The best grades of pomegranates: description

In this article, we want to talk about an exotic fruit, like a pomegranate. All of us since childhood know about its useful properties. But many do not even guess how it grows and what sorts of pomegranates are the best. Let's discuss this in more detail.

History of the name of fruit

The pomegranate is a wonderful plant. The history of its name is interesting. About this plant was known even during the Ancient World. Then it was believed that the best trees grow in Carthage. The Romans called the fruits of malum punicum, which in translation means "Punic apple". And the fact is that the Phoenicians moved from their native land to Africa in the tenth century BC, establishing new settlements there, including the famous Carthage. And for the Romans, the Phoenicians themselves are Punis, hence the name Punic apple.

But the pomegranate had a second name - malum granatum, which means "a granular apple". It was later widely spread. But the botanical name Punica was given to the plant in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus.

Pomegranate tree

In the world there are different grades of pomegranates. The native land of the plant is Persia (the territory of modern Iran). Grow grenades in the wild and in the Transcaucasus, in Central Asia, India, Asia Minor and Afghanistan. In these countries, under favorable conditions, trees can be up to five meters high, but can be a plant and a bush. At the end of the eighteenth century, thanks to the Spanish conquistadors, the culture began to grow on the American mainland.

Pomegranates very abundantly blossom from May to August. Large red-orange plant flowers are like a bell. They are so beautiful that many grow a tree only for the sake of flowering. Fruits are spherical and covered with red-brown or yellow-red skin. A pomegranate can weigh up to 600 grams. Inside it there are many seeds surrounded by a juicy pulp. It is edible and accounts for only 50 percent of the mass of the entire fetus. Each garnet contains between 200 and 1400 seeds, located between the white partitions. Ripening fruits from September to February in the northern hemisphere, and in the southern - from March to May. From one tree you can collect up to 60 kilograms of fruit.

The plant itself looks very decorative. In a warm climate, ripe fruits crack, hanging directly on the branches. The rind is bursting, but the grains are inside and do not crumble. It's just amazing. In temperate climates, leaves sometimes fall before they start harvesting. Fruits, located on bare branches, give exoticism to the plant.

Types of garnets

Currently, only two types of culture are known . Pomegranate ordinary grows in the wild in Asia and in the south of Europe. The second species grows on the island of Socotra, which is located in the Arabian Sea. Hence its name is the Sokotran garnet. But its taste is much lower than that of an ordinary grenade, and therefore the plant is not cultivated. In addition, recently appeared also a dwarf form of the plant, which is grown as a decorative culture on the windowsills.

Different grades of pomegranates, and more than 500 (cultivars), have different taste qualities, differ in the shape and size of the fruit, the color of the pulp, the color of the juice, the softness or hardness of the bones. The number of different varieties is increased due to the permanent work of breeders whose main task is to create such a plant that will be resistant to all diseases. In Turkmenistan there is a reserve of Kara-Kala. On its territory, the largest collection of pomegranates in the world is collected. In it there are more than 800 forms, kinds, grades of a pomegranate tree.

Garnet grades

We have already mentioned that there are many varieties of pomegranates. All of them are grown for specific purposes. Some for fresh consumption, others for processing and obtaining juices. Of garnets of one kind, a wonderful and healthy drink is obtained, rich in vitamins and trace elements. There are also varieties grown for technical processing. In this article we want to bring the best grades of garnets and their characteristics. Cultivated species can be conditionally divided into the following groups to show only a small part of the available varieties:

1. Sweet Iranian varieties - Charoli, Halva, Aswad, Ahmar.
2. Very sweet Indian - Dholk.
3. Sour-sweet varieties - Ulf, Kyzyl, Kok, Vellis.
4. Sweet - Lodzhuar, Kadan, Vedana, Nar Shirin.
5. American variety is seedless (soft bones) - Vanderfuhl.
6. Israeli varieties - Rasel Bahl, Malissi, Red Laufani, Mangulati.
7. Indian - Alandi, Bedana.
8. Crimean and Transcaucasian varieties ripening in October - Velez, Kaim Nar, Krmyzy kabukh, Shah-steam, Bala-mursal, Galyusha pink, Galyusha red.
9. Sour-sweet Central Asian varieties - Kzyl-anar, Achik-Dona, Kazake-anar.
10. A pungent sour sort - Acinoror.
11. Early sweet varieties, ripening in September - Ulfi, Lod-Jouar, Ak-Don.
12. Japanese dwarf variety, bred for breeding in pots (has numerous small fruits) - Punica granatum var.
13. Decorative varieties - Multiplex, Variegata, Chico.

Gyulyusha

It is difficult to single out the best grades of pomegranate, since each person has his own taste, and different kinds of plants are grown for different purposes. So, for example, acidic fruits are cultivated for making sauces, and sweet for fresh consumption.

The best Azerbaijani pomegranate (photo is shown in the article) is Gyulyusha pink and red. The rose variety has fruits weighing 220-250 grams, but sometimes there are also much more fruits of round shape. The yield of juice from them reaches 54%. The grains of this variety are medium in size and have excellent taste.

Gyulyusha red has a bush shape (up to three meters in height). The fruits of the plant are large enough - 300-400 grams. They are covered with a pink thin crust. The fruit contains large grains, from which a bright red juice with a sweet and sour taste is obtained. The fruit ripens in October and can be stored two to three months. The variety is also grown in Georgia and Turkmenistan.

