Ornamental shrub with glossy leaves, grows 3 - 5m x 3m. Pretty orange flowers from late spring and all through summer, have crinkled petals. These are followed by fleshy red fruits crowned at the base by the prominent calyx. These fruits have tough, leathery skin, typically yellow overlaid with light or deep pink or rich red.
High temperatures are essential during the fruiting period to get the best flavor. The pomegranate may begin to bear fruit 1 year after planting, but 2 to 3 years is more common. Under suitable conditions the fruit should mature some 5 to 7 months after bloom.
Prefers: Pomegranates should be placed in the sunniest, warmest part of the garden for the best fruit. Once established, pomegranates can take considerable drought, but for good fruit production they must be irrigated. Good friable soil is best with hight content of organic matter.
Care: Plants should be cut back when they are about almost 1m tall. From this point allow 4 or 5 shoots to develop, which should be evenly distributed around the stem to keep the plant well balanced. Remove any suckers. Since the fruits are borne at the tips of new growth, it is recommended that for the first 3 years the branches be shortened annually to encourage the maximum number of new shoots on all sides, prevent straggly development and achieve a strong well framed plant. After the 3rd year, only suckers and dead branches are removed.
Harvest: The fruits are ripe when they have developed a distinctive color and make a metallic sound when tapped. The fruits must be picked before over maturity when they tend to crack open, particularly when rained on. The pomegranate has a long storage life, and can be kept for a period of seven months without shrinking or spoiling. The fruits improve in storage, becoming juicier with more flavour.
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