Raising Pomegranate

Pomegranates thrive in hot, sunny gardens.

The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is an ancient fruit, native to the regions between Iran and India. It is cultivated around the world in Mediterranean climates. Brought to the Americas by the Spanish in the 1700s, the pomegranate thrives in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 10. While the pomegranate prefers to live as a bushy, many-stemmed shrub, with pruning it grows into a small tree. Pomegranates are generally propagated by cuttings, as the seeds are not true to the parent plant.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Mulch
• 8-8-8 fertilizer
• Anvil pruners

Instructions

1. Select a sheltered, sun-filled location in the garden. Pomegranates need full sun and hot summer days to set fruit.

2. Remove all grass, vegetation and soil in a circle twice the width of the pomegranate's root ball. Dig the planting hole so the pomegranate will sit at the same depth as in the growing pot.

3. Fill the planting hole with water and allow to soak into the soil. If the water stands in the hole for more than half an hour, consider building a raised bed. Pomegranates prefer a well-drained location.

4. Remove the growing pot and slide the pomegranate into the planting hole. Add soil to the center of the hole if necessary to keep the pomegranate planted at the same depth. Backfill with the excavated soil and tamp firmly.

5. Water thoroughly. Most gardeners leave a shallow basin for watering, building a raised ring of soil around the outer perimeter of the planting hole until the pomegranate is established. After planting, water every three or four days, gradually increasing the interval to once every seven to 10 days.

6. Add a 4-inch layer of mulch to cover the planting hole. Pull the mulch back 6 inches from the stem.

7. Fertilize with a balanced 8-8-8 fertilizer in November and March, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

8. Prune as needed to maintain a balanced shape. If you are pruning to a tree form, remove all suckers and stems around the base of the tree, leaving one main stem as the trunk. Pomegranates sucker profusely, so prune regularly throughout the growing season. Otherwise, except to thin for air circulation or to maintain the shrub's shape, pomegranates require little or no pruning.

Tips & Warnings

• Consult the master gardener at your local agricultural extension office for more information on growing pomegranates in your area.

• Protect your pomegranate if severe frosts are forecast; pomegranates are hardy to 10 to 20 F, depending on the variety.

• Pomegranates may survive in colder areas if planted in a microclimate formed by a sheltered, sunny, south-facing wall.

• Pomegranates are suitable for espalier.

• Wear gloves, safety glasses, long sleeves and pants when digging, planting and pruning.

• Pomegranate juice was used as a dye in the past. Wear old clothes if you are preparing juice or making jelly.

• Consult your health-care provider before preparing folk or herbal remedies from the bark or roots of the pomegranate.

References

• California Rare Fruit Growers: Pomegranate
• Clemson Cooperative Extension: Pomegranate
• Texas Citrus and Subtropical Fruits: Home Fruit Production - Pomegranate
• Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County: Growing Pomegranates

Resources

• NPR: Pomegranates - Jewels in the Fruit Crown
• PickYourOwn.org: How to Make Homemade Pomegranate Jelly - Easily!