Rowan Pomegranate

Rowan is not only a magnificent tree, but also very useful berries, sometimes undeservedly deprived of the attention of gardeners. From an aesthetic point of view, mountain ash is attractive at any time of the year: when it blooms, when berries ripen among the green foliage, or when the foliage has long been gone, and there is snow on the berries. Well, rowan berries contain a large amount of vitamins and minerals, they are extremely useful. In particular, the hostesses make jam, jelly, jam from Pomegranate rowan, make delicious compotes and juices, as well as excellent homemade wine. Rowan Pomegranate sorbus granatnaja, what are its strengths and weaknesses, as well as how to take care of the tree in order to get an excellent harvest.

A bit of history

Rowan Pomegranate: photo of an adult tree

None other than Michurin himself had a hand in the creation of this wonderful variety, when back in 1925 he pollinated hawthorn flowers with rowan pollen. The results exceeded all expectations: from the hawthorn, the hybrid got large berries of a beautiful dark red color, and from the mountain ash, the hybrid took over all the strengths of this plant, including unpretentiousness and frost resistance. The color of the berries is very similar to the color of pomegranate, hence the name of this hybrid variety - Sorbus granatnaja.

Rowan Pomegranate: description of the variety and characteristics

Rowan Pomegranate is a rather tall and spreading tree, the height of Rowan Pomegranate reaches up to four meters in height. The life span of such a mountain ash is 20-25 years.

The crown of the tree is very dense. When propagating, the shoots take root well and quickly, they can withstand both frost and hot weather. The foliage of the tree is very beautiful, large, dark green in color. The structure of the leaves is alternate, odd-pinnate, on one branch there are from 9 to 11 leaves. The root system of the tree has a lobular structure, the roots are very well developed.

When the flowering period begins, small white flowers bloom on the mountain ash, collected in corymbose inflorescences. One such inflorescence can contain up to one hundred flowers. The flowers are not only beautiful, but also have a pleasant aroma.

In young trees, ripening berries are located at the base of fruit twigs, and in mature trees, berries are located on ringlets.

Ripe rowan berries of the Pomegranate variety have a round, slightly faceted shape. They are dark red, even rather burgundy, with a bluish bloom. The pulp inside is contrasting yellow and juicy. The berry's taste is quite multifaceted: it is sour, but it has a sweet note and some astringency. The weight of berries can reach 1.6 grams, which is a pretty good result for mountain ash.

Rowan berries are rarely consumed fresh, but this particular variety is quite suitable for this. Otherwise, its culinary purpose does not differ from other, more familiar berries: compotes, preserves, jams and marmalades, juice and wine.

Rowan Pomegranate: when to harvest?

Of course, the yield directly depends on how well you care for the mountain ash. And with good care, you can get up to twenty kilograms of beautiful large berries. Despite the fact that the Pomegranate mountain ash is classified as a self-fertile plant, experienced gardeners are advised to plant another rowan variety on the site for cross-pollination, for example, "Dessertnaya", "Vefed" or "Sorbinka". This will greatly increase the chances of a rich harvest.

Pomegranate rowan begins to bear fruit in the fourth year after you have planted it, that is, it is a fast-growing variety.Flowering occurs in early summer, and the berries begin to ripen in the second half of August.

In addition to preparing all kinds of blanks, sweet-fruited Pomegranate mountain ash can be frozen, pre-packed in bags, or dried using an oven or an electric dryer for vegetables and fruits. Fresh berries, harvested in dry weather according to all the rules, can be stored in a cool place for up to five months.

Rowan Pomegranate: pros and cons

Rowan Granatnaya: photo by sorbus granatnaja

When deciding to plant a new plant on your site, you first study the strengths and weaknesses of this culture. In most cases, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, but they also need to be carefully studied in order to prepare, and, if possible, prevent possible problems.

If we talk about the strengths of the garden Pomegranate mountain ash, then it is, first of all, strong frost resistance. Due to this quality, mountain ash is common even in cold regions. The large size of the berries and the excellent yield of each tree are also advantages of this variety. The fruits of the Pomegranate mountain ash have a pleasant taste, tolerate transportation well and can be stored for a long time. Well, another plus is that this variety of mountain ash is self-fertile and is able to do without additional pollinators. But, in fairness, it should be noted that the presence of pollinators guarantees you a larger harvest.

And of course it is necessary to mention those qualities of the Pomegranate Mountain Ash, which can be attributed to the disadvantages. The tree has a short lifespan, no more than 25 years. Therefore, you will need to think in advance about how to update the landing.

The main problem of summer residents in the summer is plant diseases and invasions of harmful insects. Pomegranate ash has a medium resistance to these problems.

Rowan Pomegranate planting

When choosing a place for planting varietal Pomegranate rowan, make sure that the groundwater is deep enough, this plant cannot grow where water stagnates. The place should be sunny, as you will never be able to get a good harvest in the shade. The soil should be loose, moisture and air permeable.

You can plant the sweet-fruited Pomegranate mountain ash in the spring, but you should have time to do this before the buds bloom. Autumn is considered the best time for planting.
Dig a planting hole, the diameter of which will be about a meter, and the depth of 60-70 cm, on the bottom, lay about 10-15 cm of a drainage layer of expanded clay, broken brick or gravel. Then pour a nutritious soil mixture consisting of garden soil and humus into the hole with the addition of superphosphate and potassium fertilizers. Place the Pomegranate rowan seedling in the hole so that the root collar is four to five centimeters below ground level, cover the roots with earth and tamp it a little. After that, water abundantly (at least 20 liters, but gently and gradually so as not to erode the soil) and mulch the near-stem circle. When planting Pomegranate rowan, the distance between seedlings or already growing trees should be at least two and a half meters.

