The convection from the tires will last well into the night when the sun has long set. So its comparing a short hot period to a longer warm period, I’m not sure which will be worse.
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I’m planting an Agat, as well. I’ve only had 3 of the more common varieties . . . so looking forward to seeing what others are like. I’d love to go to one of those taste-tests that they have in CA! I’m not even sure that we will like the taste of some of the ones I am planting! Just hope they survive and we have a chance to find out! But, it will be a few years till mine fruit.
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We’ll see - experimental evidence is the best kind!
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Any updates and photos of the pomegranates? 
I’ve planted some of these varieties in eastern NC this year, so interested to see how they are coming along and if mine have a chance at surviving.
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My poms have managed to not die back for three years in a row here, but still no fruit (I did get some flowers this year). The only time I have had decent cropping is with something like five years of no dieback…
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I am here in South Atlanta. I planted a Nikitsky Ranni from Ison’s nursery in February of this year that was 1/2" diameter. It grew fairly well with some flowering. A few closed and begun to swell but soon fell off. Hopefully it may fruit next year. I also acquired 3 potted Wonderful 1 year old in pots. They were from cuttings from someone who said that their bush actually fruited for the past 3 years in North Atlanta. I planted 1 in ground and up potted the others. Almost 2 feet of growth on the one inground and about 6-8 inches on the potted ones. Will be looking to graft on new varities this spring. Hopefully i will eventually get fruit from Nikitsy.
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Hope you get some pomegranates soon. I was looking into getting a Nikitski Ranni next year possibly, I’ve heard they are pretty cold hardy. Interested to see how they taste.
I have a Wonderful pomegranate that put on a lot of good growth this year. It had some dieback previously, but I’m pretty sure that I had it planted in too wet of an area. I mounded up some soil around it this year and it’s really taking off now.
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I’m glad you asked for an update. It reminded me to go out and take some ‘fall 2019’ photos and make some notes.
Almost all 17, planted in spring of 2018, grew tremendously this summer. Lots of blossoms - and a few fruit began to develop - but none matured. I removed them, or they dropped.
After Dorian, I did some clean-up - and got rid of the huge ‘waterspouts’ and whatever dead or damaged branches I saw. A few root suckers had to ‘go’.
Here are some shots of the entire field of poms. And a few of the individual plants.
The Japanese beetles and grasshoppers liked some of them - and left others alone. They denuded many of the branches on Agat, Ambrosia and Hotuni Zigar.
It has been interesting to see the varieties develop - and their different forms that they naturally ‘want to take’. Some tend to be upright - others more squatty and bushy. A few seem to be struggling. Agat, is one. Small and not very dense at all. Others had a very good summer.
Makes me ‘wonder why’ the difference? I amended the planting holes . . . maybe too much of something for one variety . . . and not enough for another? Perhaps each variety just has it’s own growth habit and time-table for development? Maybe the humidity, here in VA is too much for some of them? Who knows! We’ll see how they do - faring through another winter.
I won’t bore you with photos of all of them . . . here are a few that show how they differ.
Agat. _spindly bug bait
Phoenicia. robust
Eversweet - full
Austin - in good shape
Nikitski Ranni (I had two, but lost one this spring. Who knows why.)
Ambrosia - Delicious to grasshoppers and beetles.
Salavatski - I have 2 of these. Lots of blossoms. No fruit held. Nice shapes.
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@SteveThorn @Marvin72 . . . I would think that both Atlanta and NC would be places in which pomegranates would do OK. Our winters are the toughest part - and the humidity, of course. I’ve been fighting fungus. Black spotting on the fruit . . . and what looks like ‘blossom end rot’. When the winters are mild, there is enough rainfall, and we don’t have die-back, it seems that pomegranates produce pretty well, here.
The ones I planted last year are still too young to gauge accurately. But the established ones - in my landscape - have produced in years past.
I think I’ve learned a valuable lesson about pomegranates, however.
The less they are pruned - the better. In the years that I ignored them - I started getting more fruit. But, the last couple of years, when I started to ‘learn more about them’, they have suffered for it! And I have seen a couple of very very productive, large trees - full of fruit . . . that get totally ignored. In spite of it - they are prolific producers. But, the fruit goes to waste. No one gathers it! I don’t know who owns these properties - and I am hesitant to ask about picking the fruit. I think that one of the properties changed hands last year . . . because the tree was gone this spring. Sickening to me . . . after trying so hard to have successful trees!
Next winter/early spring - when it’s time to prune . . . I plan to do very little. Maybe just trim up the low branches and dead wood. I hope to get some decent fruit once more.
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POMGRANNY , I am envious of your poms. I have just 4!! I have similar growth on my Ranni. Japanese beetles feasted on my young pluot tree (stopped its growth completely in August) but barely touched my poms. After moving my Wonderful out of the pot it grew fairly well. Almost 2 feet of growth vs 6 " from 2 I left potted. Great job:sunglasses:
I am encouraged by your comments. We dont see temps below 10 degrees often. I have disease and fungal problems in my space but poms not affected so far. Fingers crossed! !! Guy told my Wonderful fruits in Atlanta but I ve read different from a few sources. I hope he was being accurate and not just overly optimistic.
