Grow Pomegranate From Seed – Seedlings Won’t Match

Grow Pomegranate From Seed – Seedlings Won’t Match guide illustration

Sow pomegranate in a warm draining mix after you clean the aril off the seed. The seedling will not match the fruit you ate. A hardwood cutting does.

Growing Pomegranate from Seed care summary diagram

Sow in a warm mix — the seedling will not match the fruit

FactorRecommendedAvoid
SeedRinse the fleshy aril off, then sow fresh in a draining mixSowing the whole aril still coated in pulp
WarmthKeep the mix moist and warm — room temperature or warmerA cold, wet tray that stalls or rots the seed
TimeSeedlings often show in 45 to 60 daysThrowing the tray after two quiet weeks
FruitTreat a grocery seedling as an experiment. Buy a named plant, or root a cutting, for the fruit you wantExpecting the same arils as the fruit you ate

Seed is easy to start and the wrong tool if you want a named fruit. Plants from seed do not come true. [1] P. granatum from a grocery aril is still a pomegranate, but the crop will not match the parent.

Is pomegranate hard to grow from seed?

No, if you clean the aril, keep the mix warm and moist, and wait 45 to 60 days. The hard part is accepting that the fruit will not match.

Will a pomegranate from seed come true?

No. Seedlings differ from the parent. Root a hardwood cutting, or buy a named plant, if you want the same fruit.

How to grow pomegranate from seed

  1. Scoop seeds from a ripe fruit. Roll them in a towel to break the aril, then rinse until the pulp is gone.
  2. Sow in a draining potting mix. Cover lightly. Keep the mix moist, not soggy.
  3. Set the pot in a warm place. Seedlings often appear in 45 to 60 days.
  4. Grow the strongest seedling on in its own pot for a season before you plant it out.
  5. Do not treat the first fruit as a taste test of the grocery parent — it will not match.

How long does pomegranate take to germinate?

Often 45 to 60 days in a warm, moist mix. Cool trays take longer.

Root a hardwood cutting if you want the same fruit

Hardwood cuttings clone the parent. That is how named plants are usually started. [2] [3]

  1. In winter, take a pencil-thick cutting 8 to 10 inches long from last year’s wood. [4]
  2. Dip the base in a hardwood rooting hormone.
  3. Stick it in a light, draining mix so about 2 to 3 inches of the top stays above the mix.
  4. Keep the mix moist, not wet, and warmer than about 60°F. Roots often take 8 to 16 weeks.
  5. Grow the rooted cutting on, then plant it out the next suitable spring.

Can I start pomegranate from a cutting?

Yes. Winter hardwood cuttings root readily and keep the parent’s fruit. That is the usual way to copy a named plant.

What fails at sowing

Pulp left on the seed invites rot. A cold, wet mix stalls germination. The other fail is expectation: a grocery seedling is not the named fruit on the rind. If you need that fruit, take a cutting instead of waiting on seed.

If you wanted the grocery fruit, take a winter cutting instead of waiting on a seedling.

Recommended plants

References

  1. [1] UF/IFAS Extension - https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/MG056
  2. [2] Clemson Cooperative Extension - https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/pomegranate-punica-granatum-how-to-grow-care-for-and-enjoy-in-south-carolina/
  3. [3] Texas A&M AgriLife Extension - https://mytexas.ag.tamu.edu/publications/pomegranates-texas-fruit-and-nut-production/
  4. [4] University of Nevada Reno Extension - https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=3809

This note is part of Punica Guides.

More notes on making another plant live in Propagating Guides.

Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors

This guide is written for real gardens, not perfect climates. Results vary with site, season, and plant choice. We draw on multiple sources and practical experience; treat the steps here as honest guidance, not a promise that every bed will behave the same.