Rowan garden Pomegranate: care

Rowan Pomegranate: photo of an adult tree

Like most plants, the hybrid Pomegranate garden rowan does not tolerate stagnant water (which is why we laid a drainage layer at the bottom of the planting pit), but at the same time it needs the soil in the near-trunk circle to be moistened. Usually, there is enough precipitation to keep the soil moist, but in case of abnormal heat and a complete absence of rain, you must act as follows:

• Water the mountain ash at the very beginning of the growing season.
• The second watering should be carried out about three weeks before the intended collection of berries.
• The third watering is carried out three to four weeks after the crop is harvested.

Perhaps it will seem to someone that three waterings are very little.But in this case, it must be borne in mind that when watering for each square meter of the near-stem circle, about forty liters of water must be consumed - this is quite enough for the plant for comfortable growth.

A day after watering, the soil of the trunk circle must be loosened in order to avoid the formation of a dense crust on its surface and to improve air permeability. In autumn and early spring, the soil of the trunk circle can be dug to a depth of fifteen centimeters, but this must be done very carefully so as not to harm the roots of the mountain ash.

Every year you need to do pruning, which can be divided into two types: formative and cosmetic. Cosmetic pruning is done as needed: branches damaged by disease or pests, broken or frostbitten, root shoots are removed.

Formative pruning of the hybrid mountain ash Pomegranate is carried out in early spring according to a certain scheme in order to correctly form the crown of the mountain ash. The branches of young trees are shortened by one bud, and shoots are also cut off, which form an acute angle. If the tree is already mature, then pruning is carried out in order to avoid excessive thickening of the crown of the tree, which inevitably leads to diseases and to a decrease in yield.

In the process of planting, you prepared a nutrient mixture, which included humus, as well as phosphorus and potash fertilizers - this will be enough for the tree for the first two or three years. After three years, it will be necessary to feed twice a season, using mineral fertilizers for this. In the spring, when digging up the soil around the mountain ash, it is necessary to add urea or ammonium nitrate to the ground. And during similar work in the autumn months, potassium and superphosphate must be added to the soil.

Possible problems

Even a plant that is highly resistant to infections can be attacked by disease or attacked by parasites. The problem can be prevented by timely prophylactic treatment of the tree with appropriate preparations. Well, if the tree still turned out to be affected, then you will have to carry out the treatment, resorting, again, to special drugs.

Harmful insects.
First of all, you can find rowan aphid on the leaves and young shoots. This is a small pest that feeds on plant sap, the leaves gradually curl and dry out. Any species of aphids spread very quickly, so you need to regularly inspect the plants and start fighting at the first signs of a pest. As a preventive measure, before the buds appear, the crown of the tree can be treated with Nitrafen. After the buds appear and bloom, you can use the drug "Rogor-S", and in the summer, before the ovaries appear, use the solution "Karbofos". If the invasion of aphids is observed during the ripening of the crop, then you can resort to folk remedies that can be easily and quickly prepared with water and laundry soap, adding to them of your choice soda, pepper, strong-smelling herbs. It is important to know that in addition to aphids, it is also necessary to immediately begin the fight against ants, since these insects often exist in symbiosis and, in order to achieve the desired result, both must be exterminated.

Another unpleasant pest is the mountain ash moth, its caterpillars feed on rowan berries. To prevent their appearance, it is necessary to treat the tree with Chlorophos in a couple of weeks after flowering ends, preparing a solution in accordance with the recommended dosage.
In order to fight the Rowan gall mite, it is necessary not only to spray the crown of the tree, but also to carefully dig up the soil in the near-trunk circle, removing all weeds and plant debris - it is in them that pests can overwinter. If you find that a tick has nevertheless appeared and harms the leaves of the plant, then the treatment is carried out with the help of colloidal sulfur, only this solution must be used before the flowering of mountain ash.

Diseases of mountain ash Pomegranate garden
The most common diseases of Pomegranate mountain ash are powdery mildew and moniliosis. The first disease manifests itself in the form of a whitish bloom on the leaves, as soon as you notice the signs of the disease, you must remove all the affected areas, and not throw them away, but be sure to burn them. After that, treat the crown of the tree with colloidal sulfur (to prepare the solution, you will need 30 grams of the substance per bucket of water), and then every three to four days spray the tree with soapy water with the addition of soda.
Moniliosis changes the structure of the plant and provokes the appearance of growths, this disease cannot be cured, all parts of the tree that have been affected by the disease must be cut to healthy wood and immediately burned, and the cuts must be treated with garden varnish. As a preventive measure in the spring, before the appearance of the buds, it is necessary to spray the common mountain ash Pomegranate "Nitrofen" or copper sulfate.

Conclusion

Any tree can get sick, aphids or caterpillars can appear on any plant - all this can be avoided by carrying out preventive treatments. And, undoubtedly, this does not outweigh the positive characteristics of the ordinary Pomegranate mountain ash, which include large tasty berries, and high productivity, and excellent frost resistance and unpretentious care. In addition, we must not forget that the Pomegranate mountain ash is amazingly beautiful, can grow in any climate and is guaranteed to provide you with vitamins.