When Is the Best Time to Plant Pomegranates? A Detailed Guide to the Best Planting Time

When planting pomegranates, you must have a good grasp of the pomegranate's growth habits and growth characteristics. Pomegranate trees are suited to growing in sunny, warm and humid environments, and the soil should be fertile and loose with good drainage. Pomegranate trees are drought-tolerant and cold-tolerant but not waterlogging-tolerant. If planting in spring, plant in March to April; if planting in autumn, choose larger saplings to plant.

Points to Note When Planting Pomegranate Trees

1. Pomegranate trees are suited to growing in warm places, but they are not demanding about soil. Choose soil that is relatively thick, with a soil pH between 4.5 and 8.2, an underground water level below 1 m, a minimum growing temperature no lower than minus 17°C, and an accumulated temperature above 10°C.

2. Generally, base fertilizer should be applied after the fruit is picked in autumn. Autumn fertilization helps the continued differentiation of flower buds, and also helps the pomegranate tree accumulate and store the nutrients it needs before leaf drop, thereby increasing the proportion of normal pomegranate flowers and thus raising the yield.

3. When the pomegranate tree is short of nutrients, it is essential to apply topdressing in time. To ensure the pomegranate tree's normal growth and nutrient needs, quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer is usually applied before flowering in early to mid-May, then used together with phosphate fertilizer. To promote the rapid growth of young fruit and the formation of flower buds, compound fertilizer with K, N and P needs to be applied as topdressing at the early fruiting stage and the young fruit swelling stage. Foliar topdressing should also be carried out several times during the growing period.

4. During the growth of the pomegranate tree, special attention should be paid to 4 water-demand periods, namely the water needed for bud break, water after flowering, water to promote fruit development, and water before freezing. Pomegranate trees are drought-tolerant but not waterlogging-tolerant, so drainage work must be done well. If the pomegranate plantation has good drainage, convenient irrigation in the dry season, and smooth drainage in the rainy season, it is beneficial to the production of high-quality pomegranates.