How Do Pomegranate Trees Reproduce? A Detailed Guide to Common Propagation Methods

Pomegranate fruit is rich in nutrients, and its vitamin C content is one to two times higher than that of apples and pears. The history of pomegranate cultivation in China can be traced back to the Han Dynasty; according to Lu Gong's records, it was introduced from the Western Regions by Zhang Qian. So, how do pomegranate trees reproduce?

1. Cuttings

Short-branch cuttings: before bud break, cut pest- and disease-free one- to two-year-old branches from a vigorous mother plant to serve as stock shoots, cut the stock shoots into short cuttings with 2 to 3 nodes, trim the lower end of each cutting near a node into a smooth slant, then soak it in a 300-fold dilution of 40% carbendazim or a 300-fold dilution of 5% junxiaoqing for 10 to 15 seconds as a sterilization treatment. After that, soak the lower end of the cutting in a rooting powder aqueous solution for 5 seconds, or in a 0.05% indoleacetic acid solution for 2 seconds, or in a 0.05% naphthaleneacetic acid solution for 3 seconds, and then insert it for rooting. At a row spacing of 30 cm × 12 cm, insert the cuttings into the soil with the slant facing downward, with the bud eye at the upper end 1 cm to 2 cm above the ground. After finishing one bed, water it immediately, and when the bed surface is slightly dry, hoe it lightly to raise the ground temperature. After watering, cover with plastic film or wheat bran to preserve moisture.

Long-branch cuttings: mostly used for directly establishing an orchard or for small-scale propagation in a courtyard. At the planting point, dig a planting pit 60 cm to 70 cm in diameter and 50 cm to 60 cm deep; outside the pit, mix about 5 kg of decomposed farmyard manure with topsoil and set it aside. Insert 2 to 3 one- to two-year-old cuttings 80 cm to 100 cm long into each pit at an angle of 50 degrees to 60 degrees to the ground, inserted 40 cm to 50 cm deep into the pit, then backfill with soil while tamping it firmly; finally water, build a tree basin, and cover with plastic film or mulch to preserve moisture.

2. Layering

Before bud break, girdle the base of larger suckers around the mother tree's root zone to wound them and stimulate rooting, then mound soil 8 cm to 10 cm high and keep the soil moist. After autumn, sever the rooted plants from the mother plant to form seedlings. Alternatively, in spring bend sucker shoots and press them 10 cm to 20 cm into the soil and make several cuts with a knife to stimulate new roots, leaving the upper tip exposed and upright; later cut the connection to the mother plant and dig up the seedlings with roots for planting. Or, during the pomegranate growing season, bend branches near the ground downward, bury a section in the soil, and make cuts with a knife on the buried part to promote rooting; after rooting, sever it from the mother plant to make a new pomegranate seedling. When layering, burying 15 cm deep is best; too deep means low temperature, which is unfavorable for rooting, while too shallow makes it prone to drying out, which is also unfavorable for rooting.

For rare varieties, air layering can be used for propagation: wound part of a branch with a knife, then enclose it with a pot or other container that can be split in two, fill it with marl or moss and other water-retaining materials, water thoroughly, and tie it up with plastic sheeting; keep it moist at ordinary times, and once it has rooted, cut it off below the container and plant it out.