Bought pomegranate arrived dormant next steps to take care of it , advice needed please

[tigerscott79]

I ordered a Japanese twisted pomegranate from kaede bonsai en. It arrived today and is dormant . I did reach out to Matt? And asked how to handle it as I've obly dealt with dormancy with outdoor trees and plants where as I heal them in ground out of pots and let them wake up in spring and move then to new pots or if Mather plants to there spot in the demand to grow on. He mentioned to let it be with maples that are dormant . Not to be a pest I decided to ask here as I am in zone5/6 way to cold to over winter dormant pomegranate outside . So trying ask here to learn can I 1. Keep indoors and it'll break dormancy and grow on til spring til outside or 2 put inside refrigerator where it's 38 to 42 °f until spring and pull out and let awaken once outside temps are in the safe zone (if I understand correctly that being 38°f to above ). Of course I can re reach out to Matt? However trying not to be pest and being new customer he doesn't know me and I want to be good customer ans buy again from there as I can in future. . Tbh maybe over worrying on that idk. Really excited with this pomegranate so been googling all day and night but not any info in finding waking pomegranate feom dormancy and how to or if should or if safe ect. Any advice is welcomed thanks

 

[ShadyStump]

Limited experience with punica, but outdoors in January zone 6 would be a death sentence. Even supposedly hardy varieties would need to acclimate before a hard freeze, and in my experience those "hardy" versions of trees that don't usually live through winter are hit or miss to begin with.

I suggest you keep it in a cool but non-freezing environment until spring, aiming to keep it dormant. Something like 40sF.
If you can't manage that for whatever reason, then treat it like your tropicals. It'll take a month or so for it to wake up anyway. Not a bad time to slip it into a training pot.

 

[Mats Hagström]

This is basic horticultural knowledge that you should learn by reading and practicing. Probably easier to grow trees that fit your climate in general. If you don’t have a cool area then the fridge is a good choice. Soil should be moist but not soaked.

Bring it outdoors when the risk of frost is low. You will need to do this every winery if you own trees that are not cold tolerant. There is a ton of information online about over wintering bonsai though at this point you have a one year old rooted cutting. Start growing and learning from trees that do well in your climate first.

Have fun,

 

[tigerscott79]

This is basic horticultural knowledge that you should learn by reading and practicing. Probably easier to grow trees that fit your climate in general. If you don’t have a cool area then the fridge is a good choice. Soil should be moist but not soaked.

Bring it outdoors when the risk of frost is low. You will need to do this every winery if you own trees that are not cold tolerant. There is a ton of information online about over wintering bonsai though at this point you have a one year old rooted cutting. Start growing and learning from trees that do well in your climate first.

Have fun,

Yea ive no issues over wintering native bonsai material this is my first fruit/non native that has temperature requirements.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Just keep it from freezing.
I'd plant cuttings like this in organic soil, a large pot. It's going to take about 15 years before this is a bonsai worthy trunk outside its native climate.
In those 15 years, you're going to find established and older poms for about 40 dollars at garden centers.
It do be like that, happened to me too.

My dwarf pommegrenate is now 4 years in my posession and last year there as a sale at the local garden center: a fully established broom style pommegrenate with twice the trunk thickness for 5 euros.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Just keep it from freezing.
I'd plant cuttings like this in organic soil, a large pot. It's going to take about 15 years before this is a bonsai worthy trunk outside its native climate.
In those 15 years, you're going to find established and older poms for about 40 dollars at garden centers.
It do be like that, happened to me too.

My dwarf pommegrenate is now 4 years in my posession and last year there as a sale at the local garden center: a fully established broom style pommegrenate with twice the trunk thickness for 5 euros.

 

[penumbra]

Keep it cool, but not in the refrigerator. Refrigeration desiccates.

 

[tigerscott79]

Just keep it from freezing.
I'd plant cuttings like this in organic soil, a large pot. It's going to take about 15 years before this is a bonsai worthy trunk outside its native climate.
In those 15 years, you're going to find established and older poms for about 40 dollars at garden centers.
It do be like that, happened to me too.

