Knowing it's from me, first thoughts are......well, wrong-o! Our first time ever clipped a Pomegranate off our little tree out back, it had cracked open already. No expert on these, I think we waited a bit too long to pick them. Experts abound on-line with opinions on judging their ripeness for picking. Some info seems nebulous. Here's what it looked like: Of course, that's after I ate all the juiciest red pulp first! Half the seeds seemed immature, with no pulp at all. This was tossed out back, the Quail will feast on the seeds! Frank
I haven't eaten a pomegranate in a long time....too much trouble. Take a pic of your tree, I'm curious to see what it looks like.
@Chrissy Cross It looks terrible right now, all turning yellow, dropping leaves. But I think I have one about a year after we planted it. I'll search my photo box. Be back later! Frank
@Chrissy Cross Last Spring, just beginning to get blossoms. Then about 4 feet tall. Now, about 5-1/2 feet, tall as me!
I just love pomegranates, even though they can be a bit of a nuisance to get apart and eat. My mother used to buy them every year when they were n season, and we just enjoyed the time spent together separating and eating the beautiful and juicy seeds. Pomegranate juice is delicious, too; but I much prefer just having the fresh fruit itself. I doubt that one would grow here; but if it would, we would certainly try growing a pomegranate tree.
@Yvonne Smith I forget the "hardy zone", but know that here, where winter min. temp. rarely touches freezing, they thrive, though they drop their leaves this time of year. The popular mixed-drink syrup, Grenadine, is of course, Pomegranate juice based, red as could be. The literature on antioxidants lists Pomegranate as right up at the top with Blueberries, and exotic things like Acai (sp?). As a kid, they showed up at our grocery stores once a year, likely from CA, and my Mother called them "Chinese Apples". Tasted great, hassle to extract the juice; I sucked it out of the pulp surrounding the seeds, then spat them out, just as I did today. My wife ate the seeds too, claiming her sources indicate antioxidant activity in them, also. Believable, I guess. Frank
@Chrissy Cross We buy trees at Wal-Mart when they have some ready for the trash dumpster, have dead, much reduced in price. Can't afford prices otherwise. Anyhoo, the Pom. was bought like that, only a couple of bucks, produced blossoms 2nd. year, no fruit, this year 6 Poms. Our Date Palm out back was all but dead when we got it, I think 4 years ago, it's almost as tall as the eaves on the house already! Frank
That's how my stuff ends up anyway since I have brown thumb.... might as well start with it like that....cheaper.