What to Do About Low Fruit Set in Pomegranates? Cause Analysis and Solutions
Pomegranates are sweet and tart, delicious and juicy, and highly nutritious, making them one of our favorite fruits. Market demand for them is also enormous, and their growing prospects are good. However, during cultivation, certain reasons often lead to a low fruit set rate in pomegranates, seriously affecting yield and the economic returns of fruit growers. So what causes low fruit set in pomegranates, and what should be done? Let's take a look.
1. Insufficient watering and fertilizing
Pomegranates need large amounts of nutrients and water during flowering and fruiting. Many fruit growers do not water and fertilize enough during cultivation, resulting in insufficient tree nutrition that cannot support the needs of growth. This ultimately leads to a low fruit set rate, and the fruits produced are too small and rather sour.
Solution: Pay attention to fertilizer and water management. According to the plant's growth condition, water and fertilize reasonably to maintain sufficient nutrients. Generally, fertilizing 2-3 times a year is needed to meet the tree's growth requirements. When fertilizing, organic fertilizer should be the main type, with chemical fertilizer as a supplement. Apply sufficient base fertilizer in winter, topdress promptly after spring begins, and topdress once more when flowering and fruiting begin. The same applies to watering; water 2-3 times a year. The first is a freezing water before the soil freezes, which helps the tree overwinter safely; the second is at the flower bud stage, to improve the fruit set rate; the third is after the flowers fade, which allows the young fruits to expand rapidly and increases yield.
2. Improper shaping and pruning
Pomegranates like to grow in an environment with sufficient light. In such conditions, they grow more robustly and produce more flowers and fruits. Therefore, they are usually pruned to remove some residual branches, diseased branches and dense branches, increasing air and light penetration between plants. However, some fruit growers prune excessively, or do not prune at all, resulting in poor plant growth and poor penetration, which leads to a lower fruit set rate.
Solution: Rational and scientific shaping and pruning. According to planting density, prune into different tree forms. The tree forms include the three-main-trunk open-center form, the double-main-trunk "V" shape, and the main-trunk stratified form. For plants that have been allowed to grow freely, prune according to their growth condition. Pruning should be carried out year by year, and it is not advisable to finish all pruning at once, so as not to damage the tree.
⟦NL>3. Untimely pest and disease control
Pests and diseases are the main factors affecting pomegranate production. They not only cause a low fruit set rate in pomegranates, but also weaken the tree, stunt the plant, and in severe cases cause plant death. The pests and diseases that cause low fruit set mainly include dry rot, peach fruit borer, peach fruit moth and aphids. If these pests and diseases are not controlled in time, fruits may fail to set, or insect-damaged fruits may result.
Solution: For various diseases, apply the right remedy. When dry rot occurs, Bordeaux mixture diluted 160 times can be sprayed for control; for peach fruit borer, chlorpyrifos emulsifiable concentrate at 1500 times dilution can be sprayed; for peach fruit moth, 20% fenvalerate at 3000 times dilution can be sprayed; for aphids, 10% imidacloprid powder at 3000 times dilution can be sprayed.
The above are the causes of low fruit set in pomegranates and the solutions. We hope this helps you. To learn more about pomegranate cultivation, please stay tuned to us.