Question

promegranate   QUESTION: Hi,

 The newly grown leaves of promegranate plant appears distorted and ill-grown. I found no visible mites (eg aphids) and did not apply any insecticide. How should I remedy the issue? Please see att. pictures.

ANSWER: Dear Alfredo, Does your pomegranate have a lot of growing tips that are distorted like this or just a few?  There are a few things I can think of to consider.  First, have you been fertilizing it heavily?  It probably would prefer a lighter less frequent feeding.  It is outside?  You could have had some bug swarm come in the night and suck juices out of the growing tips.  I was thinking of thrips, which often come as a cloud of tiny bugs sucking juices out of plants especially rosebuds, and then leave before they are noticed.  Regardless, pomegranates are very tough plants and can survive a lot of extreme conditions.  I would tend to trim the plant ends if they were unattractive, fertilize lightly but infrequently, allow to dry out between watering and it should be fine.  Pomegranates often grow almost wild or in abandoned gardens in the west Texas desert, and they are very pest and disease free.  That doesn't mean that thrips or stinkbugs won't enjoy them on occasion.  This shouldn't be much of a problem, and the plant should still flower and fruit as usual.  Good luck, Melissa

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi, thanks for great advice. There are several ill-grown growing tips. I've not fertilized the plant for quite some time. The plant is grown in a balcony in a high-rise apartment.

Answer
Dear Alfredo, It does seem that the pomegranate was attacked by thrips who thrive on young growing tips and leave as quickly as they appear.  You probably won't have much more trouble, just cut the new deformed shoots back and it will be okay.  That's not to say that more thrips couldn't come by to suck more juices.  You could use a systemic insecticide, but only if the pomegranate is strictly ornamental and no pomegranates will be eaten.  I still wouldn't really recommend it in your situation as you have peppers that you will eat nearby.  Unfortunately it is very hard to spray for something that is only briefly on the plant, so other spray insecticides won't really help.  It may just be one of those occasional gardening hazards that you have to endure.  Good luck.  Melissa