Saturday Morning With Jack Tame

Growing Pomegranates is not a very popular gardening subject in New Zealand, yet, once you get into it you might be surprised what the shrub looks like and how the fruits taste when fully grown and mature.  Punica granatum is the one with red flowers that hails from the Mediterrané and Tropical and Sub-Tropical regions.  The Socotran Pomegranate hails from the Socotra Island (Yemen) and has pink flowers but less sweet fruit when it ripens.  My research tells me they grow well in warm regions, but I saw them growing well in Canterbury too, as long as the frosts aren’t too extreme.  Plant in winter…  Generally speaking, plant in a sunny spot (regular sun-light for most of the day) with a large area of well drained fertile soil of good depth (50 cm deep is a good start). Regular watering (not over-watering!) is appreciated and will allow the plant to move upwards.  Citrus fertiliser (with a decent amount of Potash in the N-P-K ration) is a great boost from springtime till autumn. E