Understanding the Pomegranate Tree

Pomegranates (punica granatum) play many roles in the edible landscape. With lush green leaves and beautiful red blossoms on pomegranate tree flowers, the plants will make an attractive addition to your home garden. They can be pruned as a single or multi-trunk tree, trained along a fence as an espalier, grown as a hedge, a bush or in a container. Whether you have a full grown pomegranate tree or dwarf pomegranate tree, they are cold hardy and beautiful in three out of four seasons! For success, choose a tree suited to your growing zone (hardiness zone) and with appropriate chill time.

Historical Significance and Cultural Importance

The pomegranate tree, Punica granatum, holds deep historical and cultural significance, symbolizing fertility, prosperity, and life in various ancient civilizations. This resilient tree, which can bear fruit even in arid regions and warmer climates, has been revered for its sweet-flavored pomegranate fruit, rich in juicy seeds.

The vibrant, colorful orange-red flowers and the glossy sheen of ripe fruits have made pomegranate trees a symbol of beauty and abundance. Historically, the planting of pomegranates was associated with rituals and traditions, often involving the careful cultivation of young trees and the knowledge of pruning techniques to ensure fruitful harvests.

Even today, growing pomegranates is celebrated in organic gardening and sustainable practices, reflecting the enduring cultural importance of this drought-tolerant, cold-hardy fruit tree.

Benefits of Pomegranates

Pomegranates, from the Punica granatum tree, offer numerous health benefits, making them a valuable addition to any diet. The sweet flavor and juicy pomegranate seeds are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that support heart health and reduce inflammation.

Growing pomegranates is also beneficial for organic gardening enthusiasts, as these drought-tolerant, cold-hardy fruit trees can thrive in warmer climates and arid regions with minimal water requirements.

When planting pomegranates, ensuring proper root growth and fruit development is key to enjoying the large fruits that ripen in late summer, offering both nutritional value and culinary versatility. Pomegranate trees also enhance garden aesthetics with their colorful orange-red flowers and glossy, ripe fruits.

Choosing the Right Pomegranate Tree Variety

Popular Pomegranate Tree Varieties

When choosing the right pomegranate variety, it's important to consider your climate and soil type to ensure successful fruit production. Popular varieties like 'Wonderful,' known for its large fruits and sweet flavor, thrive in warmer climates and are ideal for planting pomegranates in arid regions.

The 'Angel Red' variety is favored for its soft pomegranate seeds and vibrant, colorful orange-red flowers. For those in colder areas, the 'Russian 26' variety is a cold-hardy option that can bear fruit even with minimal winter chill hours.

Proper care, including watering pomegranates deeply and pruning in late winter, will help these pomegranate trees reach maturity and produce ripe fruits with a glossy sheen.

Climate Considerations for Different Varieties

When planting pomegranates, selecting the right variety based on your USDA garden zone is crucial for successful fruit production. Pomegranate trees vary in their adaptability to different climates; some are cold hardy and suitable for zones 7-10, while others thrive in warmer zones 9-11.

For growing pomegranates in cooler areas, choose varieties that require fewer winter chill hours and can handle early frost damage. In contrast, drought tolerant varieties are ideal for dry environments and will benefit from direct sunlight and full sun exposure.

To ensure optimal fruit development, water pomegranates deeply and prune pomegranate trees to enhance air circulation and remove any crossing branches, which helps in achieving a healthy crop of large, sweet-flavored fruits.

Selecting the Best Variety for Your Region

When planting pomegranates, it's essential to select a variety suited to your USDA garden zone to ensure successful fruit production. For regions in zones 7-10, you can choose cold hardy varieties that can tolerate cooler temperatures and winter chill hours, while in warmer zones 9-11, drought tolerant varieties that thrive in arid regions and dry environments are ideal.

Pomegranate trees in these zones benefit from full sun and can grow successfully when given proper care, including watering pomegranates deeply and pruning pomegranate trees to enhance air circulation.

Consider varieties like Punica granatum that offer large fruits with a sweet flavor and colorful orange-red flowers, ensuring a bountiful crop of ripe fruits by late summer. Growing pomegranates in the right zone allows for optimal fruit development, making the most of your young trees and ensuring a rich harvest of delicious pomegranate fruit.

Ideal Growing Conditions for Pomegranate Trees

Climate Requirements: Temperature and Humidity

Planting pomegranate trees requires an understanding of their climate needs. Pomegranate trees thrive in warm climates and arid regions where they receive direct sunlight for at least six hours daily.

These trees are drought tolerant and prefer well-drained soil, but they do require some winter chill hours for fruit development to ensure that the fruits ripen properly and bear high-quality pomegranate fruit.

Soil Composition and Preparation

Planting pomegranate trees requires well-drained soil with a pH level of 5.5 to 7.0 to support optimal root growth. Pomegranate trees thrive in soil that is rich in organic matter and has good air circulation to prevent issues like heart rot.

When planting pomegranates, ensure the soil is prepared with proper drainage to avoid poor drainage, which can lead to root issues and hinder fruit production. For young trees, using a bare root or nursery pot with balanced soil preparation will help them establish and bear fruit effectively.

Sunlight Needs: Optimal Exposure Levels

For planting pomegranate trees, direct sunlight is crucial to ensure successful fruit production. Pomegranate trees need at least six hours of full sun daily to promote robust fruit development and ensure that the fruits ripen evenly.

In warm climates and arid regions, adequate sunlight supports the growth of large fruits with a sweet flavor, making growing pomegranates both rewarding and productive.

Watering Requirements: Balancing Moisture Levels

When planting pomegranate trees, it’s important to water pomegranates deeply to support healthy root growth and ensure robust fruit production. Pomegranate trees are drought tolerant, but balancing moisture is crucial; overwatering can lead to poor drainage and root issues, while insufficient watering may hinder fruit development and the ripening of pomegranate fruit.

For optimal results, maintain consistent moisture levels, especially in arid regions and warm climates, to help your trees bear fruit and achieve a bountiful harvest of large, sweet-flavored pomegranates.

Heeling In

When you receive your pomegranates they will be boxed securely with a bag over the root ball. If you are not ready to plant or if the temperatures are too cold, immediately place them in a sheltered location, safe from frost. A root cellar, basement, or garage works well for a period of time. It’s important choose a place where the temperature stays between 38°F and 45°F. This is important so the roots neither freeze, nor does it get warm enough to break dormancy. It is essential that the young tree roots have plenty of time to become established before the tree begins its spring limb growth and bud break. Pomegranates are cold hardy but need reasonable temperatures to set their roots before Spring.

Preparing to Plant

Pomegranates are best grown from cuttings to ensure the quality of the fruit produced. There are many varieties of pomegranate trees to choose from, including the ever-popular Wonderful, yummy Sweet, and unique non-staining Eversweet.

Select a location with full sun, and allow a 20 ft diameter space for your tree to grow into, unless you plan on keeping it smaller by pruning. If planting as a hedge, you can plant them as close as 10 feet apart.

Pomegranates are adaptable to many soil types, though they grow best in loamy, well draining soil. Sandy soil can be turned into loamy soil with a few ammendments. The ideal climate is zone 7 to 12, with short, mild winters and low humidity. They may be grown in containers in colder places, and kept indoors or in a greenhouse over winter.

If your tree’s trunk is damaged or killed by frost, it will typically grow new suckers that can be trained into a replacement trunk.

Understanding the Growth Stages of a Pomegranate Tree

Seed Germination to Seedling

Planting pomegranate seeds involves starting with a bare root or hardwood cuttings and providing the seeds with a dry environment to encourage germination. In the first few weeks, the seeds will begin to sprout, developing into young seedlings with new growth.

As the seedlings mature, it’s essential to ensure they are not subjected to over-fertilization and to protect them from pests like leaf footed bugs. Proper care during these stages will lead to healthy pomegranate trees that are well-prepared for their transition to more advanced growth stages.

Juvenile Growth Phase

During the juvenile growth phase of a pomegranate tree, it's crucial to monitor the new growth and ensure that the young tree is thriving under optimal conditions. This phase typically lasts from early spring through late spring, when the tree should be regularly pruned to remove crossing branches and promote a strong, single trunk.

Proper care includes avoiding over-fertilization and protecting the pomegranate leaves from pests like leaf footed bugs, ensuring that the tree continues to grow pomegranates effectively and prepares for the eventual fruit set.

Flowering and Fruit Development

During the flowering phase of a pomegranate tree, typically starting in early spring and continuing into late spring, the tree produces colorful blooms that are essential for fruit set. Proper cross-pollination is crucial at this stage to ensure successful fruit development, so it’s important to maintain a healthy environment and avoid over-fertilization.

As the pomegranate fruit begins to develop, it will take a few weeks to mature, transitioning from initial blooms to ripe, juicy pomegranates ready for harvest.

Maturity and Harvest Readiness

As pomegranate trees approach maturity, usually few weeks before early November, the pomegranate fruit will begin to show signs of ripeness. To determine harvest readiness, look for the characteristic metallic sound when the fruit is tapped and ensure the skin is firm and fully colored.

Properly pruning and managing the tree's environment can aid in achieving optimal fruit quality and yield.

Planting Promegranate

For outdoor planting, wait until all danger of frost has passed. The root structure must have adequate time to establish in order to deal with colder temperatures.

Pick a sunny location since fruit production will be affected by compromised light. Soil should be well-drained and the soil pH is not a determining factor. Pomegranate is known to do well in sandy or clay soils.

Locations affected by winds or that are consistently wet should be avoided. Do not amend the planting hole when planting pomegranates. If amendment is necessary try to do it before the tree is planted and only around the planting site, not in the hole.

If gophers are a problem in your area, a wire gopher basket should be placed in the hole. Gophers are less of a threat to mature trees, but this protection could mean the difference between life and death for a young tree. Two more factors must be considered before planting: wind and sun. If high winds will be a factor in your planting location, then the tree should be tilted slightly towards the wind’s prevailing direction.

Do not overdo it, a slight tilt will suffice. Dig a hole the same depth as the root ball and two to three times as wide as the root system. Plant the tree at the same soil surface level as it grew in the nursery. Current research indicates that a saucer shaped hole with sides that slope gently upward, the same depth and three times the width of the root system stimulates the most root growth.

Do not plant your trees too deeply, it is usually best to plant the tree to the same level it was planted in the nursery. Backfill with the soil then lightly compact the backfill with your hand, adjusting the tree gently so that the backfill reaches original planting depth. The back fill should slope gently up so the crown of the tree is slightly higher than the surrounding soil, this will help prevent crown rot.

Water the tree thoroughly and watch for settling. If undue settling occurs, elevate the tree very slightly to raise its height and release any subsoil air pockets. Pomegranate bushes like to be mulched, mulch them well and make sure the mulch starts four to six inches away from the trunk of the tree and extends a couple of feet past the canopy.

Fertilization

It is not recommended that you fertilize your tree at the time of planting. There are some regional exceptions, contact your local Master Gardeners for advice. Once established, feed in February, May and September with a balanced amendment.

Viability

Pomegranates when dormant appear very dry and brittle. The trunk should be pliable and if lightly scratched will have a greenish tinge beneath the bark.

Harvest Time

Pomegranate trees showcase their beauty through vibrant blossoms, with the promise of luscious pomegranate fruiting to follow. Pomegranate growing season typically occurs during the warmer months of spring and summer, with the fruit ripening in the fall. Your pomegranates ripen and can begin to bear fruit within a year of planting.

However, don’t be worried if the first few years’ fruits mature late, or drop before maturing. It will take 5 to 6 years for the tree to mature and produce large harvests. As pomegranates ripen they reach their mature skin color, feel heavy, and sound metallic when tapped. If left on the tree too long, they will split open; they may also split if it rains during harvest season. If this happens to your fruit, you can still harvest and enjoy it, but it cannot be stored whole.

Fruit should be harvested with pruning snips, and not pulled from the branch. They can be stored whole in a cool place for several weeks, or in refrigeration for 3 months. For longer storage, you can de-seed and freeze the arils whole. You can also extract the juice by running the arils through a food strainer or a blender and straining out the seeds; the juice can be frozen for up to 6 months or made into a variety of canned foods such as syrup (also called grenadine), jelly, and more.

For detailed growing information, watch our video, and for lots of great recipes, visit the Pomegranate Council’s website.

Ongoing Tree Care

Staking may be necessary but should be done carefully. A young tree that struggles a little against the wind, without being blown over, develops tissue in its trunk that will strengthen the tree as it matures. Tightly staked trees that do not develop this tissue are at greater risk of wind damage as they grow older. Staking should provide emergency assistance to a young tree, but should not interfere with its natural capacity to resist wind.

To properly stake your tree, drive two sturdy poles deeply into the ground on opposite sides of the tree from each other. The two poles and the tree should demarcate a straight line directly into the prevailing wind. Using a plastic tie or cord attached securely to each pole, create a loose harness that will allow the tree sufficient movement in the wind at least a few inches in all directions. If rain is not timely, then occasional watering will be necessary.

Over-watering can kill young trees as moist, workable soil is sufficient; soggy soil is dangerous and often fatal. Monitor you soil moisture levels to make sure things aren't to wet. Pomegranates are known for their drought tolerance. Pomegranate trees have adapted to thrive in arid and semi-arid regions, making them well-suited to withstand periods of drought. However, while they can tolerate drought conditions, regular watering is still essential, especially during the tree's establishment phase and during fruit development, to ensure optimal growth and fruit production. Proper irrigation practices contribute to healthier trees and higher-quality pomegranates.As the tree matures, you will want to water deeply but infrequently; commercial orchardists water for more than 12 hours at a time, but sometimes only two or three times during a season.

As your tree matures, pruning will become the most critical factor in its proper growth and development. Removal of dead wood or of suckers is necessary. If you do not desire a tree shape for your pomegranate let the suckers grow and the pomegranate will develop a bush shape. Spraying fruit trees during the dormant season is an important preventative to many diseases and pest problems.

Traditionally fruit trees are sprayed three times a year: at leaf drop (Thanksgiving), during full dormancy (New Year’s) and at bud swell (Valentine’s Day). Log on to GrowOrganic.com or check out our catalog for more information and a selection of natural and organic dormant sprays.

Managing Pests and Diseases

Common Pests Affecting Pomegranate Trees

When planting pomegranate trees, it’s essential to be aware of common pests such as leaf footed bugs that can damage the pomegranate fruit and impact fruit production. Growing pomegranates requires vigilant organic gardening practices to control these pests and prevent issues that may affect fruit development and the overall health of the pomegranate trees.

Regularly prune pomegranate trees to maintain good air circulation and monitor for pests to ensure that your trees continue to bear fruit and produce high-quality ripe fruits.

Identifying and Treating Pomegranate Diseases

When planting pomegranate trees, it’s crucial to monitor for diseases that can affect pomegranates and their overall health. Common issues include heart rot and leaf spot, which can be mitigated by pruning and ensuring good air circulation around the pomegranate leaves.

To prevent and treat these conditions, grow pomegranates in a well-drained, dry environment, avoid over fertilization, and maintain regular pruning practices to remove affected branches and promote healthy new growth.

Organic Control Methods

For effective organic control methods in planting pomegranate trees, it’s essential to use natural predators and barriers to manage pests like leaf-footed bugs. Beneficial predators such as ladybugs, lacewings, and predatory beetles can help control these pests by preying on them. Techniques such as applying clear plastic bags around affected branches and using paper towel traps can further aid in managing these pests while preserving the health of your pomegranate leaves and ensuring a successful fruit set.

Additionally, regular pruning and maintaining a dry environment around the pomegranate trees can prevent the spread of diseases and support new growth. Incorporating beneficial predators into your pest management strategy helps maintain a balanced ecosystem, reducing the need for chemical interventions and promoting a healthy, productive pomegranate orchard.

Preventative Measures to Keep Your Tree Healthy

To keep your pomegranate tree healthy and resilient, implement preventive measures such as regular pruning to remove crossing branches and improve air circulation around the pomegranate leaves. Ensuring that your tree is not over-fertilized and maintaining a dry environment can help prevent diseases and reduce pest issues like leaf footed bugs.

Additionally, practicing good organic gardening techniques, such as using clear plastic bags to protect young bare root trees and monitoring for signs of pests, will support the healthy development and fruit set of your pomegranates.

Conclusion

Growing pomegranate trees can be a rewarding experience, offering both beauty and a bountiful harvest. By understanding the tree's requirements, including appropriate climate, soil, and watering needs, you can ensure successful fruit production and a thriving garden.

With proper care, including vigilant pest management, organic control methods, and timely pruning, your pomegranate tree will flourish, yielding delicious and nutritious fruit.

If you're interested in buying a pomegranate tree, GrowOrganic.com offers a variety of pomegranate trees for sale.

FAQs: How to Grow a Pomegranate Tree

• Q: When is the best time for planting a pomegranate tree?

  • A: The best time for planting pomegranate trees is in late spring or early winter when the weather is cooler, allowing the tree to establish its roots before the extremes of summer or winter.

• Q: Can I grow pomegranates in a dry environment?

  • A: Yes, pomegranate trees are well-suited for dry environments and can be grown successfully, similar to citrus trees. Proper care, including deep watering and avoiding over-fertilization, is essential for healthy growth.

• Q: How do I start a pomegranate tree from hardwood cuttings?

  • A: To grow pomegranates from hardwood cuttings, take a cutting in early spring, plant it in well-drained soil, and cover it with a clear plastic bag to maintain humidity. After a few weeks, the cutting should begin to develop roots.

• Q: What should I do to prevent leaf footed bugs from damaging my pomegranate leaves?

  • A: To prevent leaf footed bugs, regularly inspect your pomegranate tree, remove any visible bugs, and prune the tree to improve air circulation, just as you would with citrus trees, which also benefit from pest management.

• Q: How do I prune a pomegranate tree to encourage fruit set?

  • A: In early spring, prune your pomegranate tree by removing crossing branches and any dead or damaged wood. This promotes new growth and encourages fruit set, similar to pruning practices for citrus trees.