Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Pruning a newly planted tree
• Part 2 of 3: Prune in the second and third year
• Part 3 of 3: Maintaining a mature tree
• Tips
• Necessities

Growing pomegranates is a rewarding experience.You will not only end up with a beautiful tree that is full of beautiful red fruit, but also a delicious reward once it is time to harvest. However, the trees do need to be pruned twice a year. If you don't prune a pomegranate tree, you can run into a variety of problems, including disease, withering, stunted growth, and poor harvest.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Pruning a newly planted tree

1. Plant your pomegranate tree late in the winter. You must prune a pomegranate tree immediately when you buy it. Since winter is the best time to prune a pomegranate tree, because it is dormant, you should plant the tree early or in the middle of winter.
2. Leave one strong shoot and cut the rest if you want a tree with a single stump. Pick the strongest, healthiest-looking shoot, then use pruning shears to remove the rest. The remaining shoot will eventually grow into a stump 25-30 cm high, from which five or six branches emerge. You will eventually cut it shorter.
   • This system is not recommended for freezing areas. If you die a few shoots, then you have to start all over. Instead, opt for the multi-shoot system.
   • Make sure your scissors make a nice, clean cut. If the shoot is too thick, use a fine-toothed saw.
   EXPERT TIP

   Leave five to six strong-looking shoots if you want a multi-shoot system. Instead of picking one shoot, pick five or six of the strongest and remove the rest. These shoots grow into branches that grow directly from the ground, without a trunk. You will eventually cut them shorter.

   • A plant with multiple shoots is more likely to survive a freeze. If one of the shoots dies, you can simply replace it with another one.
   • Use pruning shears for this too, unless the shoots are too thick. In that case you use a fine-toothed saw.
3. Cut the young shoots back to about 60 cm. Use pruning shears (or fine-toothed saw if the shoots are too thick) to cut the remaining one to six shoots back to about two feet. This will stimulate them to produce new buds and result in a fuller plant.
   • You only have to do this once. Do not do it in the following years.
4. Remove additional suckers or water shoots in the summer. Pistons are additional shoots that grow up from the ground. Water shoots are shoots that grow from the base of the trunk, under the main branches. These can not only affect the overall appearance of the tree, but can also take away nutrients and water from the rest of the plant.
   • You will have to do this every summer.
   • Cut away suckers as close to the root as possible with your pruning shears. You may have to dig in the soil to find the base.
   • Use pruning shears to prune water shoots as close to the trunk as possible.

Part 2 of 3: Prune in the second and third year

1. Cut the branches back about a third. Use pruning shears for thinner branches and a fine-toothed saw for thicker ones. Leave three to five shoots per branch.
   • Cut shoots from outward facing branches so that a new branch grows outward and not inward.
   • Leave outward-growing branches and prune away branches that are growing inward. This will help improve the circulation of air and light.
2. Remove pistons and water shoots at least once a year. Summer is the best time to remove the suckers, but if your plant is producing many, you will need to repeat the process more often. A good guideline to stick to is once in late spring and once in early fall.
   • Use the same method as before to remove the plunger and water shoots.
   • Do not let these grow and develop. They will only suck up the water and nutrients that would otherwise go to your tree.
3. Remove dead and damaged branches from the third winter. Once the tree starts its third year, it is well rooted and does not require heavy pruning anymore. A light pruning in late winter, after the danger of frost has passed, is all it takes.
   • Keep track of the pistons and remove them when you see them.
   • Cut off dead or diseased branches a few inches below the diseased part. The exposed wood should look healthy.

Part 3 of 3: Maintaining a mature tree

1. Remove dead, diseased and intersecting branches in winter. Your branches may be too thick for pruning shears by now, so a fine-toothed saw should get the job done. Cut as close to the base of the trunk as possible. Leaving a lump in place can cause pests and diseases to develop.
   • Consider pruning away the small shoots at the ends of the branches as well. This makes for bigger and tastier pomegranates!
2. Prune suckers and water shoots in the summer. You have to do this for the entire life of the tree. Pistons and water shoots most often appear in summer, but if you see them at other times of the year, it won't hurt to prune them even then.
   • Starting pistons and water shoots are always quite thin, regardless of the age of the tree. Pruning shears are therefore sufficient for this.
3. Keep the tree three to four meters high. You can grow the tree taller, but it will be more difficult to harvest. This is because most of the fruit grows at the top of the tree. It is easier to reach fruit on a tree three to four meters high with a ladder of about three meters.
   • Most pomegranate trees reach three to four feet in height, but some varieties can grow taller. In this case, you can cut branches shorter.
4. Prune branches that are not producing good fruit. Your pomegranate tree will produce a lot of fruit, but there may come a time when you have to choose which branches to keep and which to prune away.
   • Prune the branches as close to the collar as possible. The collar is the raised ring between the trunk and the branch.
   • If you all branches, you prevent healthy branches from getting all possible energy.
5. Prune the tips of the branches to encourage new growth. If the tree is still very young, you only need to prune the first 10-15 cm. When the tree is a bit older, it is better to prune it 30-40 cm.
   • This helps to expose the new wood, which encourages more growth.
6. Make sure the fruit doesn't weigh the branches down to the ground. Think ahead when you are going to prune in winter and use common sense. If a branch is long and hangs low to the ground, pull it gently. If the branch touches the ground, cut it shorter.
   • If the fruit hits the ground, it can rot or become infected.

Tips

• If you notice dead or diseased branches, prune them in winter when the tree is dormant.
• You can and should remove pistons more often. As their name suggests, the water and nutrients that would otherwise go to your tree suck away.
• The exact pruning requirements of your tree can be different based on the type of tree and the climate in which you live.
• Find out what kind of tree you have and do research on the internet. If you are unsure which strain it is, check with a nursery.
• It is not recommended to use wound closure as it can slow the healing process and increase the likelihood of fungal growth.
• Use fertilizer in the first and second spring and rotting manure in the third.

Necessities

• Pruning shears
• Fine-toothed saw
• Ladder