Q. I have grown Utah Sweet
pomegranates in Summerlin for several years and only had a few fruit split open
near the Fall harvest time. Mid July this year 40 green fruits split open. I
assumed it was from high temperatures but more kept splitting open through the
rest of the year. At least 80% of the fruit have split open and the birds
cleaned out all the edible seeds.
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| Split Utah Sweet pomegranates do to watering problems. |
A. Harvest times for
pomegranates are at different times depending on the variety of pomegranate.
The earliest varieties start ripening in September and other varieties extend
the harvest season past Halloween.
pomegranates are at different times depending on the variety of pomegranate.
The earliest varieties start ripening in September and other varieties extend
the harvest season past Halloween.
The usual reason for early fruit splitting is irregular
applications of water: soils alternating between wet and dry. Pomegranates
handle high temperatures easily but they don’t produce well if water in the
soil is limited during its fruiting cycle.
applications of water: soils alternating between wet and dry. Pomegranates
handle high temperatures easily but they don’t produce well if water in the
soil is limited during its fruiting cycle.
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| Split Utah Sweet pomegranates most likely from irregular soil moisture. This can be a particular problem when trees are on drip irrigation and surrounded by dry soil. Don’t turn off the irrigation system when it rains when growing in the desert. The amount of water the plant received is hard to calculate. |
Fruit splitting is a watering issue, not a temperature
issue but the two could be related. If water is not available when the fruit is
increasing in size, even for a day or two, fruit will be smaller because they begin
maturing too early. Their outer “skin” begins to harden early.
issue but the two could be related. If water is not available when the fruit is
increasing in size, even for a day or two, fruit will be smaller because they begin
maturing too early. Their outer “skin” begins to harden early.
Now it rains heavily. This abundance of water available
to the roots is “pushed into the fruit causing the fruit to expand and split. Unusually
high temperature, combined with wind and an unprotected soil surface, can cause
drought at times that are unexpected. Irrigation water is supplied according to
a clock but it is too late. The damage is done.
to the roots is “pushed into the fruit causing the fruit to expand and split. Unusually
high temperature, combined with wind and an unprotected soil surface, can cause
drought at times that are unexpected. Irrigation water is supplied according to
a clock but it is too late. The damage is done.
Put a surface layer of mulch 3 to 4 inches deep on top of
the soil to slow water evaporation from the soil surrounding the roots. This
surface layer of mulch helps to reduce wildly fluctuating amounts of water in
the soil when it is hot and windy.
the soil to slow water evaporation from the soil surrounding the roots. This
surface layer of mulch helps to reduce wildly fluctuating amounts of water in
the soil when it is hot and windy.
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| Pomegranate before winter pruning and surrounded by wood chip mulch in the desert |
Use woodchips from trees pruned by local arborists. Extend
this surface layer of mulch so that it completely covers the soil under the
tree canopy to a depth of four inches. Make sure these trees receive enough by
adding emitters as it gets bigger and checking the soil moisture during hot
weather.
this surface layer of mulch so that it completely covers the soil under the
tree canopy to a depth of four inches. Make sure these trees receive enough by
adding emitters as it gets bigger and checking the soil moisture during hot
weather.
 |
| Round hole in the side of pomegranate with inside totally cleaned out is a pretty good indicator of a rat problem. |
Birds eat pomegranate seed after the fruit has split
open. They can’t open pomegranate fruit by themselves. Rats gnaw on the outer
“rind” of the fruit leaving a large, somewhat round gaping hole in the side of
the fruit with the inside totally cleaned out. One of the pictures you sent to
me looks more like rat feeding than bird damage.
open. They can’t open pomegranate fruit by themselves. Rats gnaw on the outer
“rind” of the fruit leaving a large, somewhat round gaping hole in the side of
the fruit with the inside totally cleaned out. One of the pictures you sent to
me looks more like rat feeding than bird damage.
Because rain in the desert
happens so infrequently, never use the rain shut off on the controller. Irrigate
plants even though it rained because estimating the amount of rain plants
receive is very difficult to do accurately.