How to Grow Soft-Seed Pomegranates? A Step-by-Step Guide to the Key Growing Techniques

The soft-seed pomegranate is a very popular pomegranate variety in recent years. Its seeds are very soft and can be eaten directly, making it highly sought after on the market. So how do you grow soft-seed pomegranates?

1. Soil

The orchard site should be in an area with convenient transportation, flat and open terrain, loose and fertile soil, shelter from the wind and facing the sun, and complete drainage and irrigation facilities. Before planting, prepare the soil and apply fertilizer, spreading 5000 kg of decomposed compost per mu and raking it into the soil until broken up and level. Then dig planting holes at a row spacing of 2×3 m or 2.5×3 m, with the length, width and depth of each hole all required to be 0.8 m. In this way the orchard is ready. A small plot in the orchard can also be kept as a nursery area for raising seedlings. Before planting pomegranates, the orchard soil should be deep-plowed. To enhance soil fertility, some green manure crops can be planted on the land; when the green manure grows to the high-temperature summer period, it is cut down, filled in under the tree canopy and buried to improve soil fertility.

2. Fertilization

For general fertilization, some farmyard manure can be applied, but it is best to treat it yourself first before spreading it in the field, because only in this way can the fertilizer's effect be fully brought into play. Also, when topdressing, be careful not to use too much nitrogen fertilizer; the main purpose is to improve the stress resistance of the pomegranate trees. But remember, do not use too much. As for fertilizer on the pomegranate trees, foliar spraying is usually not used. Before planting pomegranates, some green manure can be applied to improve soil fertility. When the green manure grows to the high-temperature summer period, cut it down, fill it in under the tree canopy and bury it.

3. Watering

When growing soft-seed pomegranates, watering is also carried out in stages. Water is needed before germination, during flowering and during the rapid fruit growth stage. When watering during drought periods, be careful that the amount and frequency are not too frequent. If there is too much water in the orchard, the pomegranates will split. Especially in summer, when there is more rainfall, if there is water underground, it must be drained promptly to prevent the pomegranate trees from rotting.

4. Pruning

Soft-seed pomegranate trees grow quickly and have many branches. The main pruning work is to appropriately reduce the number of side branches. In the fourth year, we need to focus on pruning. Since many of the pomegranate tree's auxiliary branches have already been cut off at this stage, it is even more necessary to adjust the angle of the branches so that the pomegranate tree remains ventilated and light-transmitting, which is more conducive to the growth of the pomegranate tree.

Soft-seed pomegranates grow very fast, have very good market prospects, are rich in nutrients, and also have beauty and skin-care benefits.