Can I Start a Pomegranate Tree From an Overripe Pomegranate?

Pomegranates have been in cultivation for thousands of years.

Pomegranate seeds from ripe or overripe pomegranate fruits germinate easily in the right conditions. This sub-tropical fruit tree is native to Iran and northern India. Pomegranates are cultivated throughout the Mediterranean and can be grown in warm climates. As long as the winters are mild and summers are hot, pomegranates thrive. Plant a pomegranate from seed, and grow it indoors in the winter. In the summer, move the container outside so your tree can enjoy the sun and air.

Ripe for Planting

Pomegranate fruits are filled with seeds. An overripe pomegranate, as long as it is not rotten, is a good place to collect the seeds for planting. Immature pomegranates are not a good source of seeds because, when the fruits are picked too soon, the seeds do not develop. Look for a pomegranate that is fully ripe or slightly past ripe. As long as the seeds are firm rather than mushy, it is okay if the fruit is slightly brown and beginning to ferment.

Preparing the Pomegranate Seeds

Open the pomegranate by cutting it in half or by peeling back the thick leathery skin. Remove a cluster of seeds, and place them in a strainer. Take out any of the white material that holds the seeds together. Break the skin on the red fruit that surrounds each pomegranate seed by squeezing it slightly or by rolling the seeds in the bottom of the strainer. Remove all traces of the pomegranate fruit, and rinse the seeds clean.

Planting the Pomegranate Seeds

Plant each seed in a 2- to 6-inch nursery pot. Use a quality, sterile seed-starting compost or soil-less seed-starting mix in each pot. Plant the pomegranate seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep in the center of the pots. Keep the seed-starting medium damp during the germination process. Pomegranate seeds germinate best when the soil temperature is 70 to 75 degrees F. Keep the seedlings indoors or in a greenhouse where the temperature can be controlled.

Planting and Transplanting Pomegranates

Keep the pomegranate seedlings in a greenhouse for the first two years. As the young trees grow out of the nursery pots, transplant them to 1- or 2-gallon containers filled with quality potting soil. In the spring of the second year, transplant the pomegranates outdoors. Pomegranates enjoy a sunny spot with rich, soil that has good drainage. Pomegranates grow well in containers and can be transplanted into a 5- to 15-gallon container for a deck, patio, or indoor area.

References

• Purdue University; Pomegranate; Julia F. Morton; 1987
• Plants for a Future Database: Pomegranate
• North Dakota State University; The Propagation of Pomegranates; Ashley Braun