How to grow Pomegranate

Punica granatum

The pomegranate is a deciduous shrub or small tree, 1.5–5 m tall, grown for its red, seed-packed fruit and bright flowers. It is drought-tolerant and survives moderate frost down to about −12 °C, but in wet ground its roots can rot.

Quick facts

Type	Fruit tree
Family	Lythraceae
Light	Full sun
Soil pH	5.5–7
Frost	tolerates light frost
Sowing to harvest	1095 days
Where it grows	Open ground

When to plant

Planted as a young plant from a nursery while it is dormant — in early spring before the buds open, or in autumn after leaf fall.

Harvest from August to October (northern hemisphere).

Care

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 7 days	—	balanced (NPK), at the start of the stage
Flowering	every 7 days	—	—
Fruiting	every 7 days	—	balanced (NPK), at the start of the stage
Harvest	every 7 days	—	—
Winter rest	—	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Full sun gives the best flowering and fruiting; it tolerates partial shade.

Soil

Needs good drainage; prefers pH 5.5–7.0.

Care

Mulch with 5–8 cm of organic matter. Water moderately and keep the moisture even, which reduces fruit splitting; young trees need water every week with less than 2.5 cm of rain. Feed a balanced fertiliser in March and July. Prune lightly before new growth starts in spring, since flowers come on new growth, and remove the many suckers from the base. Planting two or more bushes improves fruit set.

How to tell it is ripe

The skin has turned from green to the full red or orange of the variety.
The fruit is no longer perfectly round; its sides look slightly flattened and square.
The petals of the crown at the top curl slightly inwards.
The skin is starting to crack, which means picking is overdue.
A ripe fruit makes a metallic sound when tapped.
The skin of a ripe fruit can be scratched with a fingernail, while unripe skin is hard and tight.
Clip the fruit close to its base with no stem left instead of pulling it, ideally just before the skins start to split.

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.