Most plant has a root system. A Pomegranate root system is quite easy to learn about and in this article, we will be exploring more about the pomegranate root system. You may be asking, “what exactly is a root system?” well this shouldn’t be hard to answer. The plant root system is the simplest form of a plant’s spatial arrangement. It involves the type of plant being cultivated, the composition of the soil, and the availability of nutrients are just that might affect this system, which can be highly complex. In this article, we will be looking thoroughly at the pomegranate root system.
Pomegranate Root System
The roots of pomegranate trees or shrubs are generally shallow. Many common landscape trees have shallow root systems. The roots of these types of trees go down only 4 to 8 inches into the ground1. Some factors affect the growth of the root system, these include:
- Species of the plant.
- The composition of the soil.
- Its soil type.
- The growing conditions2.
Functions of a root system
- Water Absorption
- Mineral absorption
- Prevent or stop soil erosion:
- Transportation of nutrients
- They help with storage
- Additional or mechanical assistance
However shallow root system has their advantages and disadvantages. Some of the advantages of a shallow root system are:
- Ability to quickly get water from irrigation or rainfall
- Good drainage system,
- Increased availability of nutrients in the top soil layers;
- A decreased likelihood of oxygen deprivation
- The ability to transplant shrubs with shallow roots is another major benefit.
- They are relatively simple to dig up and transfer if necessary because they don’t have a long, deep taproot.
- Shrubs or trees with shallow roots can also be multiplied more easily.
However, a shallow root system has its disadvantage which includes:
- Poor disease resistance,
- Poor ability to fend off pest attack
- By delivering vital nutrients and microorganisms right to the root zone, deep root feeding aids. The benefits of feeding your plants properly include greater flowering, increased disease resistance, and improved ability to fend off pest attacks.
- When there is a drought, bushes with shallow roots wilt more quickly than those with deep roots.
- If planted in locations that frequently flood or have standing water, plants with shallow roots are more likely to have root rot.
Some other examples of shrubs and trees that make use of shallow root system includes:
- cherry trees
- hydrangeas
- azaleas
- Beech
- Birch
- Cottonwood
- Hackberry Norway maple
- Silver maple
- Spruce Sugar maple
- dogwoods,
- Japanese maples
- Eastern redbuds boxwoods.
Do pomegranate Trees Have Big Roots?
The roots of pomegranate trees or shrubs are relatively shallow, which means they have little depth. The root of a pomegranate isn’t necessarily big. Pomegranate as earlier stated adopts a shallow root system which is expected based on how the nature of the fruit. However, there are advantages and disadvantages of having small roots:
Advantages of the small root are:
- It is easy to manage
- It is easy to maintain
- It is easy to apply manure and fertilizers.
Disadvantages of the small roots are:
- It is easy for roots to lose stability.
- Deep soil nutrients may not be accessed.
Pomegranate Tree Root Size
The pomegranate root system is shallow. The size of a pomegranate root is two to three feet long. This is not a big root size. However, this is not a surprise based on the fact that they also possess a shallow root system. The small root enables the pomegranate to have easy access to water and nutrient. It also makes pomegranate tree planting easy and that is why pomegranates can be planted in pots or containers.
Does pomegranate have invasive roots?
No, pomegranates are noninvasive, this is a major reason why pomegranate trees are good for growing in containers and pots. Pomegranate trees don’t get too big, making them perfect for most home landscapes, so if you want to plant one, know that you can do it even indoors. As long as there are no pesticides used, pomegranate cultivation is comparatively sustainable because there is no harm done to the air, water, land, soil, forests, etc. Another lovely child of its tree is the flowers. They are tiny shrubs that can reach heights of between 16 and 33 feet and are distinguished by their brilliant red features and approximately 1.2 inches in diameter3. Some of the advantages of noninvasive roots include:
- Saves water
- Make use of little chemicals and insecticides
- They require little maintenance and are simple to contain in one area.
- Take up the minimal room around you
Some of the disadvantages of noninvasive roots include:
- Erosion
- Over flooding
- Inability to tap nutrients from the deep soil.
How far do pomegranate tree roots spread?
Pomegranate plants produced more root growth or root activity in shallow, light-textured soils than in deep, clayey soils. Most root activities observed in soils are between 0 and 60 centimeters radially and between 0 and 45 centimeters vertically.
how deep do pomegranate roots go?
Pomegranate roots grow deep usually within the first 2 to 3 feet of soil. The roots of pomegranate are shallow and noninvasive too. Pomegranates can be planted and grown in containers and pots. There are several advantages to growing pomegranate in containers as it makes plants and containers more wind-resistant and provides easier maintenance. Some of the benefits of using pots or containers in growing pomegranate include:
- Easier to watch over
- Easier to transport to a place of adequate sunlight.
