It seems pomegranates are now planted all over New Zealand.

Some people encounter some troubles when these fruits ripen around this time of year. Here are some things that might be the causes of those troubles and how to prevent them:

Cold and wet summers, resulting in a pretty mediocre ripening of the fruit from late summer till now-ish. The fruit can split or rot inside. A hot, sunny site with good drainage might reduce such troubles.

Splitting of fruit is often caused by irregular watering or huge rainfalls followed by long, dry conditions. Regular watering might reduce those fruit-splitting troubles.

Splitting fruit can also be the result of some fungal diseases (such as Anthracnose) when the fruit becomes quite black in colour. Botrytis is a grey mould that can start causing mishaps too – keep the foliage dry as much as you can.

Temperatures of the site may also change the development of that fruit. If it’s often too cold, the fruit may not ripen in a nice, sweet way. A lovely intense warm area often ends up with sweet fruit.

Plant them in a warm sheltered spot; prune them in winter, so that the next generation of foliage will thrive with good airflow. Be aware that it sometimes takes two or even three (four!?) years for the pomegranates to start producing fruit in “full swing”. 

Sometimes birds are getting into the developing fruit in autumn… just be aware that some netting might avoid that.

Sap-sucking insects (scales, mealybugs, and aphids) really love the softer skins of the developing fruit. Some simple organic sprays (oils, neem oils, etc) will give these sucking bugs a run for their money.

I have heard of rodents climbing the shrubs and trees – a good rat trap would be handy, especially when baited with Selena Gomez Oreos!

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