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Why do my pomegranates keep splitting every year? enter image description here

I have read some articles that they need even watering, with drip irrigation. Also too much nitrogen can cause the fruit to split. Does anyone have experience on this problem? enter image description here

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This one didn't split but appears that it didn't grow well like the others Edit:

We have to make more tags in this community like Natural-problems, plant-difficiencies, etc

csandreas1
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  • Are there any symptoms on the tree itself, such as leaf spots, or leaf loss? Has this always happened since the tree began fruiting? Of the two causes you've mentioned, does either apply to your own tree? Have you watered regularly, irregularly, or not at all? Is it planted in full sun? and do you live in a damp region? – Bamboo Aug 26 '17 at 14:39
  • Irregular watering does it to tomatoes, so why not this as well? A sudden temperature rise will make the plant suck up more water if the plant is dehydrated thus the fruit will split at the sudden uptake of water- looks like that anyway- – olantigh Aug 26 '17 at 16:16
  • @Bamboo I live in Cyprus and there is a lot of sun here and it never rains in the summer. The plan is under the sun directly from 11 o clock until 17:00. My grandpa waters the tree with a half bucket of water every 2 weeks. The plant is 3-4 years old and the pomegranates split every year but this year they have split more than ever – csandreas1 Aug 27 '17 at 07:24

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Fruit split on pomegranates late in the season is a common problem. Some varieties are more prone to this than others, and many varieties will split open once over ripe, which is part of the natural process of a tree spreading its seeds. Pomegranates growing in arid regions which receive sudden exposure to plenty of rain at the ripening stage also tend to split open more frequently. Some growers recommend supplementing the soil with boron, but the commonest reasons they split are 1) fungal infection and 2) incorrect watering. Fungal infection sometimes shows itself on the tree with spots on leaves and some leaf loss, but it tends to affect the fruits primarily, causing fruit split.

By far the biggest cause though, and one you can certainly do something about, is number 2, poor watering regime. You say your grandfather waters with half a bucket of water every two weeks, which certainly doesn't sound like enough water often enough during a two week period, particularly while fruits are growing. Pomegranates will split if you water irregularly, and will get fungal infection if the roots are kept too wet. which is why you read that drip irrigation is something to try. Drip irrigation will keep the soil damp, supply the fruits with sufficient water as they start to swell, yet prevent the roots from becoming waterlogged.

You can try something else though; once the tree has flowered and fruit has set, when they're small, increase watering to every other day with half a bucket of water, and as temperatures climb and the fruits get larger, every day. A bucket of water is a nondescript term - I'm assuming the bucket holds, say 8 or 10 litres of water. The amount of water required will depend on the size of the tree and how much fruit it's carrying, so to some extent, it's an experiment to determine just how much water is the right amount. The trick is to keep the fruits regularly supplied with sufficient water - regularity is key.

More information on fungal infection and watering here https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/pomegranate/splitting-pomegranate-fruit.htm

Bamboo
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  • tree location and soil type is also crucial to determine how much water the tree needs right? – csandreas1 Aug 27 '17 at 11:07
  • so as a conclusion, pomegranate trees need a lot of water but they do not need to be overwatered, drip irrigation is the best watering method for pomegranates. Also, according to the how big is the tree and how much fruit it is carrying different water needs are needed for the tree. - Regularity is the key. My tree is less than 1.80 meters tall and is not that big. It is carring ~ 6-10 pomegranates which only 1 is not split. Wrong irrigation methods my grandfather was using, the tree basin is small (see the photos i updated) so with just half a bucket of water the roots're gettin overwatered – csandreas1 Aug 27 '17 at 11:34
  • this DIY (https://youtu.be/mEV65WTyxkU) looks good to accomplish for my pomegranate tree. The experiment question will be the following: Is 2L bottle of water every Monday-Wednesday-Saturday enough ? ( like this: http://imgur.com/a/tQRNe) enought – csandreas1 Aug 27 '17 at 15:01