My dwarf pommegrenate is now 4 years in my posession and last year there as a sale at the local garden center: a fully established broom style pommegrenate with twice the trunk thickness for 5 euros.

No garden centers have sold pomegranates that I've ever seen in 44 yrs life not that I havnt missed one maybe . Just not common place in my state in the US .

Just keep it from freezing.
I'd plant cuttings like this in organic soil, a large pot. It's going to take about 15 years before this is a bonsai worthy trunk outside its native climate.
In those 15 years, you're going to find established and older poms for about 40 dollars at garden centers.
It do be like that, happened to me too.

My dwarf pommegrenate is now 4 years in my posession and last year there as a sale at the local garden center: a fully established broom style pommegrenate with twice the trunk thickness for 5 euros.

Wish garden centers locally sold them but ive go to them alot often and havnt seen any. Ik they aren't hardy here so been trying think and research ideas on over wintering which might work( refrigerator for dormancy once leaves start dropping keep soil semi moist bring out when springs warms up (temps are valid I checked over last 2 nights ) however unsure when to all to awaken to be on time (1 month before last freeze so it's leafed out so as to grow on time outside or if would be safe to let awaken and grow sone indoors being smaller start) . Hoping be able enjoy it a lil but if need wait I would of course. Really excited

 

[tigerscott79]

Keep it cool, but not in the refrigerator. Refrigeration desiccates.

Gotcha I wasn't sure if once leaves were gone (already are atm) if would be ok long as kept soil from drying out . Or even a spare room without heat given along wall is about 39 to 44°f . Ik outside -9 to 24°f is way to cold to survive

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

My pommegrenate stays outdoors at all times, it is one of the 'nana' dwarf varieties.. But it survived -15°C for a couple nights so I think a cold frame would work?
I don't even think they need to be fully dormant and this is one of those types of trees that does well in arid environments, so it might survive indoors for the winter on a window sill.
I find them to be pretty indestructible; the cuttings can stay leafless for a year or two and suddenly send out roots and start growing again.

In any case I would never ever awake trees before they can be fully outdoors, because that first sunlight will f- "indoor foliage" up real good. As in: it will be burned off by solar radiation since they're adjusted to low light levels. Compare it to living in a candle lit cave for a year and then looking straight into the sun, and no way to avert your eyes until they're blind.
If they wake up too soon and the foliage gets an arctic blast, I hope they learn to wait until later. It seems that some plants are able to reset the timer after such an event.

But then again, I'm planning on doing this hobby till I die. Which is hopefully a long time from now. Every outdoor plant I own therefore is an outdoor plant. If they don't survive, I don't want them.
Every time I make an exception, it means I'll have at least 20 future years of exceptions to make. I'm not willing to do that.

Maybe a better idea for people wanting to winter plants indoors is to get a freezer, set to -2°C or -5°C or something. A light enough frost to not kill them and not cold enough to fully dessiccate them. I wonder why this is the first time I thought about that.. Most modern freezers can do 'just below freezing' temps. It's what cold frames do, essentially.

 

[tigerscott79]

My pommegrenate stays outdoors at all times, it is one of the 'nana' dwarf varieties.. But it survived -15°C for a couple nights so I think a cold frame would work?
I don't even think they need to be fully dormant and this is one of those types of trees that does well in arid environments, so it might survive indoors for the winter on a window sill.
I find them to be pretty indestructible; the cuttings can stay leafless for a year or two and suddenly send out roots and start growing again.

In any case I would never ever awake trees before they can be fully outdoors, because that first sunlight will f- "indoor foliage" up real good. As in: it will be burned off by solar radiation since they're adjusted to low light levels. Compare it to living in a candle lit cave for a year and then looking straight into the sun, and no way to avert your eyes until they're blind.
If they wake up too soon and the foliage gets an arctic blast, I hope they learn to wait until later. It seems that some plants are able to reset the timer after such an event.

But then again, I'm planning on doing this hobby till I die. Which is hopefully a long time from now. Every outdoor plant I own therefore is an outdoor plant. If they don't survive, I don't want them.
Every time I make an exception, it means I'll have at least 20 future years of exceptions to make. I'm not willing to do that.

