BOB MORRIS: Picking pomegranates a test of patience
Question: We are new to raising pomegranates. We have been watering them and have cut off most of the suckers but need to know when they should be ready to be picked.
There are some varieties that can be as early as late September or as late as Halloween. Otherwise, watch for splitting fruit on the tree. Pick when you first start seeing some fruit splitting and pick if they separate from the tree without much difficulty. The color of the fruit rind and pulp (arils) depends on the variety and can be a misleading indicator.
Bob Morris is a professor emeritus in horticulture with the University of Nevada and can be reached at extremehort@aol.com. Visit his blog at
xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com.