Growing Pomegranate from Seed

Last April, I planted a bunch of seeds from different tropical fruits to see which ones I could grow. This included pomegranate. I think I planted two or three seeds, I got two sprouts, and one has survived and is about 10 inches tall now. 

This is what it looked like as it was first sprouting. It was the first seed to germinate in my nursery pot, where I planted all the tropical seeds. I wasn't sure which plant it was at this point, but I knew I'd never seen a baby like this one. 

Above is a shot of my nursery pot in early June. At the top is the pomegranate with its first set of true leaves. They're long and skinny and really pretty! There's another pomegranate sprout about halfway down the photo, but unfortunately this one never sprouted any true leaves. I was disappointed, but that is what happens when you grow things from seed. Not everything works out all the time. The other babies you see are lemons. I'll get around to posting about all my citrus babies soon! 

Once it had a few sets of true leaves, I transplanted my pomegranate into its own pot. The pot is 4" in diameter, which is plenty big for this guy for now. 

Based on what I've read about growing pomegranate online, they are very forgiving in terms of growth pattern and size. Naturally they grow as a shrub with multiple trunks, but they can be trained into a traditional tree shape with one main trunk, they can be kept at a dwarf size, they can be trained as a topiary, and I've even seen them trained as bonsai. It is funny to see a tiny tree with one giant pomegranate hanging onto it. 

I'm not sure exactly how I want to train mine, but I know I want to keep it as an indoor plant. Being in a transitional period between living with my parents and living on my own, I don't have my own yard. Besides, pomegranates don't grow naturally up north. The winters are too cold. 

I took this photo in the middle of July, I believe. It just keeps growing steadily upward! 

I took this photo today, with a ruler for scale. Its stem is about 10 inches tall. It's crazy how much it's grown in just one summer! (Please ignore the mess in my room... I'm still moving in to my apartment.)

There are little buds at the base of each leaf, which is where branches will eventually grow. I don't know how tall pomegranates grow before they start branching, but I don't have the space or the patience to find out. Once it reaches 12 inches tall, I will prune its height back to six inches. This will not hurt the plant. It will force it to branch out. Also, it will help the plant from becoming leggy and floppy. The trunk/stem has grown a little thicker since it sprouted, but not thick enough to fully support its height. Right now I have it leaning up against the window so it grows nice and straight. 

I will post updates as things change. 

Until next time,

- Jess