Can Pomegranate Seeds Be Eaten, Things to Note for Pregnant Women, and a Detailed Guide to Planting Techniques

Pomegranate is a fruit many friends love to eat. In traditional Chinese culture, the pomegranate is regarded as an auspicious symbol, representing many children and much blessing. Among them, Huaiyuan County in Anhui is China's hometown of pomegranates, and “Huaiyuan pomegranate” is a nationally protected geographical indication product. So can pomegranate seeds be eaten? Can pregnant women eat pomegranates? What are the planting techniques for pomegranates?

I. Can pomegranate seeds be eaten

Pomegranate seeds can be eaten. The whole pomegranate is a treasure. Pomegranate seeds contain large amounts of strong antioxidants such as vitamin C and polyphenols, and have effects such as delaying aging and preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In addition, pomegranate seed oil is also rich in antioxidant factors and has a strong ability to scavenge free radicals in the human body and delay aging.

1. It can promote joint adaptability and skin elasticity. The nutrients in pomegranate seeds have the effect of promoting the secretion of joint lubricating fluid.

2. Protecting the cardiovascular system. The vitamin C contained in pomegranate seeds, when eaten regularly, can not only make the skin fair and tender, but also increase the elasticity of the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems and prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

3. Anti-inflammatory and slowing sports injuries.

4. Slowing vision damage caused by diabetes and promoting the improvement of visual sensitivity.

5. Promoting brain function.

II. Can pregnant women eat pomegranates

Drinking more pomegranate juice during pregnancy can reduce the chance of impaired fetal brain development. It can also effectively improve the symptoms of loss of appetite, reduce the vomiting pain of pregnant women, and increase nutrient absorption. Therefore, pregnant women can not only eat pomegranates, but doing so is also good for themselves and the fetus.

1. Relieving symptoms of morning sickness and nausea. During pregnancy, many pregnant women experience morning sickness, nausea and other phenomena. At this time, eating pomegranates can effectively relieve these symptoms.

2. Relieving fatigue during pregnancy. If pregnant women eat some pomegranates or drink pomegranate juice during pregnancy, it can also relieve symptoms such as shoulder soreness and eye fatigue brought on by pregnancy.

3. Reducing the chance of fetal brain damage. Research has found that drinking pomegranate juice during pregnancy helps reduce the chance of impaired fetal development and promotes normal fetal brain development.

III. Pomegranate planting techniques

1. Light

Light and temperature are important conditions affecting flower bud formation. During the growing period, full sun is required, and the more sufficient the light, the more numerous and vivid the flowers. A sheltered, sunny and dry environment is conducive to flower bud formation and blooming. When light is insufficient, it will only grow leaves and not bloom, affecting the ornamental effect. The suitable growth temperature is 15-20°C, and the winter temperature should not be lower than -18°C, otherwise it will suffer frost damage.

2. Water and fertilizer

Pomegranates planted in the ground must be heavily fertilized with organic fertilizer once a year, and potted plants need to be repotted and fertilized every 1 to 2 years. During the growing season, topdressing should also be applied 3 to 5 times, and attention should be paid to loosening the soil and weeding, keeping the pot soil moist at all times, and strictly preventing drought and waterlogging.

3. Pruning

Pomegranates need to be pruned every year; they can be trained into a single-trunk round-headed form, or a multi-trunk bushy form, or heavily pruned into a dwarfed flat-topped canopy. When entering the fruiting period, summer pinching and autumn shortening should be carried out on vigorous shoots to avoid the occurrence of secondary and tertiary shoots at the top, so that nutrients are stored to form fruiting mother branches for the next year. At the same time, suckers arising at the root zone should also be cut off in time.

4. Overwintering

In the cold regions of the north, in winter they should be moved into a cold room or cellar to protect against the cold.

5. Harvesting

Pomegranates bloom 3 times each year, so there are 3 fruit settings, and generally the first or second crop of fruit develops well. They should be harvested in a timely manner in stages according to variety characteristics, fruit maturity and climatic conditions. The signs that pomegranate fruit is ripe are:

(1) The peel changes from green to yellow, colored varieties become fully colored, and the fruit surface becomes glossy.

(2) The fruit ridges become visible.

(3) The red or silvery-white needle-like crystals in the pulp cells become fully visible.

(4) The seeds are plump, and the soluble solids content of the fruit juice reaches the concentration inherent to the variety. Ripe fruit should be harvested before rain, and harvesting is prohibited in rainy weather.

Seedlings propagated by cuttings or division begin to bear fruit 3-4 years after planting, while seedlings propagated by seed need more than 10 years to bloom and bear fruit.