Anyone else in zone 7 growing pomegranates? I decided to plant a few last year; I have been happy to see my Salavatski, Kazake, and Sumbar varieties leafing out this spring.
Salavatski and Kazake are hard seeded varieties but Sumbar is soft seeded; also supposed to be early ripening.
I’ve been growing poms for about ten years. I’ve gotten half a dozen ripe fruits in that whole period – too many problems with winter dieback for me. Kaj acik anor has been the most hardy one for me, its a bit better than Kazake or Salavatski.
I have a Nikitski Ranni that is on its 4th leaf in the ground in zone 7a. It is planted in a very sheltered spot but it survived last winter with little to no damage and no protection. (meanwhile my similarly sheltered but unprotected Chicago Hardy fig froze to the ground)
Last year we got our first mature pom from the bush and are hoping to get a few this year. It is flowering nicely right now.
I am also growing Salavatski, Rannii, Surh Anor and few others in zone 7A for several years and so far I am very pleased, have only minor diebacks/tips. From my observations poms are hardier than figs.
Most years we are not zone 7a, yet 7a does happen occasionally here, this year was 8b, very rare for here, 7b and 8a is most common here. 4 out of our 5 in ground pomegranate bushes have only been in the ground one winter, one of our 8b winters, so I am not sure yet how well they will do here most years.
Our “Salavatski” looks like it’s going to fruit this year for the first time, it’s in it’s 9th season in the ground. It was damaged by a weed wacker, then because of some 'Shothole borer" beetles the bush was messed up for 2 years, yet it came back strong eventually. 2 of them look like they will fruit their 2nd season in the ground, this year.
My poms definitely did not die back as much as my figs did this past winter, though the poms were in front if the house (southwest side) and the figs in the back yard so it may not be a fair comparison.
I agree the poms do a bit better than the figs as far as dieback goes. I lost my figs the last two winters whereas most of the poms did fine. On the other hand figs fruit sooner after dieback to the ground, so in the end you get about the same amount of fruit from both. In other words, very few fruits from either of them!
I’ve got a Salavatski in ground here, and a Parfianka in a pot that goes in the garage with all my other pots during winter.
The Sala came through well and currently has 3 flower buds, but the Parfianka didn’t want to leaf out until mid May and after I’d taken probably 50-60% of the current wood off it.
Scott et al,
My Kaj Acik Anor flowered for the first time this year. Only one flower. I know I don’t have any chance for it to set fruit or ripen any pomegranate in my zone but it makes me happy to get this far.
Any of you have eaten this variety. What’s it taste like?
I have a Salavatski and Kazaki in ground and they’ve done okay through the winters. It is the late frosts that can really damage them, particularly if the sap is really flowing - I’ve actually had split trunks twice. The sal is pretty much full sun and has always set fruit, this year probably 15 or more. But my biggest issue is the rot/mold/mildew that starts at the blossom end and slowly works its way back. I think the long ripening time makes it worse since I keep hoping I’ll make it to the end but know how far away picking day is and the rot is coming…
I’ve actually only eaten a couple and they haven’t been great. I have Parfianka and Desertnyi in big fabric pots and a few others in smaller pots that go in and out of the garage each year.
If I could avoid the rot, I think I would be happy, but I’ve never cracked it. I was actually thinking of bagging with zip locks this year to keep the rain off them thinking that might help, but just never got around to it.
Do you have fungicide against pome rot or you don’t want to spray?
I have never sprayed them, but have considered it. One issue is that they form in mid-June or so and aren’t ripe until September, so it is a really long time to keep spray on them and it seems the rot can start at anytime. The other thing is that I’m in a small urban/suburban lot and I try not to freak out neighbors since there are a lot of families will little kids on my street. So far I’ve only really sprayed dormant oil and surround, letting people know it is all just harmless.
Do you know something specific that will work for this? I’m actually not entirely sure wheather it is a mold, mildew or some other type of infection.
I don’t know anything about growing pomegranates. I grow them to cherish my Childhood memory.
I am impressed that you can grow fruit in the mid Atlantic region with just dormant oil and Surround. I am in a small sub division with neighbors a few yards away. I told them I don’t do heavy duty chemicals spray. They seem fine with it. They all like whatever fruit I share. So I’m good with my neighbors.
Not zone 7 but I just planted a Parfyanka and Sirenevyi this spring would see how they do here!
I bag pears and apples as well and my only stone fruit are a couple small contender peaches and a very small gold dust peach in a big fabric pot. Squirrels steal all the peaches so I can’t really worry too much about them.
Zone 6b I’ve got a new rooted cutting of Salavatski growing in my garden. I plan to protect it this winter… One day i plan to have an inground greenhouse with citrus and pomegranites!
I have Salavatski growing in ground 3rd leaf. This year it sets about 40 flowers first time but all dropped except two. It is growing unprotected.
My Pom flowered much more heavily this year and appears to have set 5-6 fruit. (last year we got only one)
So far so good…
My new zone 7 poms are only now blooming also and they have prodeced the last two years. Old zone 6.
I’m in zone 6a old zone 5b, mine too are just blooming. I added Grenada as it is a very early bloomer. One month earlier than Wonderful. So hoping it will work in container. Since I have to grow in containers I also looked for dwarf types and added Hyrdanar X Goulosha. I got it from a guy on another forum who was offering free cuttings and I asked for all of them, I couldn’t help it! 
He could not send all, but sent a bunch. I rooted an extra Molla Nepes if anybody wants to trade rooted cuttings. A couple did not root for me, but I did add Gissarskii Rozovyi and Myagkosemyannyi Rozovyi. I just up potted them about a week ago. They overwinter in my garage. Two are older having spent 2 winters in my garage just fine. Al Sirin Nar and Salavatski. I also have 2nd leaf Granada and Parfianka. So far no fruit flowers fell off last year.
