Pomegranate advice?

[badatusernames]

OK, I think I have a handle on the horticulture (at least in theory! on paper! aka not much but at least something to hang my hat on).

Now I'm looking at this tree. First picture in the thread, that left trunk goes from interesting to bang-on straight for miles in a couple of inches, doesn't it. These apparently grow pretty fast though. It's the far right trunk, in the second photo, if you want to see if from the backside.

I'm reticent to give up the age of the growth, but it sure feels like a chop-it-off scenario. In my thread about a Japanese maple someone pointed out that I could put a thread graft at a long straight section, but this feels long even for that, unless you were basically thread grafting a new apex somewhere along the length of that aircraft carrier runway and chopping the top part off.

I'd be tempted to simply put it in better soil this year and leave it at that, but this feels like something I'm going to have to deal with, and putting it off will only make whatever I end up having to do take longer. And frankly, if I do re-grow that trunk, there are some sections of the middle trunk I'd be more liable to just start over too.

 

[vp999]

Is it safe to prune the tips of long branches and wire when the tree has not leafed out yet? I did some the other day and now im hoping the whole branch doesn't die on me. Mine is still in complete dormant here in DC.

 

[badatusernames]

Is it safe to prune the tips of long branches and wire when the tree has not leafed out yet? I did some the other day and now im hoping the whole branch doesn't die on me. Mine is still in complete dormant here in DC.

my understanding (note emphasis) is that that would be the ideal time in your scenario. @bonhe is the one who knows, and they seems to indicate as such on the last page. Just know that the flowers are on the tips of the new shoots if you want them to flower and fruit, if I understand correctly, so don't be surprised if it doesn't flower. I think absolute dormancy is the best for working with yours being treated as a deciduous.

They can be treated as tropicals too, which is my scenario, so my understanding talking to NEBG is that I want to treat it exactly as such - pruning and repotting at the height of its strength in late spring or early summer. So in my instance, I'm not doing anything yet, but that long segment is making me itchy. I don't know what impact to health treating them as tropical vs. cold hardy has long term.

I do feel like I'm noticing I have a habit of leaning towards "should I just chop it off" as the question I ask myself first, rather than "what can I do with what already exists here", so I'm making sure I feel right about it first since it'd be removing kind of a lot. Some of the work I've been doing at Bonsai West has made me realize how easy it is for my brain to dream up an extreme solution when more restrained ones are more appropriate, powerful, and frankly realistic on a time frame perspective.

 

[leatherback]

that long segment is making me itchy.

These apparently grow pretty fast though.

I do NOT find them to fatten up fast. Branches grow fast, you get loads of buds and branches. They can develop twiggy branches quickly. But fattening up or closing cuts.. Not really.

I would assume you have pictures without leaves by now? Show us the skeleton. That will help in judging the straight sections

 

[badatusernames]

I do NOT find them to fatten up fast. Branches grow fast, you get loads of buds and branches. They can develop twiggy branches quickly. But fattening up or closing cuts.. Not really.

I would assume you have pictures without leaves by now? Show us the skeleton. That will help in judging the straight sections

No, this one is being kept as a tropical, so it doesn’t defoliate unless I do it

 

[badatusernames]

here’s a couple more shots

i should really take that wire off

 

[vp999]

my understanding (note emphasis) is that that would be the ideal time in your scenario. @bonhe is the one who knows, and they seems to indicate as such on the last page. Just know that the flowers are on the tips of the new shoots if you want them to flower and fruit, if I understand correctly, so don't be surprised if it doesn't flower. I think absolute dormancy is the best for working with yours being treated as a deciduous.

They can be treated as tropicals too, which is my scenario, so my understanding talking to NEBG is that I want to treat it exactly as such - pruning and repotting at the height of its strength in late spring or early summer. So in my instance, I'm not doing anything yet, but that long segment is making me itchy. I don't know what impact to health treating them as tropical vs. cold hardy has long term.

I do feel like I'm noticing I have a habit of leaning towards "should I just chop it off" as the question I ask myself first, rather than "what can I do with what already exists here", so I'm making sure I feel right about it first since it'd be removing kind of a lot. Some of the work I've been doing at Bonsai West has made me realize how easy it is for my brain to dream up an extreme solution when more restrained ones are more appropriate, powerful, and frankly realistic on a time frame perspective.

Thank you !

 

[vp999]

Mine is still dormant.

 

[badatusernames]

I put it in a tosui and gave it a light trim, going to let it grow for a couple of months and then re-assess. I think re-growing the straight section would take too long for what will already be a reasonably very nice tree for my level. Goal is for the middle trunk to grow out and be the tallest.