- Easier to prevent pests and insects
- Easier to keep away from rainfall.
how long does it take for pomegranate cuttings to root?
It takes about 4 to 8 weeks under warm or favorable conditions. Growing a pomegranate tree from cutting isn’t that hard. A hardwood cutting that is taken at the right time is necessary for growing a pomegranate tree from cuttings. Pomegranate tree cuttings should be taken in the late winter. Each cutting should be roughly 10 inches (25 cm) long and made from wood that is at least a year old and has a diameter of between 14 and 12 inches (6 mm and 1 cm).
Immediately after taking a cut, dip the cut end of each pomegranate tree in a commercial growth hormone. Before planting, you can let the roots grow in your greenhouse. Alternatively, you could plant the cuttings right away in their final resting place. If you choose to plant the cuttings outside, choose a location with loamy soil that receives direct sunlight. Each cutting’s lower end should be inserted into the prepared soil4..
Cutting is a method of pomegranate tree propagation that has the following advantages:
- The new product will be a replica of the old one.
- Cutting-based plant propagation eliminates the challenges associated with seed-based propagation.
- A plant that is started from a cutting usually matures and flowers more quickly than one that is started from seed5.
However, as much as it has its advantages, it also has its disadvantages which include:
- If you do not take cuttings from a mother plant, it will be more difficult to find someone who can grow a plant successfully, making it more difficult to obtain cuttings.
- Lack of genetic variation and a possible increase in the resultant plant’s susceptibility to disease and insects.
Examples of other trees that can be propagated using cuttings are:
- Apple
- Apricot
- Blueberry
- Cherry
- Peach
- Pear
- Plum
Do gophers eat pomegranate roots?
Yes, they do, but fortunately, most pomegranate roots are resistant to gophers. Gophers are members of the Geomyidae family of burrowing rodents. All of the approximately 41 species are unique to North and Central America. They have a reputation for engaging in vast tunneling activities and having the power to ruin gardens and farms6. Plant roots, bushes, and other vegetables like carrots, lettuce, radishes, and any other vegetable with juice are all consumed by gophers. Gophers pose less of a hazard to established trees, but a young tree’s survival may need to be considered for protection.
Other examples of plants that suffer gophers attack:
- Rosemary.
- Salvia.
- Daffodils.
- Lavender.
- Marigolds.
- Catnip.
Dangers of gophers to plants:
• Gophers can spread rabies because they are mammals. They may not show any symptoms, but they can still infect you or another family member by biting. The possibility of a bite increases if you have a young child since they might try to pet or pull a gopher out of its hole. However, when you have gophers on your property, rabies is not the only illness to be concerned about. Other dangerous diseases including the plague, hantavirus, and monkey pox are also spread by gophers.
• Gophers consume more than just grass. They might begin devouring the roots of your plants and flowers while they are underground. They will probably start eating your planted bulbs as well if you have any. Since gophers do not live underground, your bedding plants may also become a meal for these pests. Initially, you could start to see flower heads vanishing that was there the day before. Then, as the gophers pull them into their tunnels and holes to subsequently eat on, you can start noticing entire flower plants gone7.
How do you protect fruit tree roots from gophers?
The following are steps to protect fruit trees from gophers.
- Installation of underground barrier
- By covering the sides and bottoms of planting holes or raised beds with chicken wire or galvanized hardware cloth, you can create underground barriers. The chicken wire should be painted twice with rust-proof paint before being buried.
- Finding gopher activity
- Find recent gopher activity regions. Gophers frequently build many mounds each day while moving around continually. Moist, black earth generally surrounds recently constructed mounds.
- Verify and reset any traps
- To keep light out, cover the traps with plywood, canvas, or cardboard. Always check the traps. If the trap area is covered in dirt, the gopher’s surface feeding area rather than the main burrow may be where it is. Also, every two to three days, shift the traps till you find the gophers.
Equipment and tools you will be needing to create a trap for gophers: Shovel, Gopher probe, Gopher traps, Stakes and wire, Chicken wire or galvanized hardware cloth, Rustproof paint, Plywood, cardboard 8.
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Citations used in this article includes:
- https://www.gardenguides.com/12003458-types-of-trees-with-shallow-roots.html
- http://treesandwoods.com/sycamore-tree-root/
- https://www.floraqueen.com/blog/pomegranate-flower-a-bright-fragrance
- https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/pomegranate/pomegranate-tree-cuttings.htm
- https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/yardandgarden/extpub/new-plants-from-cuttings-text-only/
- https://www.craigandsons.com/4-hazards-of-having-gophers-on-your-property/
- https://www.craigandsons.com/4-hazards-of-having-gophers-on-your-property/
- https://homeguides.sfgate.com/keep-gophers-out-vegetable-gardens-42101.html
