growing in pomegranate in trenches:
- When growing the plant on trenches, organic material layers decompose over time and enrich the soil with nutrients, encouraging the y friendly cultivation of pomegranate fruit and flowers.
- Less watering is required since the same organic materials retain moisture.
- Trench gardens can be used for an all year-round planting in warmer climates since they retain heat from the sun on chilly but sunny days. This will help the pomegranate plant grow even in cold days.
Recommendations for the pomegranate planting
To get the best out of your pomegranate tree or plants, here are some recommendations that will help you achieve that.
- Sunlight: Pomegranate trees can grow in shade, but it’s ideal to put them where there’s a lot of warmth and sunlight. Your tree needs at least six hours of direct sunlight each day to produce a strong and healthy crop.
- Water: Pomegranates need at least one inch of water every week to grow and produce at their best. Water is essential when the weather is dry. If the fruit isn’t properly watered during dry seasons, it may ripen too soon. Typically, pomegranates have bushy growth and root suckers. You should wait until the last of the bitter cold has passed before planting your seedlings. Prior to planting, the area must be thoroughly watered. Throughout the first growing season, you should continue to water freely.
- Soil type: With the exception of saline or extremely calcareous alkaline soils, pomegranates can grow in the majority of soil types. Pomegranates prefer slightly acidic soil but can tolerate mildly alkaline soil up to a pH of 7.5. (pH 5.5-6.5).
- Indoor planting in pomegranate would be good when dwarf pomegranate is planted as this will be much more easier to handle at home based on its small size.
Necessity of fertilizers in pomegranate planting
Pomegranates require a lot of nitrogen and like acidic soil, much like all flowering and fruiting trees do. Nitrogen aids in the growth and development of plants and can increase the yield and caliber of fruit. Your pomegranate trees have all the nutrients they need to flourish when you use a balanced fertilizer that incorporates nitrogen. For pomegranate plants, you can use either homemade compost or fertilizer.
Examples of fertilizers used for pomegranate includes:
- A balanced 10-10-10 mix
- ammonium sulfate
- high-nitrogen fertilizers1
Your trees are growing and establishing themselves throughout the first year following planting. A layer of mulch or compost should suffice during this period as their only additional fertilizer. You may freely add a tiny amount of fertilizer during the second year. Many trees don’t require any fertilizer at all. Using fertilizers to enrich the soil is good, but doing so at a high rate can overburden your soil.
How does soil pH affect pomegranate planting?
The amount of nutrients and other substances that are soluble in soil water and hence available to plants depends on the pH of the soil. Each plant has a specific pH value range that is advised. This is because soil nutrient availability is influenced by pH, and various plants have varying nutrient requirements. For instance: When the pH level in the soil is higher than 5.5, the nutrient nitrogen, which is crucial for plant growth, is available. The improper kind of soil will deprive a plant of the nutrients it requires, which will encourage diseases happening or occurring in the plant. The best PH level for pomegranate plant is 5.5 -7.0, which is neutral to slightly acidic soil.
How does soil drainage affect pomegranate planting
Soil drainage play a very important role in pomegranate planting. A good soil with a good drainage will help produce a good plant. Water travels across, through, and out of the soil naturally as a function of gravity through a process known as soil drainage. Healthy plant roots and growth needs oxygen for respiration and this oxygen is provided in a larger amount when the soil is well drained. Soil drainage help stop water collection that could cause soil erosion in the plant. It also to stop the buildup of stagnant water, which can promote the breeding of fungus or pathogens. When a soil is well drained, it also affects the pomegranate planting by reducing the risk of having diseases such as root rot from affecting your pomegranate plant.
Below are some general importance of soil drainage to plants:
- Drainage guarantees proper soil aeration
- Drainage helps prevent soil erosion and the loss of nutrients and soil due to runoff.
- The risk of soil slippage is decreased by drainage on hill slopes.
- Soil drainage helps to prevent the weakness of plant roots.
- Soil drainage helps to prevent some root and stem diseases.
However, as much as plants love a well drained soil, they are also plants that thrive better in soggy soil, and they include:
- Water hyssop.
- Pickerelweed.
- Cattail.
- Iris.
- Canna
- Elephant’s ear.
- Swamp sunflower.
- Scarlet swamp hibiscus2