Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,337
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- USDA Zone
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I kept a pomegranate growing for over 35 years, then accidentally killed it. I have wintered it as a tropical, bringing it in without it ever experiencing a frost. This worked great for 20 years. Then I was convinced they need to go dormant, so I began leaving it out to get frosted. A couple frosts to +27 F were no problem. I'm pretty sure +25 F was no problem. I would then move the leafless tree to my well house, which stays between 32 F and 40F (0 C to +4 C ). No matter, usually by late Feb or early March the pomegranate would begin growing with spring vigor. This was always early, my last frost is usually May 1. So it would get the under lights, then the "in and out dance".
I lost the pomegranate when it was forgotten and the temp dipped to 19 F or -7 C. The pot froze solid. The top of the tree tried to grow in spring, but the roots were dead. Planted in the ground, the 19 F likely would not have been a problem if the roots had not frozen.
I liked the vigor of the spring burst of growth when treated as a deciduous. The danger is killing it by not protecting it soon enough. The 20 years of not allowing it to experience a frost showed me it does fine when treated as a tropical or subtropical.
I lost the pomegranate when it was forgotten and the temp dipped to 19 F or -7 C. The pot froze solid. The top of the tree tried to grow in spring, but the roots were dead. Planted in the ground, the 19 F likely would not have been a problem if the roots had not frozen.
I liked the vigor of the spring burst of growth when treated as a deciduous. The danger is killing it by not protecting it soon enough. The 20 years of not allowing it to experience a frost showed me it does fine when treated as a tropical or subtropical.