Transplant outside
4 weeks after last frost
Best in open ground with 24 in of drainage depth; dwarf types do well in large pots. In containers: 20-gallon pot for a dwarf variety, wider than deep. Space plants 144 inches (365 cm) apart.
Crop guide · The loosestrife family
How to grow Pomegranate
A drought-tough deciduous shrub that ripens leathery red fruit packed with juicy seeds, thriving where summers run long, hot, and dry.
Punica granatum · also called Chinese apple, Granada
Full sun
Intermediate
Frost-hardy
Sun
Full sun
No shade needed
Frost
Hardy
Dormant wood takes hard frost
Spacing
144 in
365 cm between plants
Sow depth
½ in
13 mm
To harvest
730–1095 days
counted from transplant
Timing
When to plant Pomegranate
Spring
Transplant
Set out bare-root or potted plants from late winter through 4 weeks after last frost.
Fall
Transplant
In mild-winter areas, plant 8–10 weeks before first frost so roots settle.
Too late?Do not set out a new plant within 8 weeks of first frost — unsettled roots and cold soil kill young pomegranates over winter.
Background
Why grow Pomegranate
Few fruit plants ask so little once established: one deep soak a week, a light pruning each winter, and heat it takes in stride. Whole fruit keeps for weeks in cool storage, and the orange summer flowers draw bees and hummingbirds.
A little history. A shrub of the loosestrife family, domesticated across Iran and northern India. The edible part is the aril (the juicy coat around each seed), which is why the fruit is chambered rather than fleshy.
The season, step by step
From planting to harvest
Water and feed
All season
Deep soak once a week from bud break through harvest; twice weekly above 95 °F (35 °C). Water when the top 2 inches of soil under the mulch feel dry. Aim for about 1 inch per week, more in peak heat.
Once in early spring, before new leaves push; skip late-summer feeding. What to use: 2–3 inches of compost, or a balanced 5–5-5 organic fertilizer scattered under the canopy and watered in.
Prune and maintain
As it grows
Late winter, while dormant: pick 3–5 trunks and rub off the rest of the suckers, then thin crossing wood for light. Fruit forms on short spurs on wood two years and older, so prune lightly.
Harvest and store
730–1095 days from transplant
It's ready when rind reaches full color for the variety and the round fruit flattens toward a squared shape; it feels heavy and sounds metallic when tapped. About 5–7 months after bloom. Cut the stem with pruners close to the fruit — pulling tears the rind and strips the spur. Pick ahead of heavy rain and before any hard freeze; fruit does not sweeten further once off the plant.
Whole fruit keeps 2–3 months at 40–45 °F (4–7 °C) in a humid spot. Loose arils hold about 5 days in a sealed container in the fridge, or freeze them on a tray.
Overwintering
Mulch the root zone after leaf drop and wrap young trunks where winters dip near 15 °F (-9 °C). In colder areas, grow a dwarf in a pot and store it dormant at 35–50 °F (2–10 °C).
Companions
Good neighbours, bad neighbours
Plant it with
Lavender
Lavender's long bloom draws honeybees and carpenter bees into the planting, and heavier bee traffic often improves fruit set on pomegranate even though it can set fruit alone. It also wants the same dry, sharply drained soil, so it survives the same watering.
Yarrow
Flat yarrow flower heads feed hoverflies, lacewings, and tiny parasitic wasps, whose young clear aphid colonies off soft new pomegranate shoots. Let it flower through the season rather than shearing it after the first flush.
Sweet Alyssum
Sweet alyssum is one of the most reliable hoverfly magnets available, and hoverfly larvae eat aphids on the shoot tips. Sow a ribbon of it at the drip line where it gets watered along with the shrub.
Rosemary
Rosemary blooms early and keeps bees working the area before pomegranate flowers open, and it tolerates the same infrequent deep soaking. Plant it outside the canopy so it does not compete for water in a young shrub's root zone.
White Clover
A mown clover cover under the canopy shades the soil, holds moisture between deep soakings, and crowds out weeds. Its roots also bank nitrogen that mostly becomes available in later seasons as they break down. Keep it 12 inches back from the trunk.
Keep it away from
Fennel
Fennel roots release compounds that reliably stunt most garden plants, so keep it out of the root zone of a young pomegranate. Grown well away, its flowers feed hoverflies and tiny parasitic wasps, so it still earns a place elsewhere in the garden.
Peppermint
Mint runs on underground stems and will fill a young pomegranate's root zone in a single season, competing for water and making mulching and weeding awkward. Grow it in a sunken pot or a separate bed.
Black Walnut
A mature walnut casts heavy shade and holds a dense mat of feeder roots, while pomegranate needs all-day sun to color and sweeten fruit. Plant well outside the walnut's eventual canopy spread rather than testing it.
Crop rotation
After this crop
Rotation
A perennial — it holds its spot for years, so it sits outside the annual rotation.
A permanent planting — pick the site once, since a pomegranate holds ground for decades and resents being moved. It is a moderate feeder that leaves no rotation gap behind, so nothing needs to wait after it. Underplant with clover or low herbs rather than annual vegetables.
Trouble to watch for
Pests and diseases
Pests
Leaf-footed bug
Sign
Large brown bugs with flared hind legs clustered on fruit; punctured spots and dark, off-flavor arils inside.
Fix
Knock them into soapy water in the cool of the morning; clear weedy cover and fallen fruit nearby.
Aphids
Sign
Curled new leaf tips, sticky shoots, and black sooty film on leaves below.
Fix
Blast shoots with a hose, then spray insecticidal soap on the undersides of leaves. Skip heavy nitrogen.
Mealybugs
Sign
White cottony clumps in leaf joints and under the fruit crown; ants running the branches.
Fix
Dab clumps with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol; band the trunk to stop ants tending them.
Whiteflies
Sign
Tiny white insects fly up in a cloud when you brush the leaves; leaves yellow and go sticky.
Fix
Hang yellow sticky cards and spray leaf undersides with insecticidal soap every 5 days for three rounds.
Diseases
Alternaria fruit rot (heart rot)
Sign
Fruit looks sound outside but the arils inside are brown and rotted; often follows rain during bloom.
Prevent
Avoid overhead watering during bloom and pick up dropped fruit. Fruit that feels light for its size is usually rotted inside.
Gray mold
Sign
Fuzzy gray growth on faded flowers and on fruit where petals stuck; rot spreads at the crown end.
Prevent
Thin crowded branches for airflow, shake off spent flowers, and keep fruit from touching wet mulch.
Cercospora fruit and leaf spot
Sign
Small dark spots on leaves and sunken black blotches on the rind; leaves drop early in humid summers.
Prevent
Rake and remove fallen leaves and mummified fruit each winter; prune for an open center so leaves dry fast.
Root and crown rot
Sign
Leaves yellow and thin, growth stalls, and the bark at the soil line turns dark and soft.
Prevent
Plant on a low mound in fast-draining ground, keep mulch 4 inches off the trunk, and do not water on a fixed schedule in wet weather.
Good to know:Eat the arils and their seeds only. The bitter rind is not food, and the bark and roots contain compounds that are unsafe to eat.
FAQ
Common questions about Pomegranate
When should I plant Pomegranate?
Spring: set out bare-root or potted plants from late winter through 4 weeks after last frost. Fall: in mild-winter areas, plant 8–10 weeks before first frost so roots settle.
How long until Pomegranate is ready to harvest?
730–1095 days, counted from transplant. It's ready when rind reaches full color for the variety and the round fruit flattens toward a squared shape; it feels heavy and sounds metallic when tapped. About 5–7 months after bloom.
Can I grow Pomegranate in a container?
Best in open ground with 24 in of drainage depth; dwarf types do well in large pots. In containers: 20-gallon pot for a dwarf variety, wider than deep.
How often should I water Pomegranate?
Deep soak once a week from bud break through harvest; twice weekly above 95 °F (35 °C). Water when the top 2 inches of soil under the mulch feel dry.
Is any part of Pomegranate unsafe to eat?
Eat the arils and their seeds only. The bitter rind is not food, and the bark and roots contain compounds that are unsafe to eat.
How should I store Pomegranate after harvest?
Whole fruit keeps 2–3 months at 40–45 °F (4–7 °C) in a humid spot. Loose arils hold about 5 days in a sealed container in the fridge, or freeze them on a tray.
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