Author Topic: Growing in a Container, How can I wake up a dormant tree with grow lights?  (Read 2972 times)

Maltrease

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Hopefully it's not bad form to cross post.  My questions could apply to all three of the forum categories.

I'm in Ohio trying to grow indoors.  I'm less than 3 months into this new hobby so still have a lot to learn.

I bought some bare root Pomegranate trees from a nursery in Georgia.   Is there a way I can wake up the trees early with grow lights or do I have to wait until Spring and let nature work its magic.

A lot more details are here if you are interested - http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=18557.0

Thanks for your time!

fyliu

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Re: Growing in a Container, How can I wake up a dormant tree with grow lights?
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2015, 01:21:35 AM »
Looks like that thread got side tracked by the grow lights discussion.

It was difficult to figure out what trees you want to wake up. You listed all you have and then how some of them are doing and then "everything else" is dormant. It would be easier to just list what they are, so people don't answer questions you didn't mean to ask. :)

I don't have experience with it but it seems possible if the plants are small enough for you to control both temperature and light duration per day.

Maltrease

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Re: Growing in a Container, How can I wake up a dormant tree with grow lights?
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2015, 04:42:12 PM »
I edited that post a few times.  At first, it was a request for general guide/tips and after that didn't lead to much I tried to hilite the specific question. 

I'm still surprised I couldn't find any information about it from my regular Google searches but I guess people crazy enough to try growing all this stuff indoors are few and far between. ;)

I put three dormant plants in the grow closet where they will get a lot of light 16 hours/day and temperatures ranging from 75-80. 

Grenada Pomegranate
Bonanaza Dwarf Peach
Pink Lemondade Blueberry

We'll see what happens and hopefully will get some luck. ;)


pitbull-rus

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Re: Growing in a Container, How can I wake up a dormant tree with grow lights?
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2015, 11:55:26 PM »
Wintering grenade

By December, after ripening of fruits, the pomegranate begins to drop leaves in preparation for the dormant period, which usually lasts 2-3 months. However, what light and temperature conditions it will survive this time depends on the flowering and beauty of the leaves next year. The optimum temperature in this period of 10-12°C

Adult let's help to go on "vacation", some dry earthy component and removing the remaining leaves, and then placed in a cool box. Watering during the rest period minimal. The little plant is the winter to give not necessarily. But at a temperature of 12-16°C in good light grenades well will survive the winter, offer growth and dropping a small portion of the foliage. Spending at a higher temperature without illumination, garnet, light breeze badly, losing the decorative.

In February, as soon as will begin to sprout buds, garnet put on a warm, Sunny place, watering more often. Soon he was covered with thick fresh foliage. Before the beginning of intensive growth need to cut it all dead and weak shoots – buds are formed at the ends of annual shoots strong.

Maltrease

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Re: Growing in a Container, How can I wake up a dormant tree with grow lights?
« Reply #4 on: December 17, 2015, 11:06:16 AM »
Thank you for the detailed directions on the Grenade.  10-12°C would be tricky to achieve.  I expect our garage might average that temperature, but it would also get dramatically colder (as cold at -15°C when we open it up to take the car out.)  There is no natural light but  I could add in grow lights.  Far more likely the trees would be wintered inside at 22-24°C and receive minimal light unless I supplement it (which is actually what I'm eager to explore doing).

So far it seems like there isn't a way to wake a tree up early vs. letting it run its natural course.  Possibly simulating short days, colder temperature and then longer warmer days in an artificial environment but that's also outside of my control at the moment. 

stuartdaly88

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Re: Growing in a Container, How can I wake up a dormant tree with grow lights?
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2015, 02:01:35 AM »
Without the dormancy rest I think some trees will get very stressed and not grow well but if a tree is sluggish when they have had adequate rest a very(very! and a third time very!) light application of GA3 sprayed on the plant can make it wake up. This is especially good when leaf buds are formed but just sitting doing nothing.

GA3 is easily bought on Ebay and pretty cheap.
Personally I like to add abit of 6-Benzylaminopurine to the spray as it encourages branching out and can help mitigate the stretching out caused by GA3.

Be very careful with amounts and get you PPM right. All plants are different but I less is more very often with these things and GA3 anecdotally seems to work in very low concentrations with even under 5ppm having a noticeable effect without stretching.
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau