How to grow Pomegranate

Where to plant

Plant in full sun. Pomegranates grow in partial shade, but too little light is a major reason for poor fruiting. They need well-drained soil with a pH of about 5.5 to 7, adapt to most garden soils and tolerate some salt.

Varieties differ in cold tolerance. Some survive about 10°F (minus 12°C), while others are damaged at 18°F (minus 8°C). In colder areas, choose a hardy variety and a warm, sheltered spot such as a south-facing wall.

• Florida, the Gulf South, Texas, the Desert Southwest and California: plant bare-root trees in January or February while dormant. Florida's humidity brings leaf and fruit spots and splitting, so give the plant a sunny, airy spot.
• Mid-South and the Pacific Northwest: plant while dormant in late winter or early spring, or in November in the mildest spots, choosing hardy varieties.
• Mid-Atlantic and Southern Plains: marginal. Grow a hardy variety such as Salavatski in a sheltered zone 7 spot, planted in spring.
• Northeast, Midwest, Northern Plains, Mountain West and Alaska: too cold outdoors. Grow a dwarf pomegranate in a pot and bring it in for winter.
• Hawaii: grows in spring or fall plantings in dry, sunny areas.

Choosing a variety

• Wonderful is the main California variety: large, tart-sweet fruit that ripens in late September and October and resists cracking after rain better than many.
• UF/IFAS trials found Girkanets, Kazake, Wonderful, Al-sirin-nar and Medovyi Vahsha performed well in Florida. Christine and Salavatski are popular home garden choices.
• Cold-hardy Russian varieties such as Salavatski extend the range toward zone 6 or 7.
• Dwarf Nana stays 2 to 3 feet tall and suits a pot, though its fruit is small.

How to plant

1. Plant while dormant in winter in mild areas, or in spring where winters are cold.
2. Set the plant at the depth it grew in the nursery, water in well and mulch the root zone.
3. Plant two or more pomegranates if you have room, as cross-pollination increases fruit set.
4. Decide early whether you want a multi-stemmed shrub or a small tree, and prune for that shape from the start.

Watering and feeding

Established plants are drought tolerant, but they fruit best with even soil moisture. Water deeply about every 7 to 10 days in dry weather. Sudden changes, such as a heavy watering or rain after a dry spell, are the main cause of split fruit, especially in the weeks before harvest.

Clemson HGIC suggests feeding in March and July with about 1 pound of a balanced all-purpose fertilizer for each 3 feet of plant height.

Pruning and care through the year

• Pomegranates send up suckers from the base. For a shrub, keep several well-spaced trunks; for a tree, keep one to three trunks and remove the other suckers regularly.
• Prune lightly each year before spring growth starts, removing dead, weak, crowded or crossing wood. Fruit forms on spurs on wood that is two to three years old, so heavy pruning cuts the crop.

Harvesting

Fruit ripens in late summer and fall, mostly August to October. Pick when it is fully colored, feels heavy and gives a metallic sound when tapped. Pomegranates do not ripen further once picked, so leave them on the plant until ready, but pick promptly before rain splits them.

Clip the fruit off with pruners rather than pulling, leaving a short stem.

Growing in pots

Dwarf pomegranates grow well in a pot at least 16 inches (40 cm) wide in a free-draining mix, and the pot can come inside a cool, bright room for winter in cold areas.

Using it

Score the skin and break the fruit open in a bowl of water; the seeds (arils) sink and the pith floats. Eat the arils fresh, scatter them over salads, or press them for juice and syrup. Whole fruit keeps for weeks in the fridge, and arils freeze well.