Pomegranates also grow in Germany

Pomegranates also grow in Germany

The botanical name of the pomegranate tree is Punica granatum. It is a three to five meter tall tree that can get very old. In Europe, the small cultivated form Punica granatum Nana is also widespread. The dwarf pomegranate tree is a shrub about a meter long. Both trees have orange-red, funnel-shaped flowers in spring and shed their leaves in autumn.

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Pomegranate as a container plant

This exotic fruit is more associated with the warm climates of Asia, the Mediterranean and India. In most regions of Germany, pomegranates are planted as ornamental trees because of their beautiful flowers and leaves. Because of their sensitivity to frost, they are mainly kept in pots and, after the leaves have been shed in autumn, are brought to a cool and frost-free place to overwinter.

The pomegranate tree needs dark winter quarters with temperatures between 2 ° and 7 ° C, where it hibernates until February. During the winter dormancy it is only watered very little and not fertilized. In the period between February and May it can slowly get used to being outdoors in a warmer and brighter place, where it can be set up after the ice saints.

Pomegranate in the open ground

In the regions of Germany with a milder climate, where viticulture is also practiced, planting the pomegranate trees outdoors is conceivable, e.g. B. on a protected south wall of a building. There it is also possible that the trees bear fruit and that they get enough sun to ripen. Essentially, the harvest depends on whether the summer is warm enough and dry.

The periods of permafrost are not well tolerated by the pomegranate trees. Among other things, the sensitivity to frost depends on the variety. There are quite robust varieties that survive the winter outdoors with some protection from the cold:

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Tips & Tricks

The pomegranates are harvested from October until the first frost. The fruits do not ripen, so only harvest ripe fruits. This can be recognized by the orange-red colored, cracked skin.