The Pomegranate – A Must Tree For a Dry Climate, Mediterranean Garden
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By Jonathan Yaakobi
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One of the best choices for a landscaping tree, particularly in a hot, dry and Mediterranean climate, is the Pomegranate. (Punica granatum) Being a small tree, or large bush, it reaches to about 4 or 5 meters in height, it is especially suited to a small garden, a backyard or a patio. The benefits of growing a pomegranate are as diverse as they are numerous, but they can be placed in two broad categories – aesthetic and nutritional.
Design wise, the tree has an arching, vase–like habit. Due to the small diameter of its trunk, it is best grown as a multi stemmed tree. As a naturally deciduous plant, the Pomegranate provides exciting fall color, other than in the mildest of winter climates. The new, juvenile leaves in the spring are in my view, one of the finest and much overlooked sights in the garden calendar, and the flowers are as beautiful as the fruit is decorative. It literally "performs" all the year round. Furthermore, it can be combined with other species of similar habit and growth, such as the wonderful Crape Myrtle. (Lagerstroemia indica) The latter's summer flowers prolong as it were, the flowering season of the Pomegranate, while the Pomegranate's fruit take over, in the decorative sense, from the Lagestromia flowers towards the end of the summer.
Nutritionally, the Pomegranate fruit is amongst the healthiest foods available, being rich in minerals and vitamins and high in fiber. Other than being eaten straight, pomegranate juice is both delicious and nutritious. The fruit is also made into jams and jellies, and distilled into a liqueur. There are in fact innumerable uses to which it is put.
Growing a Pomegranate tree is not difficult, but not maintenance-free either. It is worth thinning out excess stems, by pruning a few of them to the ground towards the end of the winter. Branches should not be shortened, because this detracts from the natural growth habit of the tree. Sometimes though, abundant quantities of fruit on a single branch can prove to be too heavy, and cause the branch to bend and snap. It's sometimes necessary therefore to cut away a certain number of fruits, before they ripen. The tree is fairly hardy to pests and disease, though mild aphid attacks do occur from to time to time. These can easily be dealt with by the simple expedient of washing down the affected foliage with a heavy jet of water. The fruit itself is somewhat vulnerable to the attentions of fruit flies, but these can be handled by wrapping the young, unripe fruit in paper bags. The bags should not be removed until the fruit are ready to harvest. Alternatively, yellow colored sticky pads, can be hung on the tree's branches as an insect trap.
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Author Bio Box: Jonathan Yaakobi
 My name is Jonathan Ya'akobi.
I've been gardening in a professional capacity since 1984.
I am the former head gardener of the Jerusalem Botanical Garden, but now concentrate on building gardens for private home owners.
I also teach horticulture to students on training courses.
I'd love to help you get the very best from your garden,
so you're welcome to visit me on http://www.dryclimategardening.com
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