Repotting and root work on Pomegranate

Horticulture
1

I have my first twisted trunk pom and need some good advice. I will repot the tree (now in a nursery container) in a couple of months. I would appreciate some experienced advice about the best timing (I live in the Houston area) for repotting and the extent of root pruning I can do without damaging the tree. I would like to put it in a bonsai pot so a lot of roots need to go, if possible. Also, can I bare root the tree and remove most of the nursery soil. Thanks.
Vern

2

I don’t know the timing but I’m going to guess it’s like most deciduous and right before bud push is the best.

If the tree is healthy, now might be the time to do the most root work you can. And yes you can bare root them.

If you haven’t seen it yet, there is a great pomegranate stream where Ryan does a lot of root work.

https://live.bonsaimirai.com/library/video/pomegranate-design

3

Thanks Nicholas. I have seen Ryan’s work on the pom but had forgotten about it. As you probably know, deciduous trees occasionally do not behave normally here in south Texas, but my tree seems to be losing foliage and will probably behave like a normal deciduous tree.

Thanks again for the quick response and the good advice.

Regards,

Vern

4

I would wait until late February or early March to bare root and repot. Last year both of my Poms kept there leaves until January. This winter we had an early cold spell, the Poms are showing a beautiful golden yellow and now are dropping leaves. At this time of year I would focus on structural branch selection and if possible secondary and tertiary branches. Careful however when removing large branches if there is no foliage above or around the removal sites, as Poms tend to dieback along the trunk. I learned this the hard way on a clump shohin I was working on. A few pics of my Poms for you.

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5

Oh final note, after the leaves harden off you can do a major bare root and repot from April thru September with good results. I live in San Antonio for past 4 years and resided in Clear Lake just south of Houston. Grown both of my Poms from seeds.

6

Thanks Nathan. I live in League City so your advice really applies. Much appreciated.
Vern