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Great pictures and info!
It’s interesting how all the different varieties grow differently.
Has the fungus affected the inside or just the outside of the fruit?
I’m planning to not prune mine at all or very little too, like you mentioned. I didn’t prune my Wonderful pomegranate this past year, and it had lots of new growth. I pruned it before that, and it seemed to die back to the ground every year.
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Steve, the fungus shows up as black spots on the outside . . . and possibly separate (?) is some kind of ‘rot’. I sprayed with copper, but it didn’t seem to help. If anyone knows what to do about this - please let me know. I’ve cut down anything surrounding the plant that might block airflow. And . . . that is why I tried thinning out the shrub. But all it did was cut way down on the fruit production. Fungus was not improved over last year. I’m stumped.
I’ll post pics. Bad year for my pomegranate fruit! Only a few reached full size. Most were stopped in their tracks - and have these nasty areas on them.
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This is the ‘tree’ that is plagued by this black spot stuff. It is probably 15 years old. Maybe 20. I believe it is a Grenada. The Wonderful, beside it, used to fruit . . . but it died back in the winter of 2017. Just gaining height back . . . so maybe next year it will fruit again.
This is the Grenada that the fruit in my previous pics are from.
This is my old Wonderful - in its new form - after a die back.
And this one is a mystery variety, that has never done much of anything. It died back a few times. I call it ‘Broken Wrist Pomegranate’ . . . because I tripped while planting it, and broke my wrist. 
Maybe that is why it has never even bloomed! Cursed!
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Pomgranny I had similar issue recently with pom rot and posted. I’m thinking copper or immunox next year but haven’t had a chance to try to research more what may be a good spray.
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Hi Pooya. Thanks for responding. I sprayed with copper . . . even removed most of the mulch and sprayed the ground. But, probably not enough times. I will look into the Immunox next year.
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I’ve had this same issue from the beginning. I notice that the stink bugs like the fruit, and so I’m guessing that the holes from the stink bug bites allow the rot to enter. I will try surround next year and see if it helps.
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I think the humidity and prevalence of spores or other sources of this rot are the biggest issue growing poms in the Mid Atlantic. I don’t know if the susceptibility ranges by variety at all.
I have a semi-dwarf from the USDA GRIN, Hyrdanar X Goulosha, which is in a 3-gallon pot and I regularly get 1-2 poms from it that are about 3-inches in diameter. Not quite at the pom Wonderful size, but much bigger than any other dwarfs. It was supposedly created to make production and harvesting better. The plant probably sets a half dozen or more each year, but the others get the rot and I pull them since I seem to be able to get a few without rot from this plant each year so I don’t want the rotting ones to infect others. I’m not sure if it helps, but that’s what I do. Previously I’ve harvested too early, but this year I let them hang and I’m pretty sure they were ripe. The Arils stay mostly white even thought it is a nice crimson on the outside of the fruit. But the seeds are hard and it is still fairly sour, even though it is a nice overall taste. I would think this is better for processing and juicing, maybe with some added sweetening. This is my most successful escaping the rot, but I don’t know if it is because it is a smaller, more open plant and in a container, or the variety.
I have a big Salavatski planted out near the sidewalk, which sets at least a dozen fruit a year, but they almost always rot. I’ve gotten a few worth harvesting, but have picked those too early. There is actually a couple hanging now that are rot-free, but they set much later, so maybe it was past when the rot was more prevalent. We have had a very dry late summer into fall. Unfortunately those couple perfect probably won’t have enough time to ripen.
I have a Desertnyi and Parfianka in large containers, and they have a similar good set/high rot growth each season. This year I did get my first Parfianka that didn’t get completely rotted before ripening and I was able to get a good amount of arils to taste. Delicious! So maybe I’ll give them another year of hope. Anyone with a spray plan that actually works please let us all know.
Here is the Parfianka I ate yesterday and a few of the arils left in the bowl before they were all eaten. You can see all the peck marks on the Parfianka, which makes me think the birds knew it was ripe as well.
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Yep, Zendog . . . that is what mine look like. It’s like ‘blossom end rot’ in Pomegranates!
And the black spot -has to be a fungal thing. Next year I am going to try to spray continuously. It’s so aggravating to not have fruit. Past years have proved to be much better - on my Grenada and my Wonderful. The Wonderful has died back a couple of times . . . but always rallies. No Wonderful fruit this year, though.
I am hopeful . . . that the plants out in the field - with much better space and airflow - may avoid the fungal problem. Perhaps some varieties better than others? I have a Parfianka out there. But, no fruit yet. Too young. Yours looks great.
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I wonder how bagging the fruit would work.?
Too late for this year, but maybe next?
Since they are bushes , and less fruit than say a big apple tree,may be appropriate ? Just a thought .
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