Pomegranates - Knowledgebase Question

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Question by rusmcg
March 10, 1998
I have a pomegranate (bush?/tree?) and I don't know anything about what it needs. Do you have any information about things like temperature, fertilizer, etc...?


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Answer from NGA
March 10, 1998
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.)is normally a dense, bushy, deciduous shrub, 6-12 feet tall. The plant has slender, somewhat thorny branches. It may be trained as a
small tree reaching up to 20 feet. Pomegranate is an attractive ornamental; bloomsare a flaming orange-red.

Pomegranates do best on deep, heavy loams, but are adapted to many soil types from pure sand to heavy clay. Yields are usually low on sands, while fruit color is poor on clays. Growth on alkaline soils is poor. Optimumgrowth is associated with deep fairly heavy, moist soils in the pH range of 5.5 to 7.0.

Trees should be irrigated every 7 to 10 days in the absence of significant rainfall. Maintain adequate soil moisture in late summer and early fall to reduce potential fruit splitting. Pomegranates are tolerant to some flooding.

Trees tend toward a bushy habit with many suckers arising from the root and crown area. Tree-type plants can be produced by allowing only 1 trunk to develop. Remove suckers frequently. You can allow the tree to remain as a shrub and prune only to keep the desired shape.

Pomegranate trees are self-fruitful. That is, they can pollinate themselves. Severe fruit drop during the plant's juvenile period is not uncommon. Fruit drop is aggravated by practices favoring vegetative growth such as over-fertilization and excessive irrigation. Fertilize young trees with 2 lbs of 8-8-8 fertilizer in November and March. Fertilize mature trees with 5 lbs of 8-8-8 in March and November.



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