Pomegranates are very easy to grow as a landscape tree or large shrub, but a little extra work should be done to maintain nice form and good fruit production. Pomegranates naturally will grow as a suckering shrub that sends up multiple new shoots from the base every year. Without pruning, plants will form a dense thorny thicket. Cultivated plants can be grown as a single trunk tree, a multi trunk tree, or a large shrub. Multi trunk trees and large shrubs are generally the easier maintenance route. The first year or so in the ground, generally just let the plant grow to establish itself. Pomegranates are best planted in the winter when dormant. In the second winter, begin pruning to your desired form by removing unnecessary branches. The goal will be to maintain a nice, relatively open center form. Branches growing inward can be removed as necessary. Avoid crossing branches which will compete with each other. Choose one and remove the other. Pruning cuts made that do not go all the way back to the ground should be made about ¼ inch above a “node” or bud location. Cut above a node or bud that is pointing in the direction you want the branch to grow to establish a nice growth pattern.
After that, prune annually in the winter to maintain from and help maintain size. Flowers and fruit usually develop on 2-3 year old branches, so light annual pruning that leaves plenty of 2-3 year old wood will maintain the best fruit production. Pomegranates will usually grow back vigorously after a hard cut back, but because that will result in removing most of the 2-3 year old branches, fruit production will be far less for a year or two.
Additionally, light pruning for size control can be done at any time of the year. Remove suckers, vigorous shoots growing from the base of the tree, any time of year as soon as they form. Be careful when pruning, pomegranates have sharp thorns. Eye protection and gloves are recommended. Pomegranates are thorny enough that moderately sized young branches can be reused in the garden, placed over empty or newly planted vegetable beds to help keep critters like cats, racoons, skunks, etc. from digging in them.
Plants will produce the most abundant fruit and grow faster when young if given an annual organic fertilizer application in the winter. Any organic fruit tree fertilizer is adequate. Follow the application instructions on the box. Older trees may produce better with fertilizer or may produce plenty of fruit with compost and mulch and no fertilizer.
Remove all fruit from young trees until their third year in the ground, then allow only as much fruit production as the branches can easily support. Removing fruit results in the tree growing faster and gives the tree time to develop the branch strength to support the weight of the fruit. It is tempting to allow fruit to develop the first year, but you are sacrificing tree growth and the branches will bend, causing long term structural issues. The fruit production the first year you allow fruit to develop will far outweigh the fruit you sacrificed in the first few years (S).
References
