| I have a 3-year-old pomegranate (Wonderful) tree. It produced a good number of flowers in each of the previous two springs, but nearly all of the flowers drop, leaving almost no fruit on the tree. What can I do, and is this the same as fruit drop? |
| It's not the exactly the same as fruit drop, but it's pretty close. Sometimes plants develop more blossoms than they're capable of holding, and excess blossoms drop. Weather has a great deal to do with blossom drop, as well. And, if flowers are not pollinated, they can shrivel and drop. In the case of a 3 year old plant, blossom drop might indicate immaturity, which will correct itself as the plant gets older and more capable of producing fruit. If your tree is in full sunshine, getting plenty of water and occasional feeding, it should be healthy enough to produce a good crop of fruit. If it's under stress, it won't perform. Cold weather during bloom, wet soils, poor fertility or other stressful factors can all inhibit good fruit set. Lightly prune your tree to promote new flowering wood, water regularly and feed in the spring with a 5-10-5 fertilizer and you should be on your way to a bountiful crop of pomegranates. |
