How to Prune a Dormant Pomegranate

Whether you grow pomegranate trees for their ruby fruits or simply as ornamental landscape trees, they are easy to care for by fruit tree standards. Though called trees, the natural form of the evergreen species is more akin to a large shrub. They do not require pruning for flowering and fruiting, according to Texas A&M University, but they can readily tolerate it if you prefer a more manicured appearance in the garden. Pruning the trees in the winter, while dormant or in a slower growth phase, will help to reduce the stress on the tree.

Loppers
Fine toothed pruning saw

Instructions

- 1
  Prune away any sucker growth that you see emerging from the lower trunk or root zone. Avoid cutting into the bark of the main trunk, and sever ground suckers just beneath the soil line.
- 2
  Thin out any dead, broken, diseased, crossing or congested growth that clutters the interior of the canopy. This will improve air flow and sunlight penetration into the canopy and boost health, bloom and fruiting. Place cuts down into healthy wood, just beyond a healthy lateral branch or leaf node.
- 3
  Transform the naturally shrubby pomegranate form into a more classic tree form by limbing up the canopy to expose the lower 1/3 to 1/2 of the trunk. Prune off the lateral branches with a fine toothed pruning saw, placing the cut just outside of the slightly swollen branch collar where the limb attaches to the trunk.

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