Pomegranate in Zone 9 -- plant

Hardiness & fruiting range

Will it actually fruit here?

Hardiness tells you the tree will survive your winters. It does not tell you whether you will get fruit. Each zone carries its own verdict. Yours is marked.

survives,
rarely fruits

reliable

Your zone

reliable

Fruits reliably

Fruits reliably Survives only Too warm

← colder winterswarmer, less chill →

✓ Zone 9: Zone 9 in the interior valleys is prime pomegranate country: long, hot, dry summers and enough winter cold give reliable, sweet, colorful fruit. Almost any variety works; even summer watering is the main job.Zone 9 interior is prime pomegranate country: long, hot, dry summers and adequate chill produce reliable, well-colored, sweet fruit. Full variety range; even summer watering is the main task.

The growing year

Your pomegranate year, month by month

California: Interior Valleys, Zone 9. Winters bank about 300 to 950 chill hours; these varieties need about 100 to 250 chill hours. Zone 9 in the interior valleys is prime pomegranate country: long, hot, dry summers and enough winter cold give reliable, sweet, colorful fruit. Almost any variety works; even summer watering is the main job.Zone 9 interior is prime pomegranate country: long, hot, dry summers and adequate chill produce reliable, well-colored, sweet fruit. Full variety range; even summer watering is the main task.

A fruit tree runs on the same rhythm every year: rest, prune, bloom, grow, harvest, then settle in again.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

▲ We are here

Tree’s year

rest

prune

bloom

growing

harvest

care

rest

Plant new tree

plant

Dormant rest Prune Bloom Growing fruit Harvest Post-harvest care

Plant bare-root
Feb - Mar

Bloom
Apr 10 - May 10

Harvest
Sep 10 - Oct 30

Chill hours

Will your winter be cold enough?

Pomegranate needs only a little winter cold, about 100 to 250 chill hours (hours between 32 and 45°F), which is much less than a peach or apple. Almost everywhere it is grown gets enough, even the low deserts, so cold in winter is hardly ever the problem. What pomegranate really needs is the other side of the year: a long, hot summer to make the fruit sweet and deeply colored. That is why it does so much better in hot inland and desert gardens than in cool, foggy coastal ones.Pomegranate needs only a short winter chill, on the order of 100 to 250 chill hours (hours between 32 and 45°F) depending on cultivar, far less than peach or apple. That low requirement is met almost everywhere it is grown, including the low deserts, so chill is rarely the limiter; the frost-free tropics are the only places that may fall short. The real climate driver for pomegranate is the opposite end of the season: it needs a long stretch of summer heat to ripen sweet, well-colored fruit, which is why hot interior and desert sites outperform cool coastal ones regardless of chill.

Your winter ~300 – 950 hrs

0 250 500 750 1000

✓Dependable here

Wonderful150Granada150Eversweet100Parfianka150Angel Red150Salavatski150Kazake150

!Borderline in a warm winter

None. Every variety in this roster gets enough chill here.

Bloom timing & cross-pollination

One tree is usually enough

Most pomegranates are self-fruitful: a single tree sets a full crop with its own pollen, so you don’t need a second variety to get fruit. Bees still move the pollen from blossom to blossom, so strong pollinator activity through bloom is what drives a heavy set.

Wonderful blooms mid season and is self-fruitful, setting a full crop on its own.Blooms alongside: Granada, Eversweet, Parfianka, Angel Red, Salavatski, Kazake.

Bar length shows how long each variety blooms, roughly 8 to 14 days. Bars that overlap bloom at the same time.

▲ Tap a variety to see its bloom timing

Very early Early Mid Late Very late

Wonderful✓ same time

Granada✓ same time

Eversweet✓ same time

Parfianka✓ same time

Angel Red✓ same time

Salavatski✓ same time

Kazake✓ same time

The pollination rule

Pomegranate is self-fruitful, which means one plant makes fruit by itself with no second plant needed. Bees and wind do the pollinating. A single plant will fruit, but adding a second pomegranate nearby, or just keeping bees active during bloom, can bump up how much fruit sets. If a pomegranate flowers but sets little fruit, the cause is usually the weather (damp, still, or cool weather at bloom makes the flowers drop) rather than a missing partner plant.Pomegranate is self-fruitful: a single plant sets a crop on its own, with no pollinizer partner required. It carries both perfect (fruit-forming) and functionally male flowers on the same plant, and it is pollinated by insects (chiefly bees) and by wind. Because self-pollination works, a lone plant fruits, but planting a second pomegranate nearby, or simply supporting bee activity at bloom, can improve fruit set. Poor set is far more often a weather problem (humid, still, or cool bloom conditions cause flowers to abort) than a pollination-partner problem.

Pick your variety

Recommended varieties

Pick a pomegranate first for your climate, then for taste. In hot, dry inland and desert areas almost any variety works; 'Wonderful' and 'Parfianka' are the classics for tart-sweet fruit and juice. Where summers are shorter or cooler, choose an early, sweeter kind ('Granada', 'Eversweet', or 'Angel Red') that ripens sooner. If your winters are cold (zone 7) or frosty, go with a tough Russian variety like 'Salavatski' or 'Kazake'. Every pomegranate makes fruit on its own, so one good plant is enough; a second only helps a little.Choose a pomegranate first by climate fit, then by flavor. In hot, dry interior and desert gardens the full range is open; favor 'Wonderful' and 'Parfianka' for classic tart-sweet fruit and juice. Where summers are shorter or cooler, pick an early, sweeter type ('Granada', 'Eversweet', 'Angel Red') that ripens before the season fades. At the cold edge (zone 7) or on frost-prone sites, a hardy Russian cultivar ('Salavatski', 'Kazake') is the safer bet. All pomegranates are self-fruitful, so one well-chosen plant is enough; a second only nudges set.

Wonderful

fresh eating, juice

Granada

fresh eating

Eversweet

fresh eating

Parfianka

fresh eating, juice

Angel Red

fresh eating, juice

Salavatski

fresh eating, juice

Kazake

fresh eating

Rootstock & size

How big will it get?

Pomegranate is grown on its OWN ROOTS, not grafted onto a rootstock. Plants are propagated from hardwood cuttings, so there is no rootstock to choose; you select a CULTIVAR for flavor, ripening season, and cold-hardiness instead. A practical upside of own-root growth: if a hard freeze kills the top, the plant resprouts true-to-type from the base rather than reverting to a rootstock.

The specs

Care guide

The numbers that matter, at a glance.

Sunlight

full sun · 8-12 hrs/day

Water

moderate

Spacing

10 to 16 feet

Soil

loam

Soil pH

5.5 to 7

Container OK?

Yes · 15+ gal pot

In a pot

Yes, 15 gallons and up

Pomegranate is one of the best fruit plants for a pot: it is naturally shrubby, drought- and heat-tolerant, self-fruitful, and easy to keep small with pruning. Start with a dwarf variety like 'Nana' or a standard kept pruned, use a large pot (15 gallons or more) that drains well, and give it full sun. In cold areas the pot lets you move the plant to shelter for winter, which is a real advantage where the ground is too cold.Pomegranate is among the most container-friendly tree fruits: naturally shrubby, drought- and heat-tolerant, self-fruitful, and readily kept compact. Choose a genetic-dwarf ('Nana') or a standard cultivar held small by pruning, give it the largest practical free-draining pot (15-plus gallons) and full sun, and keep moisture even through fruiting. In cold-winter regions the pot is an asset, letting you move a frost-tender plant to shelter for the winter.

Pot size: 15 gallons and up; 20 gallons is comfortable
Mature size: 10 to 12 feet tall, 8 to 10 feet wide
Drainage: Drainage holes are a must. Skip the gravel layer. empty_after_watering
Watering: A pomegranate in a pot dries out faster than one in the ground, so check it often in summer heat and water when the top inch or two is dry, until water runs out the bottom. Even so, try to keep the watering STEADY once fruit forms, because uneven water splits the fruit even in a pot. Never let the pot stand in a saucer of water, which rots the roots. In winter, water just enough to keep the root ball from drying out completely.A potted pomegranate dries faster than one in the ground, so check moisture regularly in summer and water until it runs from the drainage holes when the top inch or two is dry. Keep the cadence EVEN once fruit is set, since split fruit is driven by moisture swings even in containers, and never leave the pot standing in a full saucer. Through dormancy, water only enough to keep the root ball from fully drying out.
Self-watering pot: No. A self-watering or sub-irrigated planter is not recommended for pomegranate. Its reservoir keeps the lower root zone continuously wet, which works against the free drainage this drought-adapted plant prefers and raises root-rot risk. Pomegranate does best with deep, even hand-watering in a freely draining pot, not a constant water table held against the roots.
Mix: Use a free-draining container mix (a bark-based blend with perlite or pumice, or a citrus/shrub mix). Pomegranate is easygoing but will not tolerate a waterlogged mix against the crown, so porosity matters more than richness. Avoid heavy native soil, which compacts under frequent irrigation. Keep amendments drainage-first: add perlite or pumice if the base mix is water-retentive, and top-dress lightly with compost rather than blending heavy organics throughout. Skip moisture-retentive additives, which work against the drainage this drought-adapted plant prefers.
Feeding: Frequent irrigation flushes nutrients from a pot, so feed lightly and often: a dilute balanced liquid feed every few weeks through the spring-to-midsummer flush, then stop by late summer. Keep nitrogen restrained to favor fruiting over suckers and soft growth. Do not feed at planting, and ease off entirely at dormancy.

