How to Grow Pomegranates From Seeds (Yes, Even From Store Bought Fruit)
Pomegranates have been treasured since ancient times, symbolizing abundance, fertility, and even immortality in myth and lore. The jewel-like arils inside their leathery skin aren’t just delicious - they can also give you seeds to start your own tree. With a little patience, you can grow pomegranates at home whether in a backyard, a pot on your patio, or even indoors in cooler climates.
Preparing Pomegranate Seeds
If you’ve got a store-bought pomegranate, you already have what you need.
- Extract the Seeds: Cut the fruit open and gently separate a few arils (the juicy seed pods).
- Rinse Clean: Remove the juicy coating around the seeds. Rinse under cool water until you have just the hard seed inside.
- Dry Briefly: Let the cleaned seeds dry on a paper towel for a day.
- Sprouting Trick:
- Place the seeds on a damp paper towel.
- Fold the towel and slide it into a plastic baggie.
- Keep the bag in a warm, sunny spot.
- In about 1–4 weeks, seeds will begin to sprout.
Potting Up Seedlings
Once sprouts appear:
- Place them in small pots, cups, or seed trays with drainage holes.
- Use light, well-draining soil (a mix of potting soil and sand or perlite).
- Plant seeds about ¼ inch deep.
- Keep the soil moist but never waterlogged.
Transplanting Pomegranate Seedlings
When seedlings are 4–6 inches tall with multiple leaves:
- Containers: Move them to pots at least 3–5 gallons. They make great patio plants and can live happily in containers for years.
- Garden Beds: In warm regions, transplant outdoors after frost danger has passed. Space them 8–10 feet apart if you want trees, or 3–4 feet apart if growing a hedge.
Where Pomegranates Grow Best
- USDA Zones: Thrive in Zones 8–11. In colder regions, they can be grown in containers and brought indoors for winter.
- Sunlight Needs: Pomegranates love full sun (at least 6 hours daily).
- Soil: Well-drained sandy or loamy soil is best. They tolerate poor soils better than soggy ones.
Caring for Pomegranates
- Watering: Deep water weekly during growing season. Once established, they are drought-tolerant but fruit better with consistent moisture.
- Fertilizer: Light feeding with compost or balanced organic fertilizer in spring. Don’t overdo nitrogen - it encourages leaves, not fruit.
- Pruning: Trim in late winter to shape the tree, remove crossing branches, and encourage airflow. Pomegranates can be grown as small trees or bushy shrubs.
- Pollination: They are self-pollinating, but more plants = better yields.
Growth & Harvest Timeline
- From Seed: Expect to wait 3–5 years before seeing fruit.
- From Nursery Plants: Fruit may appear in 2–3 years.
- Harvest Season: Late summer through fall, when skins turn deep red and sound metallic when tapped.
Using Pomegranates
- Eat arils fresh by the handful.
- Sprinkle on salads, yogurt, or desserts.
- Juice for smoothies, cocktails, or traditional grenadine.
- Dry seeds for teas or garnish.
Tips for Success
- 🌞 Give them the sunniest spot possible.
- 🪴 Container growers: repot every 2–3 years as roots expand.
- 🌱 Save time by growing from cuttings if you want faster fruit.
- 🍂 Mulch around the base to retain moisture and protect roots.
- 🍇 Harvest when fully ripe - they don’t continue to ripen once picked.
⚠ Cautions
- Seed-Grown Surprises: Pomegranates from seed don’t always grow true to the parent fruit. Flavor and size may vary, but the fun is in the journey.
- Patience Needed: Growing from seed is slow. If you want faster results, consider buying a nursery tree.
- Cold Sensitivity: Trees don’t tolerate extended frost. Protect or bring indoors if temps dip below 20°F.
- Skin Stains: Juice can stain clothing and hands. Harvest carefully.
Growing a pomegranate tree from a simple store-bought fruit feels like magic - transforming seeds into a living symbol of abundance. It may take time before your tree bears its first jewel-like harvest, but the beauty of the plant itself and the ancient tradition it carries makes the wait worthwhile.
