WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Punica granatum & cultivars, WUCOLS IV

How often to water dwarf pomegranate in California

In July in the Central Valley, established dwarf pomegranate in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 3.0 gallons a week. Dwarf pomegranate is a compact form of pomegranate, usually about 3 feet tall, with slender stems and glossy, narrow leaves about an inch long. Orange-red flowers crowd the branch tips in summer, followed by 2-inch red fruits that hang on through winter. It loves sun and heat and needs little water once established in most of California.

ShrubRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water dwarf pomegranate, month by month

Your city
Plant width
4 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for dwarf pomegranate and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area the plant covers, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry several inches down during summer bloom means a young dwarf pomegranate can use a deep soak
  • Leaves dropping in a cold winter are normal for this semi-deciduous shrub, not a sign of thirst
  • Yellowing, wilting leaves in soil that stays soggy point to root rot from poor drainage
  • Sticky leaves with white, waxy insects point to mealybugs or whiteflies rather than a watering issue
  • Sparse flowers in shade reflect too little sun, since it blooms best in full sun

How to water it

  • Water at the base with drip, wetting the soil about 8 inches down
  • Let the soil dry well between waterings once the plant is established
  • Plant in full sun in well-drained soil, including alkaline ground
  • Shear lightly to keep a low hedge, as small as 2 feet tall
  • Give desert plantings deeper, more regular summer soaks than coastal ones

Through the seasons

Water a new plant regularly through its first summer. It flowers in summer, and the small fruits color up and hang on into winter. In mild coastal gardens it stays nearly evergreen, while colder spots see it drop its leaves for winter. Winter rain usually covers it on the coast and in the Central Valley. WUCOLS gives dwarf pomegranate a low water rating in South Inland, on the south coast, in the Central Valley and on the north-central coast. Both desert zones rate moderate water: the high desert and the low desert.

In pots

Dwarf pomegranate is one of the best pomegranates for containers and bonsai. Use a well-drained mix in a pot with drainage holes, and give it full sun. In summer heat, feel the mix every couple of days and water once the top inch or two is dry. Let excess water run out, then empty the saucer. Expect some leaf drop in winter, and water sparingly until spring growth begins.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
1.07gal per sq ft in JulyLow water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
6.84 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.761.52.33.00.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Dwarf Pomegranate: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.310.310.740.78
Feb0.210.260.320.350.930.93
Mar0.350.430.460.521.461.52
Apr0.470.610.560.641.891.95
May0.580.830.640.782.392.45
Jun0.640.990.690.922.852.79
Jul0.641.070.7913.042.85
Aug0.60.950.740.932.792.6
Sep0.50.720.60.742.142.08
Oct0.350.470.460.531.461.49
Nov0.190.220.330.360.930.96
Dec0.120.140.260.270.650.68
Year4.86.846.27.3721.2721.08

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated low water in the Central Valley, like dwarf pomegranate. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

LavenderLavandula spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRosemaryRosmarinus officinalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyOlive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRussian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWild PrivetLigustrum vulgarelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCoralberrySymphoricarpos orbiculatus (SHADE)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBlue Leaf WattleAcacia salignalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes dwarf pomegranate, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water dwarf pomegranate in summer?

In July, established dwarf pomegranate in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley, about every 27 days on the south coast and about every 22 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does dwarf pomegranate need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established dwarf pomegranate needs about 0.4 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 1.7 gallons a day for a plant 8 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for dwarf pomegranate change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates dwarf pomegranate separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, low water in the South Inland zone, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Can you eat dwarf pomegranate fruit?

The fruit is technically edible but too sour to enjoy. It is best left on the plant, where it stays colorful through winter.

How big does dwarf pomegranate get?

It usually stays about 3 feet tall, though old plants can reach 5 or 6 feet. It can be sheared and held as low as 2 feet for a small hedge.

Is dwarf pomegranate evergreen?

It is semi-deciduous. In mild climates it keeps most of its leaves, while cold winters strip them. New leaves return in spring.

Can dwarf pomegranate grow in a pot?

Yes. It makes a good container plant and is excellent for bonsai. Give the pot full sun and water when the top of the mix dries.

Can you overwater dwarf pomegranate?

Yes. It needs good drainage, and root rot can follow in soggy soil. Once established it wants only occasional to little irrigation outside the deserts.

How cold hardy is dwarf pomegranate?

It is reportedly hardy to about 5 degrees F and also tolerates wind and heat. That makes it useful from the coast to the high desert.

More plant watering guides

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Sources