One to try

Nana (dwarf)

2 more compact types

State Fair

Wonderful (with hard pruning)

Winter

Pomegranate is cold-tender, and roots in a pot freeze more easily than roots in the ground. In zones colder than about 8, before hard freezes come, move the pot into an unheated but sheltered spot (a garage, shed, or against a warm wall) that stays cold enough to keep the plant dormant but out of the deep freeze. The plant still needs its winter rest, so do not bring it into a warm, heated room. In mild-winter areas you can leave it outside.Because pomegranate is frost-tender and a container root ball sits several zones colder than open ground, protect potted plants in zones colder than roughly 8. Before hard freezes, move the pot to an unheated but sheltered space (garage, shed, or a warm south wall) that holds dormancy without deep lows, or sink the pot to its rim in a bed and mulch heavily. Do not overwinter it in heated indoor warmth, which breaks dormancy prematurely. In mild-winter regions no protection is needed.

Cold protection in a pot covers the whole plant, not just the roots: exposed stems of a frost-tender pomegranate are vulnerable to freeze and winter sun. In cold regions, move the pot to an unheated but sheltered space or sink and mulch it, and shelter the stems in exposed sites. The aim is a cold, stable dormancy without the deep lows that kill exposed roots and wood; a too-warm shelter that breaks dormancy early is its own hazard, leaving tender new growth exposed to frost.

Hardy to zone 7 in the ground; roots in a pot sit colder than that.

Pot safety

Ask what your balcony or roof can carry

A balcony or roof can only hold so much weight. Before you set heavy pots there, ask a building architect what it can safely carry.Illinois Extension's guidance is to consult a building architect about weight limits before placing heavy pots on a balcony or rooftop garden. It gives no weight figure.

Never grow food in a container with anything toxic in it

Many kinds of containers can be used. Whatever you choose, keep anything toxic out of it, especially if you are growing food.Colorado State accepts nearly any container material but warns against using a container that holds toxic materials, especially for edible plants. Illinois adds that a vegetable container should be free of chemicals toxic to plants or people, and urges caution with treated lumber when growing food. If you cannot account for what a repurposed container once held, that alone is a reason to keep food out of it.

Secure hanging containers well

Fasten hanging baskets and window or rail boxes securely. Think about what is below them too, since they can drip on people or things underneath.Illinois Extension asks growers to secure hanging containers well and to think through the safety issues of hanging them. Placement matters too, since a hanging container can drip onto people or belongings below.

Soil chemistry

Soil pH for pomegranate

Preferred

5.5 to 7

Tolerated

5.5 to 7.2

Pomegranate grows well in a wide pH range, about 5.5 to 7.0, and tolerates up to around 7.2 (pH just measures how acidic or alkaline the soil is). It is unusually easygoing about alkaline soil, so most gardeners never need to adjust pH for it. Test your soil before planting, and only correct if it is far outside that range.Pomegranate does well across a broad pH band, roughly 5.5 to 7.0, and tolerates up to about 7.2. It is notably alkaline-tolerant, so pH is seldom a limiting factor and rarely needs amending. Test before planting and correct only if the soil is well outside the tolerated range.

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Steady hand on the hose

Watering

When & how much

Frequency

Water deeply and regularly through spring and summer, then cut back in winter. A young plant needs steady water to get established. An older plant can take drought but makes much better fruit with regular deep watering, about once a week in summer heat, more or less depending on your soil and the weather. The most important thing is to keep the water STEADY once the fruit is forming: letting it go dry and then soaking it (or the first fall rains) is what makes pomegranates split. In winter, when the plant is resting, it needs very little.Water deeply and regularly through the growing season, then ease off. Young plants need steady moisture to establish; bearing plants are drought-tolerant but crop far better with regular deep watering, roughly weekly in summer heat, adjusted for soil and weather. The critical discipline is CONSISTENCY from fruit set through ripening: a dry spell followed by heavy water (or the first fall rains) is what splits the fruit. In winter dormancy, water need drops sharply and rainfall usually suffices.

Amount

Each watering should soak the soil deeply down to the roots, not just wet the top. During the fruiting season, aim for about an inch of water a week, more when it is very hot, given as deep, even soaks. Keeping the moisture steady from the time fruit forms until harvest is what stops the fruit from cracking, so avoid letting it dry out and then flooding it.Water deeply enough to wet the full root zone each time rather than sprinkling the surface. Through the fruiting season aim for the rough equivalent of an inch of water per week, more in extreme heat, delivered as deep, even soaks. Steady soil moisture from set to harvest is what prevents splitting; the goal is even, never a dry-then-flood swing.

Method

Water the ground around the roots with a drip line or soaker hose, out to the edge of the branches. What matters most is deep, even watering, because steady moisture is what keeps the fruit from splitting. A layer of mulch helps hold moisture even; just keep it off the trunks.Water at the root zone with drip or a soaker hose out toward the canopy edge, keeping the base broad and even. Pomegranate tolerates overhead water better than stone fruit, but even, deep root-zone irrigation is what delivers the consistent moisture that prevents fruit split. Mulch to buffer soil-moisture swings, keeping mulch off the trunks.

Signs of trouble

Too much water

Too much water, or soil that drains poorly, shows up as yellow leaves, wilting even when the soil is wet, and a plant going downhill, because soaked roots cannot breathe and start to rot. Soil that stays wet all the time is your warning. Pomegranate likes steady moisture but not a swamp.Overwatering and poor drainage show as yellowing leaves, wilting in wet soil, and a declining plant, since waterlogged roots suffocate. Chronically wet, heavy soil invites Armillaria and other root rots, which are hard to reverse. Soil that never dries between waterings is the warning sign; pomegranate wants moisture but not a saturated root zone.

Too little water

Too little water shows as wilting, dull or yellow leaves, leaves dropping early, and small fruit. The worst result comes from uneven water: a plant that gets dry and is then watered heavily (or hit by fall rain) will crack its fruit. Try to keep the water steady so this does not happen.Underwatering shows as wilting, dull or yellowing leaves, early leaf drop, and small, poorly filled fruit. The most costly symptom is inconsistent water: a drought-stressed plant that is then rewetted, or catches the fall rains, splits its fruit. Catch dry stress before the fruit pays for it.

Feeding rhythm

Feeding

Frequency

1-2x per year

Type

balanced granular (e.g. 10-10-10)

When to start

late winter to early spring before growth; optional light second feeding in late spring

Pomegranate does not need much feeding. In late winter or early spring, scatter a small amount of balanced fertilizer around the plant and water it in. Do not overdo nitrogen (the first number on the bag), because too much grows leaves and base shoots instead of fruit. On poor or sandy soil, a light second feeding in late spring helps a young plant, but an established one usually needs very little.Pomegranate is a light feeder. Broadcast a modest amount of balanced fertilizer around the root zone in late winter to early spring as growth begins, and water it in. Avoid heavy nitrogen: excess N drives vegetative growth and suckering at the expense of flowers and fruit, and can worsen soft, split-prone fruit. On lean or sandy soils a light second feeding in late spring helps young plants; established plants often need little or none.

N · P · K = 10-10-10

A balanced fertilizer like 10-10-10 (the three numbers are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) is plenty for a pomegranate. Go light, and especially do not overdo the first number, nitrogen, which grows leaves and shoots instead of fruit.A balanced ratio such as 10-10-10 suits pomegranate; it is a light feeder and draws modestly on all three nutrients. Keep nitrogen restrained, since excess pushes suckers and soft growth over flowering and fruit set.

Try 10-10-10 balanced fertilizer

Who grows well together

Companion planting

Pomegranate is self-fruitful, so one plant makes fruit on its own and you do not need a second plant to pollinate it (though a second pomegranate nearby can improve fruit set a little). For a shrub like this, the things that help are not the usual vegetable-garden pairings but the space around it: keep grass and weeds pulled back from the base so they do not compete with a young plant, and give it an open, sunny, breezy spot, because crowded, still, humid air at bloom makes flowers drop instead of setting fruit. Flowering plants nearby that draw bees can help set, and they bring in helpful insects that keep aphids and whiteflies down. Pomegranate is self-fruitful, so a single plant sets a crop on its own (a second plant nearby can modestly improve set). The interactions that matter for this shrub are about air, light, and the root zone, not classic vegetable companions: keep turf and weeds cleared from the base so they do not compete with a young plant, and site it in open, sunny, breezy ground, since crowded, humid, still air at bloom causes flowers to abort. Nearby pollinator plantings aid set and recruit the beneficials that hold aphids, whiteflies, and mealybugs in check.

