How to Grow a Pomegranate Plant
Pomegranates are surprisingly adaptable, tolerating both heat and a fair amount of cold, and can be grown either in the ground in warmer climates or in a container that moves indoors for winter elsewhere.
Starting from Seed or Nursery Plant
Pomegranate seeds germinate reasonably well, though a nursery-grown plant reaches fruiting age far faster and more reliably. Plant seeds about a quarter-inch deep in well-draining soil, keeping it warm and consistently moist until germination, which typically takes several weeks.
Pomegranates want full sun and are quite drought-tolerant once established, needing less frequent watering than many other fruiting plants.
Pomegranates tolerate light frost better than most fruiting tropicals, but a hard freeze can still kill an unprotected plant — container growing gives gardeners in cooler climates the flexibility to move it indoors when needed.
Getting to Fruit
A pomegranate typically takes two to three years to reach fruiting maturity, producing striking red-orange flowers before the fruit develops. Full sun and consistent, if minimal, care through those early years sets it up for a reliable harvest once mature.
