Hi, Alan,
Appreciated!
I remember seeing this variety around.
I do have 3 myrtle trees on my property and they are well established. Luckily one of them is a dwarf variety I think, no more than 15 ft. I am planning to graft a few lower branches on it. Hopefully this will work.
It seems you’ve done a lot of research. Are you going to try as well?
1 Like
I have not decided yet, although I most likely will one day use one or more of the most disease resistant ‘Crepe Myrtles’ in a root stock hybridization project to make some best root stocks for pomegranates, first we are going to see how good a root stock we can make with just disease resistant pomegranate varieties, and then see if it’s worth using ‘Crepe Myrtles’, in the meanwhile people will be grafting pomegranates on to ‘Crepe Myrtles’ and I will pay attention to how that goes for them. Like are there any positive unexpected advantages to grafting to ‘Crepe Myrtles’, and do they do as well as I think that they will, so far graft compatibly seems to be as good as you can get.
1 Like
I hear you.
I will definitely give it a try. I was planning to create a multi-graft pomegranate tree. Now I have a much better option. However greenfig is in CA and the pomegranate varieties are not cold hardy ones. Not sure if that affects the compatibility. But anyway I will graft 3 varieties of pomegranate scions on the 3 myrtle trees and see how well they perform. Will report back periodically here.
1 Like
One thing about CA, there is not many problems with fungal diseases that attack ‘pomegranates’ or ‘Crepe Myrtles’ compared to the South East USA, same goes for excessive rain. So his plants can not show any resistance to those things with certainty in his climate.
Usually whenever someone is grafting something in a cold climate it’s suggested grafting to something that is more cold hardy than the variety of the scions because a cold hardy root stock sometimes makes the grafted on variety more cold hardy, and even if the grafted on part dies of cold, the root stock has a chance of surviving. I have never heard of a difference in cold hardiness creating any incompatibility, yet there is a first time for everything, or so they say.
3 Likes
No, you are right, they are in the same family now. That’s what I get for googling something and going with the first result.
3 Likes
Yes, basically they gave pomegranates a temporary classification because they had no idea what it may be related to at the time.
3 Likes
@zendog I’m a half mile from the oceanfront in Virginia Beach, where the zone is 8a and the humidity is even higher. I have just 2 4-year old Salavatskis. Like @PomGranny, I have trouble with leaf spot and mummifying fruit, but I spray alternately with copper and a fruit tree spray, including once before leaf bud and practice detailed sanitation throughout the year. I had to dispose of a few fruits that became overwhelmed by fungus, but at harvest, enjoyed 8 delicious pomegranates.
I blame ants for helping spread the fungus. Though they aren’t wholly at fault, they were all over the pomegranate trees and like to occupy the calyx, where the fungus usually starts. A friend told me that once the fruit begins to swell, starting to grow into the round shape, I should use a pruning knife to remove the tips of the calyx. I’m afraid that removing any part of the peel will open that fruit to infection, but I think I’ll experiment on one or two fruits this summer. Anyone know of a reason not to do so?
3 Likes
Wow . . . you live only about 20 minutes from me, I’ll bet @VBGigi ! I live right by Fentress Airfield and Bergey’s Dairy . . . near the North Landing Bridge! That’s wild!
You corrected me on our Hardiness Zone . . . I keep telling people that I’m in 7A - not 8A. Different maps say different things . . . but the numbers keep going up, that’s for sure!
1 Like
@PomGranny Yes, you are correct - we are almost neighbors! 
I follow your posts for helpful suggestions and I’m envious of the number and variety of fruits you grow. I agree with what you wrote about the crepe myrtle-to-pom fungus connection. I have scheduled for my crepe myrtle because it was soot covered the past 2 summers. Plus, if it doesn’t produce fruit, what good is it to me?
2 Likes
I hear ya!
1 Like
Pom People,
I ordered and received a big brown box with some mega-chemicals in it, this week.
These are supposed to help cut down on the fungal problems in pomegranates . . . although they are not labeled for poms. The U of F Extension Service did research using different anti-fungals. These were the most promising.
Merivon and Luna Experience. They had good results with these - when rotated.
I’m going for it! I have 28 plants growing quite well - out in the field behind my home . . .
Heaven Help Me if this stuff works - and they all fruit some day! But, that’s the dream!
I will let you know how ‘this expensive experiment’ pans out. - Later.