Other

Flowering / pollinator and insectary plants

A skirt of flowering, pollinator- and beneficial-friendly plants around a pomegranate supports fruit set and pest balance. Pomegranate self-pollinates, so this is help rather than a requirement, but better bee activity improves set, and the same flowers recruit the lacewings, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps that keep aphids, whiteflies, and mealybugs in check. Keep them out toward the drip line rather than crowding the base, so air still moves freely through the canopy. Well-grounded

Keep apart from

Crowding and shade that block air movement Do not crowd a pomegranate against a wall of dense plantings or into shade. It needs full sun and moving air, especially at bloom: humid, still air causes flowers to abort and sets up the fruit diseases (Cercospora spot, gray mold, black heart) that plague pomegranate in muggy conditions. Give it an open, sunny, breezy site with room around the canopy so the foliage and fruit dry quickly after rain or dew. Research-backed

Provenance tagged inline · see methodology for the labeling system Key

Harvest signals

When to pick

A pomegranate is ripe when the skin turns its full color (deep red for 'Wonderful'), goes from shiny to a little dull, and the round fruit flattens into more of a six-sided shape as the seeds inside swell. A ripe one feels heavy and makes a light metallic, tinny sound when you tap it. Pomegranates do not get sweeter after you pick them, so wait for full color, but do not leave them too long, because fruit left on the tree once the fall rains start will crack open. Cut the fruit off with clippers instead of pulling, and leave a little stem so you do not tear the skin.A pomegranate is ready when the rind takes on full varietal color (deep red for 'Wonderful'), shifts from glossy to a slightly matte finish, and the fruit's round shape flattens to a faintly hexagonal, ridged profile as the arils swell and press outward. A ripe fruit feels heavy for its size and makes a metallic, tinny sound when tapped. Pomegranate does not ripen further once picked, so pick at full color; but pick a touch early rather than late, because fruit left on the tree into the fall rains splits. Cut, do not pull, the fruit, leaving a short stem so you do not tear the rind.

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Yield

What to expect

A grown pomegranate (about year 5 onward) usually gives roughly 50 to over 100 fruit a year, something like 30 to 60 pounds, depending on the variety, its size, pruning, and how well your climate suits it. Hot, dry gardens with steady watering give the biggest, best crops; cool or humid gardens give less and lower quality.A mature pomegranate (roughly years 5 and up) commonly yields about 50 to 100-plus fruit per plant, on the order of 30 to 60 pounds, depending on cultivar, size, pruning, and climate fit. Hot, dry sites with even watering produce the heaviest, best-colored crops; cool or humid sites yield less and lower quality.

A pomegranate hits full production around years 5 to 6 and keeps producing for decades, often much longer than 30 years, as long as it gets full sun, steady water, and yearly pruning to keep it open and growing fresh fruiting wood.Plants reach full bearing around years 5 to 6 and stay productive for decades, often well beyond 30 years, given full sun, even moisture, and annual pruning to keep the canopy open and renew fruiting wood. Do not expect fruit the first year, or much the second. If a few fruit form early, pick them off so the plant can grow strong roots and branches. Your first real harvest usually comes around years 2 to 3, with full crops by years 5 to 6.Expect no crop in the planting year and little in year 2. Remove any early fruit so the plant builds roots and framework; the first meaningful harvest typically comes around years 2 to 3, with full bearing by years 5 to 6.

What changes yield

cultivar and climate fitsummer heat accumulation (color and sweetness)even moisture from set to harvest (split prevention)annual pruning and sucker managementfruit and root disease pressure (humid climates)leaf-footed bug and other fruit-piercing pestsplant age and establishment

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Off the vine

Storing your harvest

Room temp

Whole pomegranates last a long time at cool room temperature, out of the sun, often several weeks, because the tough skin protects the seeds inside. They do not ripen more after picking, so just store them as they are. A cool pantry or garage helps them keep. Toss any that are split or have soft, moldy spots, since those spread.Whole pomegranates keep remarkably well at cool room temperature, out of direct sun, for several weeks; the leathery rind protects the arils. They do not ripen further off the plant, so store them as-is. A cool pantry or garage extends counter life; discard any fruit that is split or shows soft, moldy spots, which spread.

Fridge

Kept whole in the fridge, pomegranates last one to two months, sometimes longer, in a bag in the crisper drawer. Once you take the seeds out, they keep about 5 to 7 days in a sealed container in the fridge. Unlike peaches, pomegranates do not mind the cold, so the fridge is the best place to store them.Refrigerated whole, pomegranates keep for one to two months, and often longer, in a plastic bag in the crisper. Loose arils (seeds) keep about 5 to 7 days refrigerated in a sealed container. Pomegranate is not prone to chilling injury the way peaches are, so cold storage is the best way to hold the crop.

Freezer

The seeds (arils) freeze really well. Take the seeds out of the fruit, spread them on a tray to freeze, then pack them into freezer bags. They keep for several months and are ready to use when thawed. The juice freezes well too. Do not freeze the whole fruit.Pomegranate arils freeze excellently. Separate the seeds from the rind and membrane, spread them in a single layer on a tray to freeze, then transfer to freezer bags; they keep their quality for several months and thaw ready to use. Juice also freezes well. Freezing whole fruit is not recommended.

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When something goes wrong

Common problems

The fruit cracked open on the plantThe fruit split open on the plant

01 of 04

What happened Ripe or nearly ripe fruit cracked open, sometimes showing the seeds. This is the number-one pomegranate problem, and it is about water, not disease: the skin splits when the seeds soak up water faster than the skin can stretch, which happens when the watering swings from dry to wet, after a big watering or the first fall rains following a dry stretch. It is easy to blame the variety, but the fix is how you water and when you pick: keep the soil evenly moist from the time fruit forms until harvest, and pick before big rains instead of leaving fruit out.Ripening or ripe fruit cracked, often exposing the arils. This is the signature pomegranate failure, and it is a water problem, not a disease: the rind splits when the arils take up water faster than the skin can stretch, which happens when moisture swings from dry to wet, after a heavy irrigation or the first fall rains following a dry spell. It is tempting to blame the variety, but the fix is watering and timing: keep soil moisture EVEN from fruit set through harvest, and pick ahead of significant rain rather than leaving fruit on the plant. Next season Water evenly all summer while the fruit fills (deep, regular soaks, no going dry and then soaking), mulch to steady the soil, and pick at full color before the fall rains come.Keep soil moisture even all through fruit development (deep, regular watering, no dry-then-flood swings), mulch to buffer the soil, and harvest at full color ahead of the fall rains.

It flowered but I got almost no fruitThe plant flowered but set little or no fruit

02 of 04

What happened The plant flowered but barely fruited. On pomegranate the usual reasons are a young plant (it takes 2 to 3 years to start fruiting and 5 to 6 for full crops), damp or cool, still weather during bloom that makes the flowers drop, or too much nitrogen growing leaves and shoots instead of flowers. People often think it needs a partner plant, but pomegranate makes fruit on its own. The real fixes are patience, an open, sunny, breezy spot, and going easy on fertilizer.The plant bloomed but few or no fruit formed. On pomegranate the usual causes are a young plant (it takes 2 to 3 years to begin bearing and 5 to 6 for full crops), humid or cool, still weather at bloom that causes flowers to abort, or excess nitrogen driving leaves and suckers over flowers. People often assume it needs a pollinator partner, but pomegranate is self-fruitful and a lone plant should set. The real levers are patience, an open sunny breezy site, and restrained feeding. Next season Give a young plant a few years, plant it in an open, sunny, breezy spot so the bloom-time air is not damp and still, and go easy on nitrogen so it makes fruit instead of leaves.Give a young plant time, site it in open, sunny, breezy ground so bloom-time air is not humid and still, and keep nitrogen feeding light so the plant favors fruit over leafy growth.

The fruit looked okay but was rotten insideThe fruit looked fine but was rotten inside

03 of 04

What happened A fruit that looked almost fine on the outside was brown and moldy inside when you cut it. This is Alternaria heart rot, or black heart: a fungus gets in through the flower in damp bloom weather, or through insect holes (especially from the leaf-footed bug), and rots the inside with little sign outside. There is no cure once it is inside. It is much less of a problem in hot, dry weather, so the fixes are climate, pest control, and cleanup, not a spray.A fruit that looked nearly normal outside was brown and moldy inside when cut. This is Alternaria heart rot (black heart): the fungus infects through the flower in wet or humid bloom weather, or enters through insect punctures (notably leaf-footed bug), and rots the interior with little or no external sign. There is no cure once it is inside. It is far less of a problem in hot, dry climates, so the controls are climate, pest management, and sanitation, not a spray. Next season Grow it in a hot, dry, open, airy spot if you can, control the leaf-footed bug and other fruit-piercing pests, water at the ground instead of over the top, and clean up any rotted or old dried fruit so it does not spread.Favor hot, dry-summer siting and open, airy canopies, control leaf-footed bug and other fruit-piercing pests, water at the ground rather than overhead, and remove infected and mummified fruit so spores do not carry over.

The fruit was pale, sour, or small

04 of 04

What happened The fruit ripened but was pale, bland or sour, or small. The most common reason is not enough summer heat: pomegranate needs a long, hot summer to build color and sweetness, so cool coastal or short-summer spots give lower-quality fruit even on a healthy plant. Watering too much late, letting a young plant carry too much fruit, or picking too early (it does not ripen after picking) also hurt quality. The fix is matching the climate, choosing the right variety, and picking at full color.The fruit ripened but was poorly colored, bland or sour, or undersized. The most common cause is not enough summer heat: pomegranate needs a long, hot season (roughly temperatures above 85°F for 120-plus days) to build color and sugar, so cool coastal or short-summer sites give lower-quality fruit even on a healthy plant. Over-watering late, under-thinning on a young plant, or picking underripe (pomegranate does not ripen off the plant) also dull quality. The fix is climate fit, variety choice, and picking at full color. Next season In cooler or shorter-summer areas, pick an early, sweeter variety (Granada, Eversweet, Angel Red), give it the hottest, sunniest spot you have, keep the water steady, and only pick when it is at full color.In cooler or shorter-summer areas, choose an early, sweeter variety (Granada, Eversweet, Angel Red), give it the hottest, sunniest spot you have, keep water even, and pick only at full color.