Maybe a better idea for people wanting to winter plants indoors is to get a freezer, set to -2°C or -5°C or something. A light enough frost to not kill them and not cold enough to fully dessiccate them. I wonder why this is the first time I thought about that.. Most modern freezers can do 'just below freezing' temps. It's what cold frames do, essentially.

Yea makes sense. Was reading people using the non freezing area of refrigerator and keeping the soil medium from drying out and keeping dormant. Wordt case this one will be an experiment. And if need ill pick up anorher if Kaede bonsai en still has later towards spring , fingers crossed. My grow lights are pretty good and strong so not too worried there but anyrhing I take outside form indoors usualy acclimates in shade before sun that I do with other houseplants and stuff I over winter (pelargoniums/geraniums, sheffalera, tropical hibiscus, flowering maples ect.) . I tend to not grow things that fail a couple times so just sorting methods and thoughts to hopefully have this grow successfully. Will keep posted on that as it goes. But I agree on not growing things that tend to fail bad ao hoping this won't fail. Really love the looks of them once growing and all . Thanks for alot info and things to think on. Hope your new year has been good thud far.

 

[milehigh_7]

So Pomes are amazing little guys. They are rather semi-tropical and don't actually NEED a dormancy. They will go dormant if conditions are right for them to do so, however. When dormant they fine into the 20's outside I've done this countless times. Also, they will do fine indoors under lights. I've also done this. In fact, given loads of light and air movement, they will grow like weeds indoors. Ultimately, the choice is yours on how you handle this. They are certainly not fragile little plants and are and as far as temps go, you can treat them about the same as Chinese elms.

 

[tigerscott79]

So Pomes are amazing little guys. They are rather semi-tropical and don't actually NEED a dormancy. They will go dormant if conditions are right for them to do so, however. When dormant they fine into the 20's outside I've done this countless times. Also, they will do fine indoors under lights. I've also done this. In fact, given loads of light and air movement, they will grow like weeds indoors. Ultimately, the choice is yours on how you handle this. They are certainly not fragile little plants and are and as far as temps go, you can treat them about the same as Chinese elms.

Awesome , thanks for the goof info. I'm super excited to see it thrive

 

[Ininaatigoons]

Sorry I'm a month late to the party. Firstly, what did you decide to do? Secondly, my two cents. I have a pomegranate that I have grown in the burbs of Minneapolis for years. I put it in the garage when the nights start to be in the 20's and then bring it in the house next to the south facing sliding back door when the garage gets colder than that. Not surprising that's usually end of January or start of February. I put it outside when the nights are warmer mid 40's or so. Outside it gets full sun all day. The only thing... It has never flowered yet? I don't know if there is not enough light at budding, if it's not old enough though it's from cutting, or if I'm not pruning enough. I don't really prune at all except a couple sacrificial branches that were marker thick.

 

[tigerscott79]

Potted it up in 8 inch azalea pot (wide but shallow) using periltie mixed in bottom 1/3 with kokodama, and top 2/3 s is only kokodama. Left the soil on the roots to grow out on further and spread them lightly . Placed on saucer I keep filled ever 2 days and it absorbs it and kokodama all way to top is hydrated (also water from the top lightly to make sure) its placed on propagation mat that stays about 88°f and the pomegranate did indeed wake up and is growing well, so far seems happy . Will snap photo and add in comments shortly. Never issue with me if post response late or anything as always I go to learn from and worse case which still isn't bad maybe down line can assist someone else if read it yea

 

[tigerscott79]

So far super happy with it. I did trim central leader as it did not bud and afterwards it was deadwood. But ill let it grow out and see how it'll need trimmed later prolly

 

[Ininaatigoons]

That might be too much water? They are Mediterranean Climate trees. But, if it's happy then keep it up. I have mine in a 12" and will probably have to up pot it next year. The other problem with growing indoor trees is limited space... fine once they are in a bonsai pot, but growing up is greatly slowed.