Pomegranate and citrus seedlings.

RossDas · White Belt Joined: 09 Mar 2008 Posts: 24

Hi everyone, I've just germinated some Lemon and Pomegranate seeds and was wondering if anybody has raised these and has any advice?
In particular can they be raised indoors and what kind of fertilizer is best for them.
For some reason the Lemon seeds had a 90% germination rate but I've only been able to produce one orange plant so far.

Stymie

Hello RossDas and welcome.
Your plants are mostly native to a Mediterranian climate and thus not fully hardy to the UK environment. They will benefit from exposure to the sun outside when it gets warmer. Indoors during our colder periods is good but they need the best possible light. Fertilization can be started 3 to 4 weeks after the first true leaves appear. Any balanced feed with near equal percentages of N Razz

:K will be appropriate or a tomato feed which will be higher in the K element. Being indoors all the time is not natural of course and supplemental lighting may be necessary. You are a long time away from having trees from your pips.

RossDas · White Belt Joined: 09 Mar 2008 Posts: 24

Thanks Stymie, They're looking quite healthy just now ( apart from a possible leaf-miner on my healthiest Lemon .) I've got them sitting on a sunny windowsill.

Sadly my Sycamores and Rowans are looking a bit poorly. They are all one year old but there's new buds bursting.
Fingers crossed!

Stymie

Those one year olds are native species which should be outside of course.

RossDas · White Belt Joined: 09 Mar 2008 Posts: 24

Yeah! That ones a toughie for me. I live in a 2 floor row of flats and the side that gets the sun is where the kids play football!

Do you think they'd be better in the shaded part on the other side of the building rather than near my window inside?

Stymie

Yes, outside in shade is at least as bright as behind a window, which would make them straggly as well. Inside is not where they grow naturally. I grow native bushes and Fuchsias on the North side of my property.

RossDas · White Belt Joined: 09 Mar 2008 Posts: 24

Cheers, I'll put them outside tonight. There's still new growth on them so hopefully it wont be too late.

emorrin

The use of fluorescent lighting will help make the inter node spacing shorter on your seedlings. Having the fluorescent light only a couple of inches away from the top of your seedling is ideal. If you don't have enough light the growth will be rather leggy. I am currently growing a couple of Pomegranate seedlings myself. My second try with the fluorescent light only a couple of inches away has made a big difference. The inter node spacing between the sets of leaves are allot shorter.

RossDas · White Belt Joined: 09 Mar 2008 Posts: 24

Of all the problems I expected to face raising bonsai I never thought that a herd of wild deer would be one of them!
I live in an urban community that's right next to some woods.
They've moved into the patch right next to my house.
Since I don't have any fencing this could be a real problem.

RossDas · White Belt Joined: 09 Mar 2008 Posts: 24

Does anybody know if Pomegranate seedlings can survive outdoors in the UK?
I know they aren't a hardy tree but I was wondering if they can be placed outside during the hot summer months?

Stymie

I haven't had one for a while because I couldn't find a mature one but they need protection when temperatures get down into single figures 'C'. Full exposure to our summer sun is very beneficial.

Stymie

RossDas.
Have a looksee at this site:-
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/pomegranate.html