Maybe I’m an outlier, but half the fun in my windowsill gardening adventures is growing something that nobody else in my circle of gardening friends has ever grown… and bonus points if I can come up with a plant or tree they never thought was possible to grow in a northern climate at all. The pomegranate tree hits both of those markers! I’ve grown windowsill pomegranate trees for several years now, and in addition to being a highly unusual tree to grow indoors in pots (especially in northern gardening zones!), the trees are both functional and gorgeous. Hard to beat that combination!

Whether you purchase a pomegranate from a nursery, start from a cutting, or start from seeds is a subject for another post; there are positives and negatives to each of these methods, and it all comes down to what YOU, the gardener, are looking for when it comes to your windowsill gardener. This post is geared specifically towards those gardeners that are experimenters and explorers, and who have decided that pomegranate seeds are right for them. For anyone who is interested in growing pomegranates from seed, I’ve outlined in this post some of the key steps in the post below to get you started growing this amazing warm-climate fruit on your windowsill, no matter what your cold-hardiness zone is.

NOTE: This post contains excerpts from my book, The Complete Mini-Guide to Growing Windowsill Pomegranate Trees: A Reference Manual for Northern-Zone Gardeners. The book is a comprehensive instruction manual for growing potted pomegranate trees indoors, and may be purchased on Amazon in ebook or paperback formats for less than the price of a fancy cup of coffee!

CAUTIONS WHEN GROWING WINDOWSILL POMEGRANATES FROM SEED

Before you get started, you should be aware that while it is absolutely possible to plant a pomegranate from seed, but it’s not an easy process – and the resulting shrub may not always be a great fruit-bearing tree. The source of the seed is important, and you should take your special “wants” as a gardener into consideration before planting a random seed of unknown parentage.

Your first question should be about the parent tree of the seeds you want to start. Is your seed collected from a supermarket pomegranate? If so, the chances are that that “parent” fruit was grown in an outdoor environment, on a full-size tree. That seed will very rarely have dwarfing genetics, and you will have to get used to regular pruning if a small, windowsill pomegranate tree is what you are looking for.

Further, pomegranates do not tend to breed true – meaning that the baby tree may not look, behave, or produce fruit anything like its parent tree. Because of this potluck effect, the recommended propagation method for pomegranates is typically through tissue culture or through rooted cuttings from a disease-free mature shrub. However, let’s be honest: we’re gardeners, and to garden is to experiment. We aren’t tied to the production standards that commercial growers are, and as backyard and windowsill growers, we have a little more freedom to test out a tree, even if it may be less fruitful than industry standards.

If you’re planning to purchase the seeds, make sure you know what you are getting before you buy. The very first pomegranate seeds I ever purchased online turned out to be largely ornamental (Orange Master Dwarf, if you are interested in the nitty-gritty details). It was still a beautiful tree with a nice compact size for my indoor growing space, but I was disappointed when I realized the culinary value was next to nothing.

However, although a pomegranate may not breed true to type and seed-starting is a little like attending a potluck dinner blindfolded, I’m not trying to scare you off. You can still get a reasonable tree from a seed, particularly if you choose a seed from a high-quality tree to start with. I have started pomegranate seeds to expand my windowsill orchard, and I love the challenge – but I just want gardeners to realize that the internet articles promoting homegrown pomegranates from seed don’t necessarily share the negatives along with the positives. It’s always best to have the full information so you know what to expect.

SELECTING AND PLANTING WINDOWSILL POMEGRANATE TREE SEEDS

You can plant dried seeds from a seed supply company or a seed you have saved yourself. You’ll have a good idea of the edible value of the fruit by examining the seeds themselves; large, tough-shelled seeds will produce fruit that also has large, tough seeds! Don’t plant seeds straight out of a fresh fruit. If you plant the seeds still in their fruity aril, there’s a danger that it will just mold and eventually rot out in the dirt. Adult pomegranate shrubs are particularly susceptible to fungi, and the seeds are no different! If you want to plant a fresh seed, carefully remove the fleshy fruit coating first, and rinse off any remaining soft material before planting the seed.

There are times when scarification of the seed may be necessary. For an extremely tough-coated seed, you can gently (GENTLY!) rub with a little sandpaper, or carefully nick the seed coating to allow easier germination. Do NOT damage the pointy end of the seed, as this must remain intact.

It may be beneficial to try a test-run of seed germination before planting in the dirt. I can personally attest that achieving germination of pomegranate seeds can be pretty tough, and it’s helpful to be able to keep an eye on the process before you take up valuable space on your windowsill with a pot of dirt that will never produce any growth.

Start by placing rinsed seeds on a wet napkin, paper towel, or other substitute material that holds moisture without creating a swampy substrate for the seed. Place the whole packet in a ziploc bag or other mostly air-tight container that keeps the surrounding air humid while also allowing you to see into the bag or container to check on the seeds. The packet should be kept warm; consider a heat mat or other low-grade heat source, with a target temperature range in the mid-70s (Fahrenheit). Place the whole bundle in a dark environment and observe regularly to keep ahead of any potential mold problems. Once the seeds have begun to sprout, gently transfer into the growing medium and keep warm and humid until established.

STARTING WITH WINDOWSILL POMEGRANATE TREES

If you’ve never grown a windowsill pomegranate tree and you want to experiment with this fascinating fruit tree, starting from seeds is an inexpensive way to get started. Germinating the seeds can be tough, but the challenge is a motivation in itself. Personally, I have tried both seeds and by purchasing young started trees, and I would recommend that if you are looking for better chances of edible fruit, you should probably go with a purchased tree – but if you are looking for an inexpensive way to expand your windowsill fruit garden and gain experience as a windowsill gardener before you move on to nursery-grown stock, seeds are the way to go. Happy gardening!

Not ready to experiment with seeds but unsure where to purchase a started pomegranate tree? Check out my favorite windowsill fruit tree nurseries!