GROWING POMEGRANATE FROM SEEDS

GROWING POMEGRANATE FROM SEEDS

1.Place the seeds in a bucket or bowl. Crush the liquid-filled outer flesh of each seed. Rinse away the liquid and lay the seeds on a sheet of paper towel to dry while you prepare the planting containers.

2.Fill 3-inch starter pots with standard, fertilizer-free potting soil. Leave the top 1/2 inch of each pot empty. Place one seed on the potting soil and press it lightly onto the surface. Do not cover the seed.

3.Mist the seeds to hydrate them and settle them into the soil. Cover each pot with a small piece of plastic wrap. Set the pots on a germination mat set to 70 degrees Fahrenheit near a large window. Provide additional light with a fluorescent lamp, if needed.

4.Water the seeds whenever the surface of the potting soil feels almost dry. Use a spray bottle to water, since the mist is less likely to disturb the seeds or oversaturate the soil.

5.Watch for germination one to three weeks after sowing. Keep the seedlings on the germination mat for another two weeks, or until the seedlings are tall enough to touch the plastic wrap.

6.Transplant the pomegranate seedlings into terra-cotta planters filled with a potting mix of 2 parts coarse sand, 1 part loam and 1 part milled peat, or use a commercially prepared potting mix enhanced with dolomitic lime.

7.Place the pots near a large, south- or west-facing window with at least six hours of bright sunlight each day. Rotate the pots by a half revolution each week to ensure even light exposure.

8.Provide water whenever the soil feels completely dry in the top 2 inches. Increase water slightly when the shrub is blooming so only the top inch dries out between waterings. Discard any water that pools in the drainage saucer.

9.Feed the pomegranate monthly from spring until late summer. Use balanced, 12-12-12 fertilizer. Apply the fertilizer at half the recommended strength and water thoroughly afterwards to distribute it throughout the potting soil.

10.Prune the pomegranate in early spring to encourage a bushier, more compact shape. Remove no more than one-third of the growth from the tips of the branches using sharp bypass shears.