What was the coldest it got for you this winter? I've given up growing them outside without hard core protection in my "real" Zone 6b (I say real because we actually get to zero or just below at least once every winter, even in the super mild ones, unlike many places in the NE). They always freeze to the ground for me.

By the way, I would totally leave the snow around them, and even pile it up over them⦠I credit this for saving my cactus/succulent collection, which includes lots of zone 7 and 8 plants, when we got down to -23 a few years ago!

I think it def got one or 2 days of 0F to 3F (possible -4F based on one weather report). and windchill -15F. I was in on vacation in Japan/Moscow those days and didn't have a chance to turn on the light in the shed which I may do on My outdoor ones dont die to ground for me previous years cause I protect the plants in the shed the 1st year so they are kinda like 2ft tall cuttings/plants going to become 4-6ft tall by end of summer the year they go in ground.

I have Lyubimi, Salavatski, and Nikitski Ranni. All three died to the ground. Luckily, they are all pushing new growth from the roots. We had temps down to 0 to -3 at least three different times. My figs also died to the ground. I had everything covered. I think this fall I'll dig them all up and put them in pots instead. We rarely even get into single digits, but this winter was brutal.

I got down to 3F. My Salavatski, one called Russian 14 (which I expect is Krmyzy-kabuh), and the "Russian Hardy" from EL (likely Salavatski) are all pushing from all over the bushes: very hardy! I have two Kazake, one is now pushing from the lower half and one is still doing nothing. Angel Red may be dead, its stems were all brittle and no life. I'm going to pull it out, its not hardy enough to bother growing in my climate. I have a couple others which are still sitting there so no real data yet. Last year I put in a bunch of new ones and they are all growing back from roots, except the Salavatski above. Surh-anor, Bala Miursal, Sakerdze, Al Sirin Nar, Kaj acik anor. They were only one year old so its not so meaningful, but the fact that the 1-year Salavatski did so well is a very positive sign for that one. I was disappointed in Kazake, it was supposed to be the most hardy of all. It looks like it started to bud out too early, it has lots of expanded buds that are now crispy.

Anyway based on this year Salavatski is the real winner. And my probably-Krmyzy-kabuh also looks good.

Scott

Great thread, bad winter.

I am away from the poms for another few days but will post soon :). I think Lyubimi may be the winner for me though.

I think this question of pomegranate cold hardiness is a lot more complicated than winter lows would suggest.

Scott: yours are in a good microclimate or protected? Mine froze to ground even the winter I had them under a double plastic row cover packed with straw. My chiles and tomatoes are fine under this row cover even into mid 20's, and cool season greens germinate and grow in January with this kind of protection!

I suspect that length of growng season/early and late frosts, and the amount of late season growth are all huge factors affecting cold hardiness. In my climate I think a minor cold snap into the teens (which could happen anytime from September through May) can kill a pom to the ground if the timing is bad⦠This is such a shame because less than an hour away in zone 7 they thrive!

hah, Apseronski just put out some buds/ growth today.

Just had an idea to make this more organized:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mV6kB1SToVyAwvi1_68_0secAaXg1Tt8qMKDwBmTIBA/edit?usp=sharing

Maybe everyone can edit the above super-organized SpreadSheet I just created, and could be easier to track over time (I'll make a new spreadsheet tab at the bottom of the GoogleDoc for each year so we can add comments over time)...

I'd like to make it private very soon at some point so only a few people can edit it. If you can, send me your emails at arianhojat@hotmail.com so I can add you and eventually make it only editable by us.

Basically just say with a green background color is it survived this winter with maybe buds/leaves showing up > 50% high on the winter wood (to me 50% dieback is a success in this winter lol). and Orange background for >20%-49%, and Red is to dying to the ground (Pretty sure all of these hardy varieties are coming up from the ground for me, so dont view that as any sort of 'success' and have that as red background color).

I'd prefer to only add peeps who have more than a few varieties growing (otherwise it could become a super-huge document of many people growing just Salevatski).
Just send me your email.

-Arian

My in-ground russian died back to the ground but has started to grow from the ground. I am in Northern VA north part of zone 7. My angel red was completely killed.

Fabacae, my poms are in different locations. None are super well protected but they are somewhat different. My two 5-year Kazakes had one dying to ground (or so it appears thus far) and the other losing the upper half.

Arian, I added my stuff to your sheet. I will have better data going forward as I added half a dozen new varieties last year. My email is in the sheet, delete it when you get it down.

Scott

Here's my report guys! Sorry couldn't find the thread, been looking to add this in for a while :)
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I had tons of dieback on poms and figs this year. The pom that came out the clear the winner in my yard was Lyubimi/Favorite which was about 3.5 feet tall no blossoms yet.

Salavatski was 7 feet tall and has had blossoms for 2 or so seasons. This was the first winter I left it and Lyubimi completely unprotected. Salavatski had done great in prior winter with minimal protection. This winter like everything else in my yard, it died back to ground. Lyubimi had at most 5% dieback and was also completely uncovered. It is now leafed out everywhere looking happy.

All others were much younger (about 1-2.5 foot tall) and it was their first winter outside so they had light to medium protection:

Died back to the ground, but growing out from ground:
Kazake, Suhr anor, Gissorski Rizyovi, Vksuyni, Saveh Paradise Nursery, Parfianka.

These young ones did not seem to make it, at least no signs yet:
Desertnyi, Al-sirin-nor (was sick before winter from transplant shock), and Austin (was sick before winter--I keep replacing it, it keeps doing poorly, it seems very sensitive to rainfall, it sheds its leaves before any others when there's torrential pours--could be the spot it is in but I don't really think so...)

The only small young one that only had 50% die back and did not die all the way to ground was Entekhabi Saveh.

I had been very impressed with Salavatski in the past so I'm not sure. To be precise, my "Salavatski" is Russian from Edible Landscaping, but I bet it is the same.

Some other cool traits about Lyubimi over Salavatski:
classic bright red color rind instead of tan pink,
seems to leaf out earlier (almost 2 weeks?) and get it's season started faster.

I think Lyubimi has more medium sized fruit however, while Salavatski can give large fruit. Otherwise I gather they are similar in terms of being hard seeded and having classic sweet-tart flavor juice, although I've never tasted Lyubimi.

I see promise for Entekhabi Saveh as well, and am rooting for the others to recover well. Not really sure why my Salavatski did not do so well when Lyubimi was able to. Perhaps it was the spot, but if anything Salavatski is closer to a wall.

Has anyone gotten fruit from their EL Russian pomegranate? I have had it for a number of years and it bloomed the 3 previous years and dropped the flowers. This year it had about 50 flowers, with flowering almost done it has dropped all with a few left that will probably fall.

c5tiger, my friend in PA has gotten fruit off his regular Salevatski (think he thought EL Russian is different than his Salevatski since EL Russian died to the ground for him... also My EL Russian was twice the size of my Salevatski and it died to ground, while Salevatski survived so I might be thinking the same until genetic testing def backs up that they are the same).

btw my Kazake last week came back from the dead as well. Latest one so far, might be the last though. Highest leaves are about 75% high on the plant, just took a long time to recover.