Your pomegranate leaves are curling up?
This means your pomegranate tree is telling you that it’s under some stress. And if you don’t help your tree at the right time, you might not get any pomegranate fruits at all.
There are 5 reasons behind the pomegranate leaves curling up. These are Pest Problems, Anthracnose, Nutrient Deficiency, Underwatering, and Lack of sunlight.
In this article, you are about to find out why the pomegranate leaves are curling and what you can do about it.
So, Let’s get down to business-
Why Are the Pomegranate Leaves Curling?
1.Pests on Pomegranates
Whiteflies, Aphids, Mealybugs, and Scales feed on the pomegranate leaf and curl them up. These insects are usually very small and hard to notice.
But they secrete a sticky substance called honeydew which brings black mold on the pomegranate leaves. If you see black mold on the leaves then you know the reason why the new leaves on the pomegranate tree are curling.
Another insect that’s behind the pomegranate leaf curl is the leafrollers. They roll themselves up inside leaves. They are heavy feeders. So, they can end up eating all the leaves of your pomegranate tree.
Control Measure
These pesky pests need to be cleared off soon. Otherwise, they will transmit other dangerous diseases.
Since pomegranates are fruit trees you need to be careful while selecting the insecticide. Get the best insecticide for them that will get rid of the bugs but won’t hurt your pomegranate fruits (our pick: Monterey Garden Insect Spray)
But leafrollers can’t be killed with insecticides. For that, you need Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) caterpillar killer (our pick: Monterey Bacillus Thuringiensis (B.t.) Worm & Caterpillar Killer)
Here I am also adding 3 very safe and effective homemade insecticide recipes for you:
#Recipe 1:-Soapy Water Bug Spray Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap
- 5 liters of water
Directions:
- Mix the liquid soap and water
- Spray it on both sides of the pomegranate leaves every week.
#Recipe 2:-Neem Oil Spray Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 teaspoons of high-quality neem oil
- 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap
- 2 liters of water
Directions:
- put the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
- Stir slowly.
- Spray the mixture on the affected plants.
- Repeat spraying every week as long as you still see pests on your pomegranate tree.
#Recipe 3:- Horticultural Oil Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons of liquid soap
- 1 liter of any oil like soybean oil or olive oil or vegetable oil.
Directions:
- Mix these ingredients very well
- Store the mixture in a bottle for future use.
- Add 4 tablespoons of this mixture with every liter of water and pour it into the sprayer.
- Spray on your pomegranate trees once a week.
Tip: Always try these homemade recipes on a small leaf first to see the reaction. If it doesn’t bring any discoloration of the leaf then apply to the whole pomegranate tree.
Preventive Measure
Do not over-fertilize your pomegranates because this thing attracts so many bugs. You can get rid of them naturally by bringing beneficial bugs. Or, Set sticky traps on your pomegranate trees to prevent them from attacking in bulk.
2. Anthracnose of Pomegranate
Anthracnose is a fungal disease that causes a wide range of symptoms. Curling and distorting the pomegranate leaves is one of them. It also damages stems and pomegranate fruits and causes dark spots on them. This disease usually starts in the mid-summer in humid conditions.
Control Measure
The first step of the treatment of anthracnose is to remove all the curled-up leaves. After that, apply a fungicide. Thinking about the fruit, you have to choose a fungicide that does not contain any toxic chemicals. You can pick this fungicide-Bonide Copper Fungicide
Also, I’ve added some practical home-made recipes that you can try for anthracnose-
# Recipe 1:- Baking Soda Spray Recipe
Ingredients:
- 5 teaspoons of baking soda
- 3 teaspoons of liquid dish soap
- 5 liter of water
Directions:
- Mix the ingredients well and spray thoroughly on both sides of the leaves and stems.
- Do not apply to the pomegranate fruit or flowers.
#Recipe 2:- Vinegar Spray Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- 1 gallon of water
- 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap
Directions:
- Add the ingredients very well in a mixing bowl
- Spray on the infected pomegranate tree twice a week.
# Recipe 3:- Epsom Salt Spray Recipe
Ingredients:
- Two and a half tablespoons of Epsom salt
- 5 liter of water
Directions:
- Mix and spray. But do not store this for future use.
- You can spray this solution every week until the problem solves.
Preventive Measure
To discourage fungal growth, water the pomegranate trees from the base in the early hours of the morning. Avoid wetting the leaves and make sure they get plenty of space around them.
3. Nutrient Deficiency of Pomegranate
Nutrient deficiency can result in wrinkled leaves. The leaves will also turn brown around the edges. The leaves will start to discolor.
Pomegranates like acidic soil around 5.5-7 pH. When this pH value changes nutrient deficiency can occur. pH test kits are pretty cheap and they always come in handy. Test your soil with a pH test kit to know if nutrient deficiency is curling your pomegranate leaves. (Our pick: Atree Soil Soil Tester Kits with Moisture, Light, and PH Test for Garden)
Control Measure
To produce good quality food pomegranates need fertilizer once or twice a year. A good time to fertilize is in January. If the soil is very fertile, one fertilization a year is okay.
But before picking any fertilizer be sure it doesn’t contain too much nitrogen. Because it reduces the fruit quality. So, get the organic fertilizer for your pomegranate tree that will enhance the fruit quality (our pick: Jobe’s Organics Fruit & Citrus Granular Fertilizer)
4. Underwater Pomegranates
Pomegranates are tropical shrubs. So, they need plenty of water. When they don’t get enough water they curl up to reduce their leaf area. This is a natural process.
But sometimes it can be hard to schedule watering if the weather condition is unstable. Get a moisture meter to save yourself from this guessing game of waterin.
Control Measure
Watering is very important for good-quality pomegranate production. So, make sure you are not underwatering them. Irrigate your pomegranate tree deeply every week by checking the soil moisture.
5. Lack of Sunlight
It is another issue why pomegranates curl their leaves. They need 6-7 hours of sunlight every day. So when they don’t get enough sunlight they start telling us by curling down the leaves. If this continues the leaves will start to fall off the tree.
Control Measure
You need to remove the curled leaves first. Make sure they get enough sunlight.
During transplanting the young seedlings pick a sunny place to plant them. And if it is indoor potted ornamental pomegranate then take them outdoors every day for a while.
Conclusion
You are very lucky to be able to grow pomegranate trees. They are eye-catching and so nutritious. There will be some problems like Pomegranate leaf yellowing and curling from time to time. But every trouble you took will be worth it when you will harvest the ruby-red pomegranate fruits.
Get rid of the pests and prevent them from attacking again. Keep feeding your tree balanced fertilizers. Water them generously. That’s all they need.
I have tried to provide all the probable causes and solutions for the leaf curling of pomegranates. I hope you found this helpful. Be sure to comment and tell us about your experience too.