My Pomegranate Seeds Grew Weak Trees
Q: When we lived in California I planted some pomegranate seeds and after three years I had more fruit than I could handle. When we moved here a few years ago I planted more seeds to see if they would grow here. I now have three trees with thin branches and no fruit. Is there anything I can do to speed up the fruit-bearing process?
A: The problem with your weak pomegranate plants may lie with the seed. It depends on how the parent plant of your seed bearing fruit was pollinated. Pomegranates do not always “come true” from seed. The best way to grow good ones is by planting named varieties, which are typically propagated by grafting twigs from a known variety onto a vigorous rootstock. University of Georgia horticulturists recommend ‘Nikitski ranni’ and ‘Cranberry’. ‘Nikitski ranni’ produces a bright red fruit; ‘Cranberry’ produces a slightly darker red fruit. The commonly sold ‘Wonderful’ variety doesn’t seem to grow well in Georgia.