Ak Don Crimean

Currently, there are such garnet varieties (photos are given in the article), which are cultivated in completely unusual regions. So, for example, Ak Dona Crimean is grown in the steppe Crimea. The fruits are oval in shape and large in size. The variety is easily recognized by the finest cream peel with reddish spots on one side. The fruit has a thick and short neck. Grains of pink and red color have a characteristic sweet taste with a barely noticeable sourness. This variety is grown even by amateur gardeners, because it is not too whimsical. But in order to truly enjoy a ripe, delicious fruit, you need to choose the fruit that is saturated with the southern sun and is fully ripe.

Achik-anor

Achik-anor is a very small tree, which, when bearing fruit, yields uneven fruit. They have a round shape, but imperceptibly narrow at the base. This grade is interesting because it has a completely unusual color of the skin: dark green with a carmine cover. The rind is very thick. Even in ripe fruits it is from inside the carmine shade. Pomegranate seeds are very large dark cherry-colored with a bright sweet and sour taste.

Cossack improved

The pomegranate tree has rather average sizes and round fruits. Fruits have a greenish-creamy skin with specks and stripes along the entire circumference. Often there is a carmine cover coat. The rind of the fruit is not thick at all, from the inside it has a creamy-yellow hue. Rose-red grains of large sizes have a characteristic sweet, pleasant taste with sourness.

Ahmar

It is believed that Iran is growing the most wonderful and delicious grenades. One of the best sweet varieties is Ahmar. The plant grows to four meters in height and blooms with bright red-orange flowers. The tree blossoms from June to the very end of August. Fruits are covered with a thick green-pink skin and have an average value. For the fruit of this variety, pink light grains are characteristic. The lighter the nuclei, the more sweet they taste. According to experts, the sugar content in garnet Ahmar is so high that the brand takes a leading position in this indicator.

Nar-ballin

Nar-Sharin in taste and description is similar to Ahmar. But this grade is characterized by a light color of the peel, even in ripe fruits. On the outside, beige skin with pink splashes, and inside - almost white. Garnet grains are small enough, but very sweet. Their color gradually changes from light pink to very dark. It is interesting that Iranian grenades grow in the wild, and they were cultivated not so long ago and only in the central region. The local population uses food harvested in wild plantings for food.

Dholkka

The sweetest pomegranate in the world is Dholka. The plant grows in India in the wild. The fruits of the culture are very light, but with a slight pink tinge. Strangely enough, but the fruit has a modest size and weighs only 180-220 grams. Garnet seeds in different fruits can differ in color. Their color range varies from white to pale pink. In nature, the shrub grows to a height of not more than two meters.

In India, pomegranate is widely used in folk medicine, since the standard of living of the population is low. From the roots of the plant prepare a remedy that relieves the pain syndrome with bruises and fractures. A decoction is used to treat dysentery.

Frost resistant grades

Many amateur gardeners are attracted to the stunning flowering of pomegranate trees, and therefore there is a desire to grow an exotic culture on the site. But are there any frost-resistant grades of pomegranate that can withstand the winter in the middle belt? This question is asked a large number of truck farmers. Yes, there are indeed such sorts.

Average frost resistance requires an indispensable shelter of plants for the winter, otherwise the garnet simply can not withstand a low temperature. But with due care, nothing is impossible. Described before us Gyulyusha pink and red, Ak Dona Crimean refers specifically to frost-resistant species, and therefore their production can be safely tested in the suburban area.

White grade of pomegranate

Very often people have a question about the existence of a white grenade. Is it a myth or a reality? In fact, garnet varieties with white grains are and successfully cultivated in southern countries and even in southern Italy and Spain. An example of such a miracle plant can serve Tuya Tish, the title translates to "camel tooth". For the fruits of this variety are characteristic large grains, but still they are not quite white, as many imagine it. At first glance it may seem that the grenade is just not ripe. But actually the nucleoli are very sweet and incredibly tasty. Similar fruits can be purchased in Spain and Egypt. The so-called white garnet has absolutely the same useful properties as ordinary red varieties.

Indoor grenades

Fans of home exotic plants probably heard that there are sorts of indoor grenades. Such small plants can be successfully grown at home, enjoy the beauty of flowering and even receive small fruits with proper care. It is worth noting that such garnet varieties (described below) refer to dwarf forms, and therefore they can be considered home plants. One of the varieties that the housewives grow is Punica Granatum Nana. Culture blooms and fructifies throughout the year. When the plant reaches forty centimeters, it is already possible to count on the first crop. As a rule, seven to ten fruits are fastened on the bush, in the future there will be more of them. They are quite edible and in diameter reach five centimeters.

Baby

Baby is probably the smallest garnet that can be grown in a house. The plant has the form of a bush. In height, it does not grow more than fifty centimeters. This variety belongs to decorative and stunningly beautiful flowers. The bush during the rest period (in autumn) partially loses the foliage.

The plant requires constant care, annual thinning and cutting. If he does not like something, then it immediately reacts (the leaves fall off), and therefore the grenade must create the most comfortable conditions. The plant blooms abundantly and beautifully, giving single or group inflorescences. Each flower is happy for two or three days, after which it fades. Fruits are formed quite rarely. For one hundred flowers, for example, three or four fetuses can be tied.

Dwarf Carthage

Dwarf Carthage is intended only for domestic farming. The plant is a small tree, which is regularly required to cut, not allowing to grow more than seventy centimeters. If the pomegranate is not cut, then the branches become thinner and the crown will lose its decorative appearance. In this situation, the plant does not just look ugly, but also starts to bloom less often. The tree is beautifully blooming.

Instead of an afterword

In our article, we tried to tell all the most interesting about such a wonderful plant as a pomegranate. Of course, in our stores you can hardly see the fruits of all the varieties we described, but still we hope that the information we offer will be useful. And, perhaps, you decide to purchase a seedling of a home exotic plant that will please you with beautiful flowers.