The usual suspects

Pests & diseases

Pests

Leaf-footed bug

P · 01

Symptoms Usually you see nothing wrong on the outside of the fruit, because the damage is inside. If you cut a fruit open, you find brown spots on the inner skin and seeds (arils) that have gone dark and shriveled. It is worst late in the season as the fruit ripens, and the holes the bugs make can let rot start inside.Often there is no external mark on the fruit at all; the damage is inside. Cut a fed-on fruit and you find brown spots on the inner rind where the insect's needlelike mouthpart pierced, and arils that have darkened and withered. Late-season feeding as the fruit ripens is the worst, and the feeding wounds let opportunistic fungi in to rot the interior. Cause A big brown bug called the leaf-footed bug, named for the little leaf-shaped flares on its back legs. It and its young pierce the fruit to feed, and that can carry in yeasts and fungi that discolor and rot the seeds inside. The adults spend winter hidden in sheltered groups, then move onto the fruit as it forms.The leaf-footed bug Leptoglossus zonatus, a large brown true bug with flattened, leaf-like flares on its hind legs; gardeners report it most on tomatoes and pomegranates. Adults and nymphs pierce fruit to feed, and their mouthparts carry a yeast, Eremothecium coryli, that discolors the arils; fungal spores follow through the same wound. They overwinter as adults in sheltered aggregations, in woodpiles, outbuildings, under bark and in citrus and juniper, and in cracked pomegranate fruit left on the tree, then disperse when the weather warms and move onto the newly developing fruit in late spring to early summer. Organic treatment On a backyard tree the fixes are hands-on. Early in the morning, while it is cool, brush the bugs into soapy water or crush them, starting early in the season when the young are bunched together, and scrape off the egg strands under the leaves. On a tall tree, trim the low limbs off the ground and knock the young bugs down with a stick or a jet of water onto a white sheet, every week or two. Clear weedy patches nearby, take every fruit off before winter, and keep flowers around for the tiny wasps that kill the eggs.There is no reliable rescue spray for a backyard tree; the controls are physical. Brush or knock adults and nymphs off into soapy water while the morning is still cool, going after the tightly clustered young nymphs early in the season and crushing the egg strands under the leaves. On a taller tree, prune the limbs clear of the ground, then dislodge the nymphs with a stick, by shaking, or with a pressure nozzle every 1 to 2 weeks, with a white sheet beneath to see them. Clear the weedy areas that feed them through winter and spring, strip all fruit before winter, and protect the egg parasites and predators with nectar plants and no broad-spectrum sprays. Prevention Keep an eye out from the time fruit forms, because you cannot see the damage from outside until you cut a fruit open. The adults spread out from their winter hiding spots as the weather warms and turn up on the young fruit from late spring; the big clusters come later in the summer. Take every fruit off the tree before winter, keep weeds down, and expect more bugs after a mild winter. Catching and removing them early, before there are many, works best.Monitor from fruit set onward, since the internal damage is invisible until you cut the fruit. Adults disperse from their winter shelters when the weather warms, in March or April in California's valleys, and enter pomegranate plantings from late spring to feed on the newly developing fruit and reproduce; the aggregations of nymphs and adults form on fruit and foliage from late summer and again in winter shelters. Remove all fruit before winter and clear weeds and nearby harborage, because a mild winter or a heavy fall population is the signal for a bad year, and there is no treatment threshold for this pest.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Garden sanitation

Strip every fruit off the tree before winter, and pick up the split and dropped ones under it. Leaf-footed bugs spend the winter as adults, and a pomegranate with cracked old fruit left hanging is one of their favorite places to do it, so fruit left on the tree in November is next spring's bugs. Clear the other places they hide too, where they are yours to clear: woodpiles, sheds and outbuildings, and loose bark on nearby eucalyptus, juniper or cypress.UC IPM's instruction for pomegranate is to remove all fruit before winter, because orchards with cracked and split fruit left on the trees are a favored overwintering site and large numbers can pass the winter in fruit culls. Adults leave the tree by late November for sheltered aggregations in citrus, juniper, cypress and palms, woodpiles and outbuildings, so a mild winter or a heavy population the previous fall is the signal for a bad year. Cold near 21°F kills some exposed bugs and spares the sheltered ones, which is why harborage matters more than the thermometer.
Weed host control

Keep the weedy patches near the tree mowed or cleared. Through winter and spring, when there is no fruit to feed on, the bugs live on weeds, so a weedy corner next to a pomegranate feeds them until the fruit comes.Weedy areas are the bugs' food source from winter into spring, before fruit is available, and UC IPM's advice is to eliminate such areas near the garden or keep them closely mowed; the Pest Note names thistles and other weeds. This lowers the population that arrives on the young fruit rather than touching anything already on the tree.
Handpick

Head out early, while the morning is still cool and the bugs are sluggish, and brush them off into soapy water or crush them; wear gloves, because they smell when handled. The best time is early in the season, when the newly hatched young sit in tight clusters and you can get a whole batch at once. Scrape off the egg strands on the undersides of leaves as well. On a taller tree, knock the young bugs down with a stick or a hard jet from the hose onto a white sheet spread underneath, then step on them.Hand removal is the primary home control. UC IPM's sequence: morning, to limit movement and flight; as early in the season as possible, while nymphs are still tightly clustered; destroy the egg masses on leaf undersides; a dedicated handheld vacuum works if used regularly. For late-season infestations on pomegranate trees, prune so there is space between the limbs and the ground, then dislodge the nymphs with a stick, by shaking the limbs, or with a pressure nozzle, repeating every 1 to 2 weeks until most are gone. That knock-down does not dislodge eggs and is less effective on adults, which fly; a white ground cover under the tree makes the fallen insects easy to see.
Floating row cover

On a plant small enough to wrap completely, a light fabric cover keeps the bugs off the fruit. It must be in place before the bugs show up in late spring, or you seal them in with the fruit, and it shuts out the bees and helpful insects along with the pests, so it is a poor fit for a big shrub in full bloom.UC IPM lists row cover as a way to prevent feeding, with two conditions: apply it early, before the bugs arrive and lay eggs, or they are enclosed with the plant, and accept that it also excludes pollinators and beneficial insects. On pomegranate the adults move onto newly developing fruit in late spring to early summer, which overlaps a long, protracted bloom, so this suits a young or container plant far more than a mature tree.
Beneficial predators

Tiny native wasps lay their eggs inside the bug's eggs and kill them before they hatch, and assassin bugs, spiders and birds take some of the rest. Give these helpers pollen and nectar flowers to feed on, and skip the broad-acting sprays, which take the helpers down with the bugs.The egg parasite Gryon pennsylvanicum, if not disrupted, can reduce populations by killing eggs before they hatch. Tachinid flies such as Trichopoda pennipes parasitize adults, and assassin bugs, spiders and birds are the named predators. UC IPM's two conditions for keeping them: avoid persistent broad-spectrum insecticides, and provide pollen and nectar sources for the adult beneficials.
Insecticidal soap

Soap spray only works on the very young bugs, and only where it wets them, so its place is a cluster of newly hatched nymphs you can soak directly. It does nothing to the adults, and UC IPM says sprays are rarely needed for this pest, since a few blemishes on home fruit are tolerable.UC IPM's ranking for the home grower: insecticidal soap, neem oil and pyrethrin may provide some control of young nymphs only, and most insecticides available to homeowners have only temporary effects on this bug. Since feeding damage on pomegranate is internal and light feeding usually goes unnoticed, a soap spray is a supplement to hand removal at the clustered-nymph stage, not a substitute for it.
Pyrethroid

Permethrin and its relatives are the one kind of spray that really knocks this bug down, and UC IPM still says it is rarely worth it: these products are quite toxic to bees and to the helpful insects that were keeping the bugs in check, so the problem can come back worse. If you use one, keep it off anything in flower, and follow the label's waiting time before picking.Broad-spectrum pyrethroids such as permethrin are the most effective insecticides against leaffooted bug, and the same document notes they are quite toxic to bees and beneficial insects and that insecticides are rarely needed because small blemishes are tolerable in a garden. There is no treatment threshold for this pest on pomegranate, so the decision rests on the previous year's numbers and what you find at fruit set, and the window that matters is ripening from late summer to harvest. Observe the pre-harvest interval on the label.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Aphids

