What is growing on ny pomegranate??

[Elmnewbie]

So I'm doing a major trim job and chop on my pomegranate today and I notice these weird white puss filled things all over. Also there are some kinda hard dark brown egg sack looking things..

 

[Elmnewbie]

Ok so apparently there is a lot going in with this little tree. I could see sky of it due to how much foliage there was but now that I have it cutt way back it's a mess. The funny this is it looked really healthy. No dieting leaves or anything.

 

[0soyoung]

This looks to be simply a hard water deposit (kinda like bathtub ring). A little scrubbing with a toothbrush dipped in some vinegar ought to get it off.

The whitish/puss-filled things look to be some type of sucking insect = scale. You can likely get them to move by daubing some rubbing alcohol on them with a cotton swab. You could then squish them, in situ, but I think this will prove to be too tedious. Thoroughly spraying with and insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, if not NEEM, might do the job. When you spray, be sure to thoroughly wet the underside of the leaves as well as the top. Etc. Be prepared for a reappearance in a week or two, as eggs you don't see will likely be hatching. Repeat the treatment until they aren't showing up any more. From a gardener's perspective, these guys don't do any serious long-lasting damage. Bonsai-wise, .

 

[Elmnewbie]

Perfect!! I had figured they were some type of insect so I sprayed with neem yesterday. But now that its trimmed and wired I will spray again. What type of soil do pomegranate like?? Looks like it needs a repot as well.

 

[0soyoung]

Everything likes a substrate with high air filled porosity and moisture retention. Generally, mildly acidic (pH about 5.5).

 

[Elmnewbie]

Got it. Wasnt sure if pomegranate loked more loamy soil or not. Looks like what's in there from brussles is mostly peet moss.

 

[0soyoung]

Check @bonhe's threads (via BNut search on the right side of the menu bar). He grows a lot of pomegranates.

 

[parhamr]

I can confirm that’s a few life stages of scale insect. They’re very vulnerable and easy to kill in this state. Neem should do it, but you’ll want to check and follow up a few times.

Good on ya for being observant!

 

[sorce]

Or click his name his name find and all threads by.

https://www.bonsainut.com/search/266014/

Mechanical Removal.

Sorce

 

[Elmnewbie]

Thanks everyone. I gathered enough Info from his pomegranate collection thread. Which I was amazed at some of his trees. Hopefully in 20 years my little tree will be as beautiful as some of his.

 

[shinmai]

Just a suggestion: if you add your location to your avatar, it helps others to tailor their advice and comments in the context of what your climate and growing season are like.

 

[Elmnewbie]

Thanks for the suggestion. Info updated.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Temperature is important to determine how frequently you need to retreat with NEEM or with an insecticidal soap. At 25 C (76 F) you need to re-treat every 4 or 5 days. At 16 C (60 F) treating every 7 to 10 days is appropriate. The reason is scale eggs are largely immune to most home treatments. The juvenal crawlers are vulnerable, and the adults are somewhat vulnerable, especially if you pick them off. You want to re-treat frequency that kills the juvenile insects before they are mature enough to lay another batch of eggs. Keep re-applying until you see no new insects, then do one more treatment (to kill the ones you did not see) then you are done, until the next pest moves in. (hopefully done for quite a while).

 

[Elmnewbie]

Will do. I didnt notice any adult size. They were all small. I got most if them when I cutt it back. The branch structure was horrendous so I had to take most of it off. What are your suggestions for wintering her next year? I just recently bought her and she wasnt dormant so I have her under a small grow light for this winter and I will let her sleep next year.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Pomegranate do not do well if the roots freeze much below some number in the 20's I would do what I could to keep it above 29 F. (-2 C) in winter. If you can keep below 40 F, (+4 C) then you can store it in the dark. If you do not have a spot that cold and yet above freezing, just keep it in the brightest location you have indoors, like a subtropical. It will survive either way.

 

[Elmnewbie]

Ok perfect!! Luckily my garage in insulated and only two sides are exposed to the elements so it generally stays between 30-44. I thought it was colder then that but I recently bought a humidity and temp reader so I could monitor the temp for my chinese elms. I suppose if I leave them on the house side of the garage on the ground that would suffice.