How to shape and prune a pomegranate tree? You'll get it at a glance with these illustrated steps

Pomegranate is one of the fruits many people love most, with its sweet-and-sour taste and abundant juice. Pomegranates are not only delicious, but eating them regularly brings many benefits to the body. So do you know how to grow pomegranates? And how should they be pruned later on? Let's find out together below!

Pomegranate shaping and pruning methods (illustrated steps)

1. Single-trunk form: Cut off all water sprouts and every unnecessary branch. Because a mature plant takes on its natural shape on its own, there is no need to prune it every year, as shown in figure a.

2. Multi-trunk clump form: Cut the trunk off at the base to make it branch, then keep a few sturdy branches. But when it grows as a multi-trunk clump, thin out the overly dense branches one by one to improve ventilation, as shown in figure b.

3. Pruning method: Because the flower buds form on the short shoots that elongate in the current year, leave the medium and short shoots alone and cut back the water sprouts by 20-30 m, as shown in figure c.

Pomegranate growing techniques

1. Growing environment: Pomegranate likes light and has a certain tolerance to cold, and it prefers moist, fertile calcareous soil. So when planting, choose open ground with calcareous soil; if you have an open-air yard, you can consider planting it there.

2. Growth cycle: Generally a pomegranate tree needs 3-10 years to flower and bear fruit. If it has not fruited for a long time, do not worry too much; a pomegranate tree can live as long as a hundred years, and even during its aging period it will still bear fruit.

3. Daily care: Pomegranate likes a damp environment, so it needs watering from time to time. Also, pomegranate trees are prone to attracting small insects, most commonly insects on the twigs and pomegranate leaves; their appearance is exactly the same color as the branches, so you need to observe carefully, pick them off, or spray them.

4. Growing season: During the pomegranate tree's growing season, pay attention to replenishing water and loosen the soil in time to keep the soil well aerated.

5. Protection: Although pomegranate has strong vitality, it still needs protection, for example from rodent damage or severe cold, so pay attention to both; for instance, set up wire netting around it, and in winter wrap the pomegranate tree with a protective layer as appropriate.

6. Regular pruning: Prune the branches and leaves at intervals, because too many branches and leaves affect the fruit's absorption of nutrients. In addition, for those fruits that are clearly growing poorly, cut them off decisively so they do not affect the growth of the other fruits.

Points to note when growing pomegranates

1. Pomegranate is a plant that loves sun and tolerates relatively high temperatures. Therefore, for potted pomegranates in a courtyard or on a balcony, no shading is needed; during the growing season they should be placed in a spot with plenty of sunlight; in summer they can be placed under the blazing sun for direct sun exposure. The more sun, the more brilliant the flowers and the more fruit. Some people dote on their potted pomegranates so much, hoping they will bloom and fruit constantly, that they fear it cannot withstand the intense summer sun and keep it in the shade at noon or even all day long. Little do they know that doing so achieves the opposite result - it is one of the main reasons pomegranates fail to bloom and fruit. Because insufficient light during the growing period very easily causes the branches and leaves to grow leggy, resulting in fewer flowers and less fruit, and in serious cases even no flowers and no fruit.

2. Pomegranate requires moist soil, but it is not tolerant of waterlogging. Therefore, whether planted in the ground or in a pot, the soil must be kept moist at all times, yet must not become waterlogged. In summer, watering once a day is generally enough; in late autumn, water once every other day. Potted pomegranates must have watering strictly controlled during the flowering and fruiting period. By no means water immediately as soon as you see the surface of the potting soil dry out; you may as well wait until the branches and leaves are slightly wilted before watering, and when you do water, be sure to water thoroughly. If the potting soil is too dry, it easily causes bud drop, dried fruit and fruit drop; if the potting soil is too wet, although it sometimes does not affect the plant's growth, it also easily causes bud drop and fruit cracking. This is also one of the reasons affecting its flowering and fruiting.

Pomegranate pest and disease control

1. The main diseases of pomegranate are: early defoliation disease (leaves drop completely from late July to early and mid-August), fruit dry rot (rotten pomegranate disease), and sooty mold on the branches and trunk.

2. The main insect pests of pomegranate are: leaf-eating pests such as the stinging nettle caterpillar and the large bagworm, trunk-boring pests such as the leopard moth and the stem window moth, and fruit pests such as the peach fruit borer. To prevent and control pests and diseases, do not plant too densely; thin branches and remove buds at the right time to adjust density, and pay attention to ventilation, light penetration, and drainage.

Because pomegranate likes fertilizer, fertilizer and water management should be strengthened. Apply sufficient base fertilizer in winter, and during the spring and summer growing period apply a liquid fertilizer mainly containing phosphorus and potassium once every 10—15 days; you can also spray the leaves with 0.5% urea 2—3 times, and pause fertilization during the flowering period. After the fruit has formed, fertilize on the principle of little but often, to reduce fruit drop and strengthen disease resistance. If pests or diseases have already occurred, promptly clean up diseased and pest-damaged fruit and withered branches and fallen leaves, and use chemical control.

Through the above content, I believe everyone now has a deeper understanding of growing pomegranates. In fact, pomegranate is a very easy fruit to grow, with strong vitality and it does not easily die of disease. Those who like eating pomegranates may as well try growing one or two pomegranate trees themselves; you can enjoy the growing process and later eat fresh, delicious pomegranates too!