Can you grow pomegranates in texas

Skip to Main Content. Loading Close. Do Not Show Again Close. Home Blog. Blog Our Blog. Ever wondered how our products are made? Or maybe you're looking for a good source for gardening and landscaping tips? Our blog has it all. Follow to learn more about our products and ways to become a better gardener. Firm the soil gently around the tree trunk. Water the newly planted pomegranate tree until the soil becomes saturated and compresses around the base of the tree.

Water every three to four days for the first few weeks after planting. Then, decrease the watering to twice weekly, then once a week. Each time, water until the soil becomes saturated. Prune away suckers growing from the tree trunk with anvil pruners. Also prune away dead or damaged branches, limbs that crisscross other limbs and branches that grow vertically. Prune annually in the late winter, once frost danger passes, but remove dead or damaged wood whenever you notice it.

The "Wonderful" variety of pomegranates we often hear about today was named by a grower from Florida, who moved to California in and expanded his fruit business to the West Coast. To get started in your backyard, you'll only need one pomegranate, as they are self-pollinating.

While pomegranates can grow on small trees, they more commonly emerge as the fruit of a bushy shrub. If you want more than one and space is limited, you can plant them as a hedge.

The leaves are deciduous, usually glossy and dark green. Also, the colorful, orange-red flowers and their tendency toward dense, bushy growth make the pomegranate an attractive ornamental for some striking country living decor.

This plant will produce lots of suckers near the soil, so frequent pruning is a must for the pomegranate tree or shrub. The most serious problem with pomegranate is a fungus that affects the leaves and the fruit, causing the fruit to split and the leaves to drop prematurely. Although the leaf loss may be tolerated, fruit splitting cannot, because it usually occurs just as the fruit begins to mature.

To alleviate the problem, you might try applying copper fungicide in late spring through summer. However, control of the disease is not fully understood. Another disease, soft rot or heart rot Fig.

Minor problems are leaf spot and fruit spot, which are also caused by fungi. Appearance is important for pomegranates, especially if they are bought primarily for fall decorations such as table arrangements.

If the fruit receives too much sun, it can develop sunscald Fig. To prevent sun damage, you may need to apply a sunburn material such as kaolinite clay. The trees produce fruit 3 to 4 years after planting. The fruit ripens about 6 months after bloom, with the best fruit development during hot weather.

The fruits mature in September for early-ripening varieties and continue through October for later ripening ones. Because the fruit does not ripen after being picked, harvest it only after it has reached full maturity. Fruit that is ready to pick may make a metallic sound when tapped lightly. As the plant matures, it should produce more fruit. About the fourth year, each tree may produce a crop of 20 to 25 fruits 10 pounds.

In the tenth year, production rises to to fruits 50 pounds. In well-managed orchards, the average annual yield may be as much as to fruits, or about 75 pounds, per tree. Pomegranates are commonly eaten fresh. Some of the new varieties have soft seeds that can be eaten with the fleshy pulp. The fruit juice can be made into a beverage or syrup and can be blended with other juices. An emerging trend in the commercial industry is to sell bags of arils to be eaten fresh.

They can be stored for up to 3 months. Download a printer-friendly version of this publication: Texas Fruit and Nut Production: Pomegranates. Contact Your County Office.