Dwarf pomegranate came out of dormancy early

[skepp009]

Hi all, I have a dwarf pomegranate that went into dormancy very well, and it was doing good being overwintered in my basement (stays colder there since I'm cheap and don't like to pay for too much heat). Then, my wife and I had a baby, and the temperature in our house started to stay quite warm. I went down to check it, and it had broken dormancy, and is putting out lots of leaves.

The tree was only dormant for about a month, maybe a little less. Will it have problems surviving the coming growing season? Or will it be ok, and I just have to make sure I give it a good dormancy next winter?

 

[0soyoung]

If it came out of dormancy, it has had all the dormant time it needs.

Now the issue is that it has no hardiness to freezing.

 

[Dav4]

As Oso has alluded to, you've got a tree that needs spring time conditions- lots and lots of sunshine and relatively warm temps- and we still haven't seen the shortest day of the year here in the northern hemisphere. Without knowing your location and climate, I can only guess that you live in an area with long, cold winters if you felt your basement would stay cold enough- consistently below 40 f- to maintain dormancy. Any way, good luck with the new baby. Try to find a better place to keep your tree(s) next winter.... as you've found out, basements generally don't stay cold enough or stay cold long enough to get trees through the worst of winter without breaking dormancy.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

As said above, the tree thinks it is spring. Pomegranate are from warm Mediterranean climates. They only need a short dormancy. About all you can do is put it in the brightest window you have. It should survive until spring. It will have long internodes and weak growth because light won't be full sun. But it should live.

Once weather is safe to put tree outside, prune off all of the weak growth, and start over. They back bud well, a new flush of growth should come quickly after the pruning.

Next winter keep in mind the trees will not go completely dormant unless they are colder than 40 F, or 4 C.

 

[skepp009]

Thanks for the information everyone. I was hoping that would be the case (that it will make it). I'm going to pick up a grow light to get it through the winter with a good amount of light. I intend to get a better set up next year for wintering the tree, but I just didn't have time to put it all together this year. Glad to hear it back buds well, that makes me have more faith in it doing well next year.

 

[BonsaiNaga13]

Hi all, I have a dwarf pomegranate that went into dormancy very well, and it was doing good being overwintered in my basement (stays colder there since I'm cheap and don't like to pay for too much heat). Then, my wife and I had a baby, and the temperature in our house started to stay quite warm. I went down to check it, and it had broken dormancy, and is putting out lots of leaves.

The tree was only dormant for about a month, maybe a little less. Will it have problems surviving the coming growing season? Or will it be ok, and I just have to make sure I give it a good dormancy next winter?

Pomegranate without dormancy live about 30 years they say so no major issue.

 

[Carol 83]

This will be the third year I've kept a dwarf pom inside for the winter. It gets leggy, but does OK.