In March 2014, I planted a bareroot Salavatski Russian #8 in the Maryland mountains, Zone 6b. It was already breaking dormancy when it arrived from Ison’s. Then we got a late freeze which killed it to the ground. Then it tried to re-sprout from the roots. Then it was attacked by a hoard of crazy red ants I’d never seen before nor since. We also had a super wet spring with fluxuating temps that year, which followed the particularly harsh winter prior. Not sure what dealt the final blow, but by early summer, it was clear the bush was dead.
[I should add: This was planted with the greatest of care, at the base of a giant south-facing boulder, in well-draining soil. There’s a slight possibiliy I gave it too much fertilizer, but I don’t think so].
I might try again. My notes-to-self for if I do so:
I’LL HAVE DELIVERED to HOUSE EARLIER (FEB not MARCH) WHILE STILL DORMANT; WOULD PUT IN POT; NOT PLANT UNTIL ALL THREAT OF FROST IS GONE. THEN PROVIDE PROTECTION FOR BASE/ SURROUND WITH BOULDERS.
I am also keen to watch the variety “Lyubimy” (aka “Favorite”) as I’ve heard one report that it survives the winters of Northern Virginia…
Thanks all for sharing your experiences. It does sound like the jury is still out about whether they are worth the effort as Scott said. This fall I saw a Parfianka and a Nikitsky Rannyi planted in the herb garden at the National Arboretum so I hope to visit there again soon to see if they survived.
I’m definitely intrigued with the 2 dwarfish ones I’m rooting and had seen positive things about the taste of one in a Florida tasting report. I figure if they stay smaller they’ll be easier to protect if I find I need to cover them over the winter.
I’ve never heard of anyone saying their poms got too much heat (I’m sure it is possible) so I’m planting mine next to my driveway where it will be a little hotter and hopefully help with ripening. There is someone in my neighborhood growing some type of pom in the strip of grass between the sidewalk and street and that has survived both the last winters with no die back and seems to thrive there in the summer heat. I’m hoping to find the owner of that pom someday who can tell me what variety it is, but the only person I’ve met from that house swore to me it was a cherry so maybe they don’t even remember what it is.
Matt, I have heard several people mention Lyubimy as very hardy, but I’ve actually never heard of anyone getting any fruit. If someone has one that fruited and tasted good I’d love to hear that, since it is supposed to be one tough pom.
My advice is to grow them in pots and bring them in a garage or some other protected area during the winter. I got tired of mine dying to the ground every year, even while planted right next to the south side of the house. So, I potted my three “cold hardy” poms and two of my figs and overwintered them in the green house. This was the first winter they weren’t all killed to the ground.
On my trees I have noticed the wood is very hardy but you can lose all the buds on it. Last spring my 8’ Kazake died to the ground, but it was green and supple on nearly the whole tree for a long time before it sprouted from the base. The buds all looked brown and dead on the green branches. I don’t know if winter lows or early freezes are doing this. This spring its still too early to say, but the buds may have fried again as they look too brown.
Lyubimyi is DPUN 121 at the Davis repository: ARS GRIN Punica Accessions
There are no details listed on the page about fruit but I know work has been on going in that area.
To follow up here on my poms this spring, all are sprouting from right at the base. I have 10 or so varieties, nearly all known hardy ones. I am going to give them a few more years uncovered, but if these cold winters keep up I will need to either cover or pull them up.
The figs fared just like the poms, all died back to the ground.
The fuzzy kiwis and muscadine grapes are all fine. The poms and figs seem to have more troubles drying out in the cold wind whereas the kiwis and muscadines are fine as long as the lowest low is above 0F (which it was). Its also probably worthwhile to put anti-dessicant spray on poms/figs, I used to do that years ago.
Just to confirm, does that mean even poms that mostly survived well enough to sprout out from the trunk/branches last year (like Salavatski), seem dead to the ground this year? It certainly was a long cold winter, but I was hoping at least Salavatski and maybe something else was a survivor.
Maybe we’ll be lucky and our little stint of tough winters will be over for a while, but I guess we should all plan for it to continue.
I have figs in containers and was going to put them in the ground, but now I’m considering just putting them in 15 gallon containers and doing the garage shuffle…
Yes I am about 95% sure they are all dead to the ground. A few I don’t see sprouts at the base yet on and I am going to wait on them but all the buds I tested are dead. Parfianka and Angel Red may be completely dead.
When do your desertnyi ripen down there? I have one I’m planning to put into a large container and keep in the garage every winter to protect it, but was wondering if I’ll have enough time and warm weather to get any ripe.
@zendog, I had a few Pommes in pots they were huge, every yr I dragged them into the garage, they never bloomed and I was getting sick and tired . One yr I was late in bringing them and they died, ie Parfianka, Wonderful and Eversweet. I decided to try again this yr with a Russian, called Nikiski. Vendor said that they had good feedback from PA growers growing them in the ground and bears well. Mine is small so I am keeping it in the pot
Sounds like too much nitrogen in relationship to phosphate and potash. The latter two are prevalent in pommes native environments – although the winter and spring rains mitigate the concentration until summertime.
None of my soft seeded pomegranates have survived the past 2 winters. My Suhr Anor seems to have finally taken hold. I guess for zone 8b and below, we have to do the hardier ones. The warmup then back to the freezer and back again seems to be too much for most of these varieties…
Welcome to the forum, Nataki. What location were yours grown in? Were any of them named varieties? Did you have others that did survive?
I’m in 8a. The only one that I have long term experience with is Wonderful. Our temps do the winter seesaw, but it never had any winter damage. That’s not a brag. It could be luck, planting spot, variety, or that I’m right inside the boundry of where they do well.