How to Trim Pomegranate

Pomegranate plants (Punica granatum) thrive in areas with dry, hot summers and cool winters. Pomegranate plants normally grow as bushy, dense shrubs or small trees. The plant bears glossy, green leaves and vibrant orange-red flowers that appear in the spring and summer. The flowers give way to edible, sweet fruit. Trim your pomegranate plants to promote healthier growth and better fruit production.

Loppers
Trash can
Pruning salve

Instructions

- 1
  Cut your pomegranate plant back to 2 to 5 feet when you plant it. Choose three to five healthy limbs that you'll allow to grow. Use clean loppers to trim off all other limbs longer than 8 inches. Prune all but your main limbs as new branches sprout.
- 2
  Remove any suckers as they sprout around the base of your pomegranate plant. This prevents more main trunks from developing. Prune out all but your main limbs as new branches sprout.
- 3
  Give your pomegranate shrub an annual pruning every winter before new buds appear. Trim the main limbs to about three-fifths of their length. The University of Florida suggests that you also prune all but two or three shoots growing off the main limbs.
- 4
  Remove any damaged, diseased or dead wood during your winter pruning. Trimming off the bad wood encourages new growth and higher-quality pomegranate fruit. Throw any diseased or dead wood directly into a trash can.
- 5
  Apply pruning salve to the trimmed areas. This helps stop viruses, insects and bacteria from affecting the exposed plant tissue.

How to Prune the Top of Thuja Trees in a Temprate Climate

How to Garden a Japanese Boxwood

Shrubs