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By Candida Khan. It was an exciting time when my sister brought home a pomegranate seedling. She nurtured it for many weeks until it was fully grown. When it started to produce a fruit, everyone got really anxious and excited to see how the pomegranate tree would turn out.
We waited patiently until it was about the size of our fist. The colour changed, but it was not bright red like the pomegranates we knew from other countries. The colour was a mixture between orange and brown.
The pomegranate tree bore fruit that looked like crystals on the inside
My brother picked the fruit. My sister then dissected the pomegranate to see what was inside. It turned out really clear in colour with a small shade of red closer to the seed.
Inside, the fruit looked like crystals. I excitedly popped a few into my mouth. It tasted sweet, the crystalline pod bursting as I gently chewed on them. It was so delicious. We even made juice with it and the tree is bearing fruit up to this very day. What an interesting experience!
According to studies, pomegranate has amazing benefits. This fruit has a positive impact on heart health, reducing cholesterol and helping to control blood pressure. It’s great that I can grow this fruit in my back yard.
August 2016 www.sweettntmagazine.com
How to grow your own pomegranate tree
Here is a couple of methods to grow your very own pomegranate tree from seed. First one is just placing the seeds in soil and good old patience. The seeds should be cleaned of the fleshy aril surrounding them and should be planted in loose soil with a covering layer about a 1/2 inch (1.5 cm). Heat should be second on your pomegranate seed care list. These seeds will germinate at normal room temperature in about 30-40 days.
The second method is known as the “Baggy” method. You place the cleaned seeds in a seal-able sandwich bag on moist paper towel or coffee filter. Make sure to check on it every 2 to 3 days for germination. Of coarse the sandwich bag is sealed to keep the moisture in. Once the pomegranate seeds sprout, transfer them to a pot. Use any small container that has good drainage and plant two to three seeds per pot. You can pinch off the weaker seedlings after they are a few weeks old or transplant them to their own pot.
Now you know how to get your very own pomegranate tree.
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