I feel like this picture makes the proportions look weird, as though because the tree is planted further back the pot is much, much bigger than it is. I'll try to get a better one when it isn't crappy outside, because I'm not convinced it's not too big, but this picture makes it look dramatic to me for some reason.

 

[badatusernames]

Thought I'd surface this again to get people's opinions. I'm still thinking about what I want to do here.

There's already the obvious twin trunk I could pursue, but I am still hemming and hawing about what to do. I went ahead and potted it this year as you can see above - it's obviously not ready for that pot. What I'm debating is just how not ready.

I've been enamored with the three trunks because of the "tree shape" the leaves made when viewed as a whole, but that left trunk needs a lot of thickening and development compared to the other two. So

first decision: do I cut off the left trunk entirely?

Then, the trunk on the right has a really long straight section. With more branching, that could be obscured... but it's pretty long, and pretty ramrod straight.

second decision: do I chop the right trunk above that lower branch and regrow it?

It sounds as though @bonhe indicates that it's best to wait til after the leaves fall in autumn to do this.

Finally, if the answer to the second decision is no, then I will be reducing some of the upper branching on the right trunk.

third decision: if keeping the right trunk, can the upper branching be reduced at this time?

I know major cuts like to the trunk aren't a great idea, and I know that pinching back new growth is good, but I don't know if younger branching like at the top of the right trunk can be cut at this time. It sounds like not. It seems as though since I repotted, I should not mess with it regardless. Do it next year and then repot into a grow pot. But if these are hardy enough to take it and could even benefit from doing it now, I know what it is that I want to do.

Curious to hear your thoughts.

 

[badatusernames]

actually, is this a good time of year to air layer pomegranate? CAN you?

 

[leatherback]

I think I would go with chopping the left trunk off.

To me, pomegranates are really tough and take any abuse, any time of the year. I would say, layering would work. Based on the fact that you can easily grow them from big cuttings.

I am not sure why you would not trim right now. For layers or cuttings it might be a little late in the season. Then again, small plant like this, you can bring it inside if you get early frost and even keep it inside in an unheated room?

 

[badatusernames]

I think I would go with chopping the left trunk off.

To me, pomegranates are really tough and take any abuse, any time of the year. I would say, layering would work. Based on the fact that you can easily grow them from big cuttings.

I am not sure why you would not trim right now. For layers or cuttings it might be a little late in the season. Then again, small plant like this, you can bring it inside if you get early frost and even keep it inside in an unheated room?

Yes, I have lots of flexibility with where to keep it. I was thinking air layering would have a higher chance of success, but I could take it as a hardwood cutting too...

With the way these years have been, it'll be in the 70s into November, so I'm not sure I'm worried.

I also don't have to do anything this year. If it's too late, it's too late. Was just thinking of getting a jump start on next year if it wasn't too late.

I'm realizing why a "bonsai journal" is smart to keep, this is the second I made a few sketches for. Makes that need to tinker feel less immediate. I am not good at drawing.

 

[badatusernames]

I ended up taking the left trunk off for now. I'm still debating between a twin or single trunk, but I think I'm not going to be able to decide that now. That'll be a next year call. Turned to the left a little, the left trunk gets really funky, and taking the right trunk off would make a very interesting base for something that could legitimately make a decent... I don't know what to call it, I guess literati?

On the other hand, it works great as a twin trunk, and I should be able to obscure the offending portion with leaf cover and branches perhaps...

We shall see! I took a good knob off when taking the left trunk, as it was going to be an unsightly blob - I think it would have been even had the trunk stayed, and was actually a big point against it. It actually had some roots come with it, so I think given how easy people say it is to root cuttings, between the cloning gel and the existing roots I'm hopeful it will survive. I'm letting it grow for now but I'm dreaming of a little mame after chopping it pretty severely at some point. Who knows, plans change.

 

[penumbra]

pictures?

 

[leatherback]

to root cuttings, between the cloning gel and the existing roots

I am getting these to root potted, placed in a transparant bag in early morning sun Just an hour or so) and leaving alone.

But do not take my word for it. Take @bonhe s: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/how-to-do-a-big-cutting-on-pomegranate.36147/

 

[badatusernames]

pictures?

i used a small saw to cut it off. here it is now



i kinda shot this blind but you can sorta see what i mean about the other angle



and here’s the cutting for now. the bit that would be the trunk of the mame is buried.

 

[badatusernames]

now that i’ve done this i’m not eyeing the right trunk AS hard tho