Pomegranate success!

[LondonAl]

About 10 years ago I germinated a pomegranate seed. Since then I planted in the garden and generally let it do its thing aside from the occasional pruning.

Every spring I go out and check if it flowers and it never does. But I went out today and noticed this little fruit/flower? Plus there's at least 2 more coming out.



No doubt to late in the year for anything to come from it, but I wasn't expecting this excitement today.

[LondonAl]

Couldn't edit post

[nickdub]

looks like a fruit - usual problem is that our seasons aren't long enough or warm enough to ripen anything

[Bren In Pots]

Fingers crossed for you Al

[SarrissUK]

Wow, how exciting! Let's hope for an indian summer

[devonuk]

Congratulations, there is nothing quite as satisfying as getting a seedling to the fruiting stage.

[Hereford fruit grower]

I once had a pomegranate plant and the variety name was 'Wonderful'. Warning: extreme irony. I later concluded, reading the raintreenursery.com website - from near Seattle, so they have the same problem of cool summers as we do - that it was a total waste of space and that the UK supplier was mis-selling.

Some fruit trees are made for southern Europe, eastern Asia or North America or places with even hotter summers. The average temperature in London in July is 17 degC. In New York City or indeed in Kabul, Afghanistan it's about 24 degC. The rate of growth is massively faster in the mid 20s degC than at 17 degC. I'm told that pomegranate trees grow widely in Afghanistan and that the fruit always ripens although I haven't visited the place.

So in our 'pathetic' summers I concentrate on apples, pears, plums, apricots, figs and soft fruit. That's enough for most people though. There are fruits like Chilean guava that people can get to ripen here with some TLC. TLC probably won't ripen pomegranates!