WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Punica granatum, WUCOLS IV

How often to water pomegranate trees in California

In July in the Central Valley, established pomegranate trees in loam need a deep watering about every 20 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 19 gallons a week. Pomegranate grows as a branching shrub or small tree with fruit that sizes through the warm season. Steady soil moisture helps protect that crop from hard dry-outs followed by heavy soakings. Give the roots thorough water and let the ground drain between applications, keeping the sucker crown clear.

TreeRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water pomegranate trees, month by month

Your city
Canopy width
10 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 pomegranate trees 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 under the branches, 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 canopy width

A tree with its canopy width marked across the widest branches and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the branches, from the tips of the outer leaves on one side to the tips on the other. A tape works, or pace it out.

Water the whole circle under the branches, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that circle.

A wider canopy means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While the tree is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry 8 to 12 inches down beneath the canopy signals that an established pomegranate needs a deep soak
  • Dull, narrow leaves still limp in the morning can indicate thirst when the soil is dry
  • Small or leathery fruit can accompany dryness during sizing, so check beneath the canopy
  • Skins splitting as fruit ripens can follow a heavy soaking after prolonged dryness
  • Leaves yellowing and falling in midsummer over persistently wet ground can indicate poor drainage

How to water it

  • Water beneath the canopy out to the branch tips, keeping the crown and basal suckers clear
  • Soak 12 to 18 inches into the root area, then check deeper soil before repeating irrigation
  • Use drip or a slow hose in a shallow basin to keep ripening fruit and dense inner branches dry
  • Spread coarse mulch clear of the sucker crown and use a low mound where heavy clay remains soggy
  • Move emitters outward as the pomegranate spreads, covering its broad shrub form or trained tree canopy

Through the seasons

Keep a new pomegranate root ball steadily moist through its first summer and widen coverage as roots spread. Established plants need deeper soakings during growth and fruit sizing from spring through the fall harvest. They lose leaves and rest inland and in the deserts, while coastal plants can retain some foliage. Winter rain can supply coastal and Central Valley roots; check both deserts through dry winter spells. WUCOLS rates pomegranate low water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland. It rates moderate water in the high desert and the low desert.

In pots

A dwarf pomegranate can fit a patio container, but its growing fruit depends on a limited moisture reserve. Check the top two inches of mix often in California summer heat and water when dry. Soak until excess leaves the drainage holes, then empty the saucer. Protect the pot sides from harsh afternoon heat as fruit develops. Growth slows in winter, with leaf loss varying by location; keep mix barely moist and shelter it from prolonged soaking rain.

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

Pomegranate Trees: 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 pomegranate trees. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Olive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFig TreesFicus carica 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 JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyEucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTexas Red OakQuercus buckleyilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPortuguese OakQuercus faginealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySoapbark TreeQuillaja saponarialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyNecklace TreeSophora affinislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBailey AcaciaAcacia baileyanalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver WattleAcacia dealbatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen WattleAcacia decurrenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBlackwood AcaciaAcacia melanoxylonlow 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 pomegranate trees, 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 pomegranate trees in summer?

In July, established pomegranate trees in loam need 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 do pomegranate trees need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established pomegranate trees need about 2.7 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 11 gallons a day under a 20 foot canopy. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for pomegranate trees change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates pomegranate trees 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.

How do I water a newly planted pomegranate?

Test the nursery root ball separately because it can dry faster than nearby ground. Soak it and the soil immediately around it. Keep damp mulch away from the base where suckers emerge.

Why is my pomegranate splitting?

A rind stressed by dryness can split when fruit swells after a heavy soak or rain. Weather swings and nutrient problems can also contribute. Keep moisture even and pick ripe fruit before a forecast heavy rain when possible.

How long should I run irrigation on pomegranate?

Check emitter flow behind pomegranate's basal suckers before increasing run time. Aim for moisture 12 to 18 inches deep beneath the fruiting canopy, keeping the crown dry.

Do mature pomegranates still need water for fruit?

An established plant can survive dry periods while producing a poor crop. Small, tough-skinned fruit can follow prolonged summer dryness. Keep checking during fruit development rather than judging water needs only by whether the leaves remain green.

Which pomegranates need winter moisture checks?

Check young trees and containers sