How to Plant a Pomegranate Fruit Tree
Pomegranate trees grow 10 to 15 feet tall and are deciduous. The leaves are small, dark green and glossy. The fruit, which is filled with seeds, has a tough outer skin. The seeds are pithy and covered with a glistening gel-like substance that can be made into juice. The seeds also can be used as a garnish. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Choose a healthy plant. The leaves should be fresh and green. Look at the bottom of the pot to see if there are roots poking through. A few roots are acceptable; a tangle of roots is not.
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Dig a hole twice as deep and wide as the pomegranate tree's pot. If the pot is 1 foot in diameter and 15 inches tall, the hole should be at least 30 inches deep and 2 feet wide.
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Prepare the soil. Mix the soil from the hole with equal parts of organic mulch, sand and bagged potting soil. Add a handful of all-purpose fertilizer. Mix thoroughly. Refill the planting hole halfway, then add water to settle the soil.
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Gently remove the pomegranate tree from its pot. If the roots are pot-bound, tease them out. Place the plant in the hole. Fill the hole with soil until the level is about 6 inches from the top. Add water again to settle the soil, then fill the remainder of the hole. Bank the excess soil around the tree in a 2-foot circle.
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Depending on the weather at time of planting, the tree may need to be watered every few days for the first few weeks to get it off to a good start. Hotter weather means more watering. After the tree is established, deep watering every week or two is better than daily watering.
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Tips & Warnings
Plant in the fall when there is still about a month of warm weather ahead so the tree can send out new roots before frost. Don't be stingy when digging the planting hole. Loose soil makes it easier for new trees to establish themselves.
