My little pomegranate, a variety called “Wonderful“, is living up to its name. The flowing scarlet flamenco skirts of the flowers don’t last very long, but in a kind of floral Eurovision stunt, once the maxidress is off, there they are in their nifty stellar mini.
Of course, just because they’re looking gorgeous now, doesn’t mean any of these beautiful budlets will go on to become proper grown-up fruit. The tree struggled on for a few years in a pot, and only gave us our first taste of success when it finally went into the ground last year. And festive as it is, I’m not sure what to read into the flurry of fallen starry frocks underneath the tree.
Apparently pomegranates don’t like humidity much, especially in the spring time. The rigorous raking its roots were getting from feathered visitors up until recently probably didn’t do much for it either. I sorted out that problem by piling rocks and tiles on them – the pomegranate roots, that is, not the brush turkeys, although the thought of burying a turkey or two under an avalanche of bricks is pretty appealing.
I’m hopeful we’ll see a better crop this year. A tree with a 5,000 year old history of cultivation has got to be tough as old boots, I reckon. Unsubstantiated rumour has it that the pomegranate may even have been the “apple” that Eve was tempted with by the diamond python of the Garden of Eden.  Surely a participant in that epic contest between good and evil (or at least, between nudity and a well supplied fruit bowl) will be able to handle a tussle with a chook or two. With luck, in the spirit of this year’s glamorous bearded Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst, our feisty femme will “rise like a phoenix” above her stack of stones and discarded finery.
6 thoughts on “Pomegranates: a Christmas star turn”
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I have also found Pomegranates to be tough shrubs.
Mine was planted in rocky shallow ground, and is shaded by a Mango, Kunzea ambigua and Ceratopetalum gummiferum.
Even so it still grew well and looks attractive and bushy.
But it only gets a few flowers and no fruit so far.
I germinated it from a seed back in 2005.
I should have got a named variety like you.
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s630/GeorgeGibson1813/Garden/redflower1_zpsc4a75181.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s630/GeorgeGibson1813/Garden/redflower2_zps6ccb89c6.jpg
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s630/GeorgeGibson1813/Garden/bush1_zps98d294af.jpg
Pretty! I wonder if your fruiting problem is related to sunlight rather than the named variety?? I’m pretty sure pomegranates like close to full sun. Not sure. Impressed that you managed to get one to grow from seed… it’s always satisfying, though I tend to go for the named ones – I figure all those years of waiting for them to get old enough to fruit, I’m going to be really annoyed if they don’t!
Yes, having full sun would probably help a lot,
also I didn’t do a lot of work digging and ‘de-rocking’ a big hole for it.
Just squeezed it in to get it out of the pot,
so quite surprised it survived so well.
You may have already heard this Nicole but if not …Check out Act Two. Murder Most Fowl. from episode #452 of This American Life, “Poultry Slam 2011”
“The number of wild turkeys in the United States has risen from 30,000 at the beginning of the 20th century to an estimated seven million today. And it’s common for them to get aggressive with people. But the average turkey doesn’t come close to the reign of terror unleashed by one particular turkey, named Tom, on Martha’s Vinyard in 2008. Sam Bungey tells the story. (15 minutes)”
You can listen to the episode on their website:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/452/poultry-slam-2011
Good luck there with the pomegranates!
Best,
Juko
Thanks for the tip, Juke. Will check it out… watch out for wild turkey, eh? I have been meaning to listen to TAL for ages…