P.S. - I also have Serenade, which I bought mostly to use on my other fruit this year . . . but may add to the rotation with the poms. I don’t believe that U of F had a very good test results with Serenade. But I guess it can’t hurt.
2 Likes
I think this is definitely worth a try.
And I’m game to try it, too. I have so many ‘fruitlets’ form - only to succumb to the disease. I think we will have to cut them ‘back’ early on, because some of mine are quite small when ‘they go bad’. Aren’t yours?
2 Likes
Yes, you’re right. Some develop fungus when they still have the petals on, so we would definitely have to diligently patrol them. One other prevention strategy that I started late in the summer, but I think really helped control the spread was stripping off leaves that were close to the developing fruit. I pinched them off, stem and all, so that 4-5" of the branch was bare, so there was no risk of spreading by contact.
I’ll be very curious to see how your new treatment regimen works. Fingers and toes crossed for success!
3 Likes
That’s an interesting fungicide recommendation. Both Merivon and Luna Experience have two active ingredients but the primary for each is a SDH inhibitor (Frac class 7). And while that Frac class 7 is a little unusual in that fungi could develop a resistance to one product in that class and not to another, it still isn’t wise to rotate between the same class. The presence of a second fungicide in each product (a Qol inhibitor frac class 11 for Merivon, and a DMI frac class 3 for Luna Experience) should reduce the risk of resistance for a bit…
1 Like
So, are you saying that I probably ‘shouldn’t’ need to rotate - based on the science?
I have 28 trees. I could use Merivon on one half of the orchard - and Luna on the other . . . and see if results differ. ?
I am not a chemist - Just a home ‘gardner’ trying to grow some fruit. U of F has tested several different fungicides . . . and these came out on top. I just took their advice, since my orchard of poms has ‘gone to pot’.
At one time - I had no fungal problems. For several years I had some nice fruit. Then . . . all downhill. 
1 Like
’Pomegranate Success in Mid-Atlantic’ ???
Think it’s time to change the name of this thread! 
Well . . . . . . maybe not just yet.
1 Like
Do you have an idea of how many times you’re likely to spray? If it’s say 4x, then I’d rotate between the two so you never go back to back with the same product. Ideally, you’d have something else from a totally different frac class or a broad spectrum (like Captan or manzate) to rotate in between.
In other words, your spray order would be something like manzate–Merivon–captan–luna experience. Anyway, I’m probably over-complicating it if you’re only spraying a few times. In the grape world (on the East coast) we might spray 10-16x a year so pesticide resistance is a big issue.
2 Likes
Karen,
I don’t know much about chemicals, either. But like @DCinFLX mentioned, your two chemicals are in the same group. After reading this forum for several years, I have acquired basic knowledge re. use of fungicides. Repeated use of same fungicide could make organism become resistant to it, therefore, the fungicide becomes ineffective.
The easy way to avoid that is not to use two fungicides from the same group. How do we know what products are in what group? I googled it. This is one of the easier one for someone like me to follow.
Fungicide Families or Groups | Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks.
You can see that Luna and Merivon are in the same group (Group 11). It would be better if you use Luna alternately with fungicide from other group.
Hope this help.
2 Likes
Thanks, Tippy. I’ve been exposed to so much ‘info’ - so fast - and can’t keep it all straight. Especially when it comes to the chemistry involved . . . Not My Thing.
I’m not sure how IFAS at UofF did their study . . . maybe some rows with one fungicide and some others with another . . . Reading their info was also over my head. I did see the test row - vs the untreated row - in photos . . . and it’s pretty apparent that the fungicide helped. The untreated row was decimated!
I corresponded with one of the authors of the paper - and he gave me some advice. In the end . . . I’m probably going to run into a ‘dead end’ - literally - with these poms. It’s a shame, because _traditionally - they do grow here in people’s yards, here in VA, as they did, in mine . . . . until they got sick. And it sounds as though they really struggle with theirs in FL, too . . . . even in the professional ag people’s care.
I’ll keep trying till it becomes obvious that none of them are going to produce any fruit that’s worth saving.
2 Likes
It is not my thing, either, believe. I can empathize.
I agree you should do Merivon on one row and Luna on another row.
This way, you could find out if one of them is more effective than the other.
For the first few years of using these chemicals, it won’t build up resistance that fast. You will have time to learn more at a later date.
1 Like