P · 02

Symptoms Groups of tiny soft insects packed on the tips of new shoots in spring and again in late summer, sometimes on young fruit, with ants trailing to and from them. On pomegranate they do not usually curl the leaves. The real trouble comes as the fruit ripens in August, when sticky honeydew trapped between fruit that touch causes rotten spots and a black mold coats the skin. In winter you can spot their tiny black eggs on the twigs.Dense colonies of small, soft aphids on the shoot tips in spring and again in late summer or fall, often on young fruit as well, with attending ants. Leaf curl and stunted shoots are not typical on pomegranate even when spring numbers are high. The damage that matters comes as fruit ripens in August: honeydew collecting between touching fruit leaves rotten spots on the skin, and sooty mold grows on the honeydew on the fruit surface and is hard to remove. In winter, look for the black eggs on the twigs. Cause Aphids, tiny sap-sucking insects that build up on soft new growth in spring. They multiply quickly, and the sticky honeydew they leave grows black mold and attracts ants that guard them.The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii, also called the melon aphid, the one aphid the sources name on this crop. It overwinters as eggs on pomegranate stems, hatches around the end of March onto the shoot tips, peaks in spring, is suppressed by summer heat, and builds again in late summer and fall as aphids move in from weeds, cotton, melons and citrus. Its honeydew supports sooty mold and draws ants, which protect the aphids from natural enemies. Organic treatment Spraying the plant with a strong stream of water knocks most aphids off and is often all an established plant needs. Let the good bugs (ladybugs, lacewings) do their job by avoiding harsh sprays; insecticidal soap helps if there are a lot. Keeping ants off the plant lets the helpful insects control them.A strong jet of water knocks aphids off and is often enough on an established plant. Preserve natural enemies (ladybugs, lacewings, syrphid larvae) by avoiding broad-spectrum sprays; insecticidal soap or horticultural oil handles heavier infestations. Control ants, which farm aphids, to let predators work. Prevention Do not overfeed with nitrogen, because all that soft new growth attracts aphids. Grow flowers nearby to bring in helpful insects, and keep ants away so those helpers can do their work.Keep the tree healthy but not overfed: proper nutrients and irrigation, since aphid numbers increase easily on stressed trees, and no more nitrogen than necessary, since high nitrogen favors aphid reproduction. Check twigs in winter and early spring for the black overwintering eggs, watch the shoot tips from March into June, and keep ants off the tree so the resident parasites and predators can work.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Balance nitrogen

Go easy on nitrogen. Soft, sappy new shoots are what these aphids build up on, and a tree that is healthy but not overfed, with steady water and ordinary nutrition, shrugs off numbers that a stressed or lush one cannot.Two anchored halves. UC IPM's general aphid guidance: high nitrogen favors aphid reproduction, so never use more than necessary. Its pomegranate page adds the other side: maximize tree health with proper nutrients and irrigation, because aphid numbers increase easily on stressed trees. The target is steady, unstressed growth rather than either starvation or a flush of tips.
Water spray

Blast the colonies on the growing tips with the hose. On a pomegranate the aphids crowd the ends of the new shoots in spring, and once knocked to the ground most never make it back up; nothing is sprayed, so the ladybugs keep working.UC IPM's first physical step for sturdy plants. On pomegranate the colonies sit on the shoot tips from March through June and again in fall, so the targets are the tips and any young fruit they have settled on; a morning blast leaves the leaves time to dry.
Ant exclusion

Ants farm these aphids for their sugar and chase off the ladybugs and lacewings that would eat them. A band of sticky material on a wrap around the trunk, plus trimming off any branch that touches the ground or a fence, keeps the ants out and hands the tree back to its helpers.UC IPM's pomegranate guidance is that ants hinder natural enemies, so reducing ant numbers improves the success of biological control; the home Pest Note gives the sticky trunk band as the barrier. The band goes on a collar, not bare bark, and only holds while bridges to the ground are pruned away.
Beneficial predators

This aphid usually gets handled for free. Ladybugs, lacewing and hover fly larvae, and a tiny wasp that lays its eggs inside the aphids keep it down on most trees, and summer heat knocks the aphids back on its own. Skip broad-acting sprays so the helpers survive.UC IPM rates cotton aphid among the most serious pests of pomegranate orchards and in the same sentence says natural enemies may sufficiently control it. The named agents are the parasite Lysiphlebus testaceipes, several lady beetles (ashy gray, nine-spotted, multicolored Asian, convergent), syrphid and cecidomyiid larvae and lacewings. Natural enemy activity slows in summer heat, but heat also suppresses the aphids, and in fall biological control rises with the aphid numbers; ant control is what lets all of it work.
Insecticidal soap

When a colony outruns the helpers, a soap spray soaked directly onto the aphids brings it down without lingering on the tree to harm the good insects. Aim at the packed shoot tips and any young fruit they are clustered on, and go again if they rebuild.UC IPM's guidance is to choose products least toxic to natural enemies, insecticidal soaps and oils, which when properly used solve most aphid problems; UGA reports that aphids on pomegranate are routinely controlled with soap in other production regions. Contact only, no residue, so coverage of the tips is what decides it.
Neem oil

Neem oil is on the short list UC IPM accepts for organic pomegranate. It smothers what it wets, so cover the shoots well; the best-timed use is on the black eggs on the twigs in winter, before they hatch at the end of March.UC IPM's organic list for pomegranate is pyrethrins, azadirachtin, neem oil and a peppermint plus rosemary oil product, with the note that coverage is very important and that treatment of the overwintering eggs gives the best control. Cotton aphid overwinters as black eggs on pomegranate stems that hatch around the end of March, so winter is when to look for them and, if last year was bad, to spray. Keep it off open flowers and out of heat above 90°F.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Whitefly

P · 03

Symptoms Tiny white insects like little moths that flutter up when you brush the plant, sitting under the leaves along with their flat, pale young. They leave sticky honeydew and black sooty mold, and a lot of them yellow the leaves.Tiny white moth-like insects that fly up in clouds when the plant is disturbed, gathered on leaf undersides with their pale nymphs; honeydew and sooty mold follow, and heavy infestations yellow and weaken leaves. Cause Whiteflies, small sap-sucking insects that live under the leaves and multiply fast in warm weather. Like aphids, they leave honeydew that grows sooty mold.Mostly the ash whitefly, Siphoninus phillyreae, with the silverleaf whitefly a problem where pomegranates border cotton or melon fields. Small sap-feeding insects that colonize leaf undersides and develop rapidly in warm weather, peaking in July and August. Like aphids they leave honeydew, sooty mold grows on it on leaves and fruit, and ants tend them for it. Organic treatment Spray the leaves with water and let helpful insects do most of the work; they usually keep whiteflies under control outdoors. Insecticidal soap sprayed under the leaves helps if there are many, and yellow sticky cards catch the adults.Hose off foliage and rely on natural enemies (lacewings, ladybugs, parasitic wasps), which usually keep whiteflies in check on an outdoor plant. Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on leaf undersides helps in heavy cases; yellow sticky traps monitor and reduce adults. Prevention Keep the plant healthy and watered so it does not get hot, dusty and stressed, which whiteflies like, and keep ants out of it. Avoid harsh sprays so the helpful insects survive.Keep the tree healthy and well watered so it does not sit in hot, dry, dusty conditions, which suit whiteflies and hamper the parasites that control them, and keep the ants out of the canopy. Spare the natural enemies: carbaryl, pyrethroids and foliar imidacloprid are the insecticides UC IPM names as particularly disruptive to them.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Water spray

A hard jet from the hose clears the winged adults out of the canopy. On pomegranate the hose earns its keep twice, because keeping the tree watered and the dust down takes away the hot, dry, dusty conditions that suit whiteflies and work against the wasps that kill them.UC IPM's first physical step is a strong water stream at the adults. The same document notes that watering reduces hot, dry, dusty conditions, which suit whiteflies and hamper their natural enemies, so the hose does two jobs; dust control has no other step of its own here.
Yellow sticky traps

Yellow sticky cards hung in the branches show you when the winged adults are on the rise, and they may bring the numbers down somewhat, though they will not clear a bad infestation on their own. Get them up before July, when numbers climb on this crop.Yellow sticky traps monitor adults and at high levels reduce their numbers. On pomegranate the peak is July and August, so hang them by early summer; they say nothing about the nymphs on the leaf undersides, which are what the parasites work on.
Handpick

Pick off and throw away the leaves that are crusted underneath with the flat, unmoving young. Taking those leaves out can drop the numbers to a level the helpful insects can handle.Taking off the leaves that carry the immobile nymphs and pupae can, per UC IPM, bring numbers down to a level the natural enemies then hold. Before stripping leaves, check them with a hand lens for dark parasitized pupae and empty pupae with round exit holes; those leaves are the parasite's nursery and stay on the tree.
Ant exclusion

Keep ants out of the tree; they guard the whiteflies from the insects that would eat them. A sticky band on a wrap around the trunk, and no branches touching the ground, does it.UC IPM's instruction is to keep ants out of plants since they protect whiteflies from natural enemies; the ash whitefly's parasite is the control that ant exclusion protects.
Beneficial predators

Outdoors, tiny parasitic wasps, lacewings and ladybugs usually keep whiteflies under control on their own, and the ash whitefly that is common on pomegranate is already well controlled by a wasp across California. Do not spray if you can see the helpers at work: look for dark or empty pupae under the leaves.The parasite Encarsia inaron is the most effective biological control agent of ash whitefly, which is now under good biological control in California and rarely seen in high numbers; lacewings and lady beetles help but are less reliable. The decision check is a hand lens on the leaf undersides: dark parasitized pupae, empty pupae with round exit holes, and adult parasites mean control is coming in a few weeks. Carbaryl, pyrethroids and foliar imidacloprid are named as particularly disruptive to this.
Insecticidal soap

If the leaves are yellowing and sticky and you cannot find any of the helpers, soap spray wetted onto the undersides of the leaves is the least harmful option. It only kills what it touches, so cover the undersides and repeat.UC IPM's guidance is products least harmful to natural enemies, insecticidal soaps and oils, combined with the practices above; on pomegranate the commercial page treats only in late summer or early fall when honeydew and sooty mold threaten and parasites are not adequate. Silverleaf whitefly moving in from neighboring cotton or melon fields in July and August is the case where numbers can outrun the parasites.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Mealybugs

P · 04

Symptoms Tufts of white cotton tucked into the crown end of the fruit, in the cracks where branches meet, and on the suckers at the base of the trunk, with sticky honeydew and ants. Where two fruit touch, or where the insects sit inside the crown, the skin under them rots or discolors, and sometimes the rot runs from the crown right into the middle of the fruit, so a fruit can look fine and be spoiled inside.White, cottony egg masses on the trunk under loose bark; crawlers on the young shoots after budbreak in March and on leaves, fruit and basal sucker growth from June into July. Damage is where the mealybugs settle: between two touching fruit or inside the calyx, where honeydew causes rot or discoloration, and rot that starts inside the calyx can spread to the interior of the fruit. Mature mealybugs or egg masses hidden in the calyx can be missed and reach the table. Cause The grape mealybug, a soft, waxy sap-sucker that lives on grapes, pears and pomegranates. It is common on pomegranates but only now and then a real problem, because the tiny wasps and beetles that hunt it usually keep it down. Ants protect it for its sugary honeydew, and that is when it gets out of hand.Pseudococcus maritimus, the grape mealybug, found in many pomegranate orchards but only occasionally a serious pest because natural enemies usually hold it below damaging levels. Two generations a year; it overwinters mostly as eggs in cottony masses under trunk bark, the first hatch moves to young shoots at March budbreak, the second hatches from early June into early July and migrates to leaves and fruit. Populations often drop in summer heat. Ants tending the honeydew disrupt the parasites and predators that would otherwise control it. Organic treatment UC IPM's advice for a home fruit tree is that spraying is usually not worth it and does not work well, because the waxy coat sheds the spray and the mealybugs hide where it cannot reach. Instead, keep ants off the tree with a sticky band on a trunk wrap, pick or prune off the clumps you can see, cut away the suckers at the base where the young ones gather, and let the tiny wasps and lady beetles do the rest.Treatments are usually not justified or effective on home fruit trees, in UC IPM's words; mealybugs are heat-sensitive, their wax shields them, and home insecticides are not very effective on larger plants. The working controls are ant management so the encyrtid parasites (Acerophagus notativentris, A. angelicus, Chrysoplatycerus splendens) and the predators (the gall midge Dicrodiplosis californica, the lady beetle Nephus sordidus, green lacewings) can operate, physical removal by handpicking or pruning out infested growth including basal suckers, and a forceful water spray on exposed colonies. Soap, oil or neem give some suppression of young nymphs only, and azadirachtin is noted as effective on immature grape mealybug in orchards. Prevention Thin the fruit so that no two touch, since that is where these insects settle and do their damage. Peel off loose bark on the trunk in winter, where the eggs spend the cold months, and keep ants off the tree. Do not overfeed with nitrogen, which pushes the soft growth they like. Check the crown end of the fruit and the branch crotches, where they hide.Thinning fruit so none are touching is the one cultural control UC IPM states for this pest on pomegranate. Removal of overwintering sites such as loose bark reduces numbers, and avoiding unnecessary nitrogen matters because high rates with regular irrigation stimulate tender growth and mealybug egg production. Keep ants out of the canopy, avoid the broad-spectrum sprays that remove the parasites, and expect summer heat to do part of the work. The mealybug destroyer, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, does not tolerate cold winters.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Ant exclusion

Start with the ants. They collect the mealybugs' honeydew and drive off the tiny wasps and beetles that would clean the colony up, so a tree with an ant trail up the trunk builds up mealybugs that a tree without one never sees. Put a band of sticky material on a paper or fabric wrap around the trunk and cut off any branch that touches the ground or a wall, so the trunk is the only way up.UC IPM's mealybug guidance for fruit trees leads with managing ants, which are attracted to honeydew and inhibit the activities of natural enemies. The parasites that hold grape mealybug in check on pomegranate are small encyrtid wasps that produce several generations per mealybug generation; they are exactly the enemies ants displace. A trunk band on a collar, with skirt pruning to close the bypasses, is the barrier; it does nothing about the colony already present, which the natural enemies then reduce over the following weeks.
Handpick

Pick off or prune out the cottony clumps you can reach, and cut the suckers off the base of the trunk, since the young ones crowd into that growth in early summer. In winter, strip loose bark from the trunk, which is where the egg masses sit.UC IPM's Pest Note: if you find an infestation, physically remove the insects by handpicking or prune them out. On pomegranate the second-generation crawlers migrate to leaves and fruit from early June into early July and many can be found in the sucker growth at the base of trees, so removing suckers removes a harborage; the eggs overwinter in cottony masses on the trunk under bark, so loose bark comes off in the dormant season. A forceful spray of water reduces exposed colonies on sturdy plants; it does not reach mealybugs inside the calyx.
Beneficial predators

Most of the time this pest is handled by tiny wasps that lay their eggs in the mealybugs, turning them into yellow mummies, along with a small brown lady beetle, a gall midge and lacewings. Keep those helpers by keeping ants off and by not using broad-acting sprays, and let a hot summer do its share.Natural enemies usually keep grape mealybug below damaging levels in pomegranate. The parasites are all encyrtid wasps, Acerophagus notativentris and A. angelicus with multiple generations per mealybug generation and the larger Chrysoplatycerus splendens attacking adults before they lay; parasitized mealybugs are yellow mummies. Predators are the gall midge Dicrodiplosis californica, the lady beetle Nephus sordidus and green lacewings. Conservation is the whole program: no broad-spectrum sprays, ants excluded, and the mealybug destroyer counted on only where winters are mild.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Scale insects

P · 05

Symptoms Small brown or dark bumps that do not move, stuck to twigs, the undersides of leaves and the skin of the fruit, often on the stem just above a fruit. The tell-tale damage on pomegranate is a pale spot on the rind where a scale sat and blocked the sun, so the skin under it never colored. These scales leave a little pile of dry sugar rather than the sticky mess aphids make, and it brushes off; black sooty mold on a pomegranate points to aphids or whiteflies, not scale.Immobile, dome-shaped soft scales on twigs, leaf undersides and fruit; black scale favors twigs and typically settles on the stem just above a fruit. The most important damage is the light-colored spot left when a scale is removed from a fruit, where it blocked sunlight and prevented coloring. UC IPM notes the honeydew and sooty mold these species cause on citrus and olive have not been observed on pomegranate: late second instars leave a discrete pile of sugar that does not grow sooty mold and brushes off at harvest. Crawlers appear on twigs and leaves from June into July. Cause Four kinds of soft scale, small sap-sucking insects that settle down under a waxy shell and stay put: black scale, brown soft scale, citricola scale and European fruit lecanium. Georgia adds California red scale. Hot spring weather kills many of the crawlers, so scale is only an occasional problem on pomegranate, and tiny wasps usually finish off the rest.Four soft scales, Saissetia oleae (black scale), Coccus hesperidum (brown soft scale), Coccus pseudomagnoliarum (citricola scale) and Parthenolecanium corni (European fruit lecanium), per UC IPM; UGA lists citricola, black and California red scale. Hot temperatures during crawler development in spring typically limit population growth, so scales are rarely found and are only occasional pests. Black scale overwinters as immatures under trunk bark, lecanium as nymphs on twigs; all four produce crawlers in June and July. Ants tending them interfere with the parasites, though UC IPM notes an ant-free tree is not necessary for adequate control. Organic treatment Most years nothing is needed: heat and tiny wasps keep scale down, and if you avoid spraying, next year's numbers are usually very low. Keep ants off the trunk with a sticky band on a wrap so the wasps can work. If a twig is crusted with scale on a small plant, cut it off. If scale keeps building, the stated spray is horticultural oil on the leafless tree in winter, which smothers the scale on the bark; an early-summer spray works only while the crawlers are out, in June and July, and only where it wets them.Hot weather and natural enemies keep soft scales below damaging levels in most years; parasitism of brown soft scale on fruit has been observed near 100 percent in September, and where pesticide applications are avoided scale numbers the following year are very low. UC IPM says not to apply insecticides for citricola scale at all. Beyond that: control ants that interfere with Metaphycus and Coccophagus parasites and the scale-feeding lady beetles (Chilocorus, Hyperaspis, Rhyzobius); prune off heavily infested twigs on a small plant; and where treatment is warranted, a thorough oil spray on the bark in the dormant season, which UGA and UF/IFAS both give as a 3 percent oil in winter when the leaves are off, or an oil timed to the June to July crawlers using double-sided sticky tape on branches to catch them moving. Prevention Do not spray for scale unless you have to, because the sprays kill the wasps that were doing the job for free. Keep ants out of the tree. Where summers are hot, pruning to open up the canopy keeps black scale and citricola scale down. Look on the twigs and leaf undersides in early summer for the tiny crawlers, which is the other time a spray can reach them, besides the winter oil on the bare bark.Conservation is the program: avoiding insecticides keeps Metaphycus and Coccophagus parasitism high, and hot summers do the rest. In areas with hot summers, pruning to open canopies reduces black scale and citricola scale, and UC IPM judges that probably true on pomegranate for the other species too. Control ants if they are tending scales, without expecting an ant-free tree. Wrap double-sided sticky tape around small branches in late spring to catch crawlers and time any oil spray to their June to July emergence; a dormant oil on the bark in winter is the alternative timing.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Handpick

On a young or small pomegranate, cut off the few twigs that are crusted with scale and put them in the trash. It only makes sense when the scale is confined to a few spots; on a big tree the wasps and the weather do this job better than pruning could.UC IPM's Pest Note allows pruning off heavily infested twigs and branches if they are limited to a few parts of small plants; the scale come off with the wood. On pomegranate black scale typically settles on the stem just above a fruit, so the twig cut can cost the fruit. This is the only hand removal that fits an insect glued to the bark; picking individual scales is not practical.
Ant exclusion

If there is an ant trail on the trunk leading to the scale, fit a sticky band on a wrap around the trunk and prune any branch that bridges to the ground, a fence or a neighboring plant. The ants chase off the tiny wasps that kill scale; without the ants, the wasps usually win. You do not need to get rid of every ant, just the trail up the tree.Controlling ants that interfere with parasites and predators improves natural enemy activity, but UC IPM adds that an ant-free orchard is not necessary for adequate biological control of soft scales on pomegranate. The Pest Note's mechanics: prune the branches or weeds that bridge from buildings or the ground, wrap the trunk with fabric, heavy paper or tape, and the sticky material goes on that wrap, never on bare bark.
Beneficial predators

Tiny wasps kill most scale on pomegranate, so well that by September nearly every brown soft scale on the fruit can be dead already, and if you do not spray, next year's scale is usually scarce. Protect them by skipping insect sprays and keeping ants off; small dark lady beetles help too.The primary parasites are Metaphycus and Coccophagus; parasitism close to 100 percent has been observed in September for brown soft scale on pomegranate fruit, and if pesticide applications are avoided, scale numbers the following year are very low. Specialized scale-feeding lady beetles are Chilocorus, Hyperaspis and Rhyzobius. UC IPM's judgment on citricola scale is not to apply insecticides, and that nymphs on 20 to 30 percent of leaves may be tolerable; ants, dust and persistent broad-spectrum insecticides are the three things that disrupt this.
Horticultural oil

If scale is building year after year, the spray three extension services agree on is horticultural oil on the bare tree in winter, which smothers the scale wintering on the bark; the two Southeast guides give it at 3 percent. The other time it works is early summer, when the tiny crawlers are out on the twigs and leaves, and then it only kills what it wets. Never mix oil with sulfur, and keep an oil spray well away from any sulfur dusting. Skip it on a drought-stressed tree, in heat above 90°F, or when anything is in flower.UGA and UF/IFAS both give a 3 percent dormant oil in winter, when the leaves are off, as effective against scale on pomegranate; UC IPM's Pest Note calls for a well-timed and thorough oil spray either in the dormant season or when crawlers are active, and for deciduous plants specifies thoroughly spraying the bark of terminal shoots in winter. Crawlers of all four species emerge from June into July; double-sided sticky tape around small branches catches them moving and times a growing-season spray. Both Southeast guides also prescribe a June sulfur dusting for mites on this crop, and oil is never mixed with sulfur nor applied close to it in time. Bee precaution: not on anything in flower.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Diseases

Alternaria heart rot (black heart)

D · 01

Symptoms From the outside the fruit looks almost fine, maybe a bit light or a paler red, but inside it is rotting: the seeds turn brown and mushy with black mold. There is usually no sign on the outside, so you only find it when you cut the fruit open.The fruit looks nearly normal outside, perhaps a little light in weight or slightly off-color (a paler red), while the interior rots: arils turn brown and mushy and a black mold sporulates inside. There is often no external cue, so the rot is discovered only on cutting. Cause A fungus called Alternaria gets into the fruit through the open flower when it rains during bloom, and then grows quietly inside while the outside looks fine. It carries over on old fruit and plant litter and rides in on wind and dust. Holes made by fruit-piercing bugs and birds let it in too. Its home is California's pomegranate country, in years with a wet bloom; a Georgia orchard survey did not find it, and Florida's disease guide does not list it. What matters is rain while the flowers are open, not how humid the summer is.The fungi Alternaria alternata and A. arborescens infect through the open flower, most readily at petal fall, when rain falls during bloom and early fruit development, then grow silently inside the fruit with no external decay. They overwinter on plant debris and in mummified fruit, and their spores travel on wind and soil dust; punctures from fruit-piercing insects and birds give a second way in, and UC IPM ties internal black rot on pomegranate to the leaf-footed bug's feeding wounds. This is a disease of California's hot, dry pomegranate country in years with wet bloom weather: a Georgia survey did not find it, and Florida's disease survey does not list it. The driver is moisture during bloom, not a humid climate as such. Organic treatment Once a fruit is rotting inside it cannot be saved, and no spray prevents it, because the crown of the fruit closes over the spot where the fungus gets in. What you can do: keep dust down, pick up old and dried fruit and cut out dead wood, water evenly so the fruit does not crack, keep fruit-piercing bugs and birds off the fruit, and at picking time give the tree a gentle shake so the infected fruit, which are lighter, fall out. Cut open any fruit that feels light before you store it.There is no cure once the interior is rotting, and no preventive spray either: the fruit crown covers the blossom tissue, so preharvest sprays are generally ineffective, and Georgia's guide states there is no known method of control. What is available is cultural: dust control, sanitation (old fruit and dead branches removed), steady irrigation that avoids both water stress and overwatering because cracked fruit is an entry point, control of the fruit-piercing insects and birds whose wounds open a second door, and at harvest a gentle shake of the tree to drop the infected, healthy-looking fruit, followed by careful sorting before storage. Prevention Keep the ground and the tree clean of old fruit and dead branches, keep dust down, and water steadily so the fruit does not split. Keep fruit-piercing bugs and birds off the fruit. The fungus gets in when rain falls on the open flowers, and nothing you spray afterward can reach it, so a wet bloom season means cutting fruit open before you trust it. Most years it spoils only a few fruit.Sanitation and dust control through the year, irrigation that avoids water stress and overwatering so fruit does not crack, and management of the insects and birds that puncture fruit. Wet weather during the long bloom, especially at petal fall, is the infection window, and nothing applied afterward reaches the blossom tissue under the crown. Losses are usually under 1 percent and up to 6 percent; no resistant cultivar is named in any source.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Garden sanitation

Clean-up is the control here, because no spray reaches this fungus once the flower closes over it. Pick up and throw away old fruit on and under the tree, especially the dried, shriveled ones, and cut out dead branches; the fungus lives through the winter in that debris and in the dust that blows onto the flowers. At harvest, shake the tree gently so the infected fruit, which look sound but are lighter, drop to the ground, and cut any doubtful fruit open before you store it.The pathogens overwinter on plant debris in or on the soil and in mummified fruit, with airborne spores carried to flowers or wounded fruit in soil dust, so UC IPM's cultural program is dust control and sanitation, removal of old fruit and dead branches. Because the fruit crown covers the blossom tissue, preharvest sprays are generally ineffective, and Georgia's guide says plainly there is no known method of control; petal fall is the most susceptible stage and the bloom is long and protracted, so even commercial bloom sprays rate least effective. Two harvest-time steps belong with sanitation: gently shaking the tree to drop infected but healthy-appearing fruit, and thorough sorting so diseased fruit is not stored. Expected loss is usually under 1 percent and up to 6 percent in a bad year.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Botrytis gray mold / fruit rot

D · 02

Symptoms A fuzzy gray mold that shows up in the crown end of the fruit, on the dried flower bits, usually after the fruit has been washed or kept somewhere damp, and then spreads into the fruit. In storage a fruit can rot right through, sometimes with grayish-white fuzz and tiny black specks on the skin. Rot can also start where the stem was torn off.A fuzzy gray coat of spores at the crown (blossom) end, on the old flower parts, appearing after the fruit is washed or held in humid storage rather than on the tree; the crown tissue is colonized and the rot grows into the fruit. Stored fruit at high humidity often decays completely, sometimes with grayish-white mycelium and small black sclerotia on the surface. Decay can also start from the stem-end wound, especially where the stem was torn off entirely. Cause A fungus called Botrytis, or gray mold, that gets into the flowers during bloom when they are wet from rain, dew, fog or sprinklers, then sits quietly inside the crown of the fruit until picking. Washing the fruit or storing it somewhere damp wakes it up, and it rots fastest at mild room temperatures, around 65 to 75°F. Its spores come from old fruit, weeds and plant litter under the tree. It is a leading cause of rot in stored pomegranates.The fungus Botrytis cinerea infects the flower parts at bloom, when free water from rain, dew, fog or irrigation sits on the senescent stamens, and then stays quiescent inside the crown until the fruit ripens. Washing or condensation on the blossom end activates it, and decay develops quickly at about 65 to 75°F. Spores come from soil, infected debris, weeds and mummified fruit and spread on the wind. It is one of the most important causes of postharvest decay in pomegranates. Organic treatment There is no spray that fixes this at home, because the fungus is already sealed under the crown of the fruit before you could reach it. What works: keep old fruit, dead wood and weeds cleared from around the tree, cut the fruit off with a bit of stem instead of pulling it, do not wash fruit you plan to keep, and get it into the refrigerator soon, at about 41°F, since dampness and warmth are what set the mold off. Throw out any fruit with gray fuzz in the crown.No home spray reaches it: the extended bloom makes bloom sprays impractical and the fruit crown covers the blossom tissue, which is why commercial control is postharvest. At home the controls are sanitation (old fruit, dead branches, weeds) and dust control in the field, then handling: clip the stem rather than pull it, do not wash fruit before storage, and refrigerate promptly at about 41°F with high humidity, since free water and mild temperatures are what activate the fungus. Discard any fruit showing gray fuzz at the crown; it cannot be saved. Prevention Keep old fruit and litter cleared away beneath the tree, keep dust down, and keep sprinkler water off the flowers. At picking, clip the stem instead of tearing it, do not wash fruit you are storing, and chill it soon. Give the plant sun and air so the flowers dry fast after rain or dew.Sanitation and dust control in the field, irrigation kept off the flowers through the long bloom, and post-harvest handling: an intact clipped stem, no washing before storage, and quick cooling to about 41°F at high humidity. Air movement around the plant shortens the wet periods on flower tissue that infection needs. Split or wounded fruit is an entry point for other fruit rots; for gray mold the stated wound is the stem end.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Garden sanitation

Clear away the old fruit still hanging and the ones lying underneath, along with dead branches and the weeds around the base. The mold's spores wait on that material and blow onto the open flowers, and a fruit infected at bloom carries the mold silently until it is picked and washed or stored. Keeping dust down helps for the same reason.Botrytis spores reside in or on the soil and on previously infected tissue, weeds and old fruit left on the tree or the orchard floor as mummies, and are spread by wind to senescent flower parts. Good orchard management, dust control and sanitation with removal of old fruit and dead branches, reduces the postharvest incidence of the disease; the extended bloom makes bloom sprays uneconomical and the fruit crown blocks preharvest sprays, so this is the field control. Store sound fruit unwashed and cold, since washing or condensation on the blossom end is what wakes the fungus.
Airflow spacing

Keep the shrub in sun with space around it so the blossoms dry off fast after rain, fog or dew. This mold gets its start on the fading flower parts, and only when they stay wet for hours, so a plant whose flowers dry by mid-morning gives it far fewer chances over a long bloom.A generic step from UC IPM's home gray mold guidance rather than its pomegranate page: improve air circulation, because spores germinate only after plants have been continuously wet for 6 or more hours or humidity has stayed above about 90 percent that long, with 70°F to 77°F the favored range. On pomegranate the tissue that matters is the senescent flower parts during a long bloom, so the benefit is a shorter wet period on the blossoms.
Water at the base

Water the ground, not the plant. Irrigation water landing on the open flowers is one of the ways the mold gets its start, along with rain, fog and dew, and you control only the first.Spores on senescent flower tissue such as stamens germinate and infect when there is free water on the surface from rain, dew, fog or irrigation; keeping irrigation off the canopy through bloom removes the one wetting source in your hands. UC IPM's home guidance is drip or microsprinklers rather than wetting foliage. It changes nothing for a fruit already carrying a quiescent infection.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Cercospora fruit and leaf spot

D · 03

Symptoms Small dark brown spots on the leaves that grow, turn gray in the middle with a dark rim, and get a greenish ring around them as the leaf yellows; a badly hit plant drops most of its leaves. On the fruit, small black spots that run together into blotches on the skin only, without rotting the inside. It is worst in warm, humid, rainy areas.On leaves, small irregular dark brown spots that enlarge, develop a dark brown margin around a gray center, sometimes with concentric rings, and take on a greenish halo as the leaf yellows; severe defoliation follows and can cut yield. On fruit, small irregular black spots that merge into larger blotches, confined to the skin surface; the rind and arils beneath are unaffected, which separates it from anthracnose. Symptoms vary among cultivars. Most common in warm, humid, rainy regions. Cause A fungus with the tongue-twisting name Pseudocercospora punicae, common on pomegranates in Florida and found in Georgia too. It is one disease; the anthracnose and stem canker fungi that show up in the same humid places are different problems. It survives from one year to the next in fallen leaves, old fruit and diseased stems, and damp, warm weather favors it.The fungus Pseudocercospora punicae (Cercospora punicae in older references), a very common disease of pomegranate in Florida and found on harvested fruit in Georgia. It is one organism; anthracnose (Colletotrichum) and Botryosphaeria stem canker are separate diseases that often occur alongside it in the same humid climates. The fungus carries over in leaf litter, dropped fruit and diseased stems from the previous season, and humid subtropical weather favors it. Organic treatment The fix is cleanup rather than spray. Gather up fallen leaves, dropped fruit and spotted or dead stems, especially in winter after the leaves come down, and prune in winter when the plant is bare. Florida's specialists say the fungicides sold for pomegranate do not work on this fungus, and South Carolina's say the spots do not need treating. A plant that is kept clean gets a few spots; a neglected one in a wet climate can lose most of its fruit to this and the other fungal diseases together.Sanitation is the control: clear leaf litter, dropped fruit and diseased stems, above all in winter after leaf fall, and remove or burn infected material. Prune in winter when spore production is low, in dry weather, with angled cuts. UF/IFAS states that fungicides currently labelled for pomegranate are ineffective against this pathogen, and Clemson's home verdict is that the leaf and fruit spots common in humid South Carolina do not require treatment. Losses of up to 90 percent, to Florida's fungal diseases together rather than this one alone, are reported only for a poorly managed orchard, so the cleanup is what separates a nuisance from a loss. Prevention Clean up under the plant every winter, prune when it is bare and the weather is dry, and check for diseased branches. Choose the planting spot and spacing with care when you plant, and keep the plant vigorous with sensible watering and feeding. Varieties that resist it are being tested in Florida, but none has been named yet.Winter cleanup of leaf litter, fruit and diseased stems, winter or late-fall pruning in dry weather, and inspection for diseased branches. UF/IFAS lists orchard design, site selection, planting density and variety selection as the establishment decisions that matter and keeps weed management, irrigation and fertility in the service of plant vigor, without prescribing a layout for this fungus. Resistant varieties are the most economical control in principle, and over 100 cultivars are under evaluation at UF, but no resistant cultivar is named.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Garden sanitation

Clean-up is the control. Gather up and dispose of fallen leaves, dropped fruit and dead or spotted stems, and do it thoroughly in winter after the leaves fall, because the fungus waits in that litter for the next season. Prune in winter, when the plant is bare and the fungus is not making spores, and burn or bin what you cut. In South Carolina the spots are common in humid weather and the extension service says they do not need treating; in Florida a neglected planting can lose most of its crop to its fungal diseases together, so the cleanup matters more the wetter your climate.UF/IFAS puts field sanitation at the center of pomegranate disease management: clear leaf litter, fruit and diseased stems, especially in winter when the trees drop leaves that may be harboring pathogens from the previous season, and remove infected material to a safe distance and burn it as permitted. Prune in winter when spore production is low, or late fall when wounds heal fastest, in dry weather and with angled cuts. Fungicides currently labelled for pomegranate are ineffective against this pathogen per the same document, so there is no spray step; Clemson's home verdict is that the leaf and fruit spots common in humid South Carolina do not require treatment, while UF/IFAS attributes losses of up to 90 percent, from Florida's pomegranate diseases together rather than this fungus alone, to a poorly managed orchard. Resistant varieties are under evaluation at UF, but none is named.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Verified · 5 sources View

Seasoned

Where to plant next year

Crop rotation

For a pomegranate, the site rules are about sun and drainage, not rotation: pick a sunny, well-drained spot, stay away from soggy ground and places where oaks were just removed, and it will grow there for many years.Pomegranate's site rules are about drainage and light, not rotation: give it full sun and soil that drains, avoid low wet ground and recently cleared oak sites (Armillaria), and it will hold that spot productively for decades.

Family

Lythraceae (Punica granatum)

Avoid following

You do not rotate a pomegranate the way you rotate vegetables, because it stays in one spot for many years. Unlike a peach, it does not have a strong replant problem, so what grew there before matters little. The main thing to avoid is a wet, poorly drained spot, especially where oaks or other trees were just removed, because a root fungus called Armillaria can live there.Annual crop rotation does not apply to a pomegranate, which holds its site for decades. Pomegranate has no strong replant-disease complex like stone fruit, so it is not fussy about the previous crop. The one real site concern is Armillaria (oak root fungus): avoid planting where oaks or other woody plants were recently removed on heavy, wet ground, and always choose a well-drained spot.

Plant after

any well-drained, sunny site; pomegranate has no stone-fruit-style replant-disease history and is easygoing about the previous crop

Verified · 2 sources View

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Every date, temperature, spacing, and recommendation on this page is sourced from university cooperative extension publications, peer-reviewed agricultural research, NOAA climate data, and direct extension calendars. Where claims are softer (traditional gardening wisdom not formally documented), we say so.

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Pomegranate

Will it actually fruit here?

Your pomegranate year, month by month

Will your winter be cold enough?

One tree is usually enough

Recommended varieties

How big will it get?

The growing journey

Care guide

Yes, 15 gallons and up

Soil pH for pomegranate

Watering

Feeding

Companion planting

When to pick

What to expect

Storing your harvest

Common problems

Pests & diseases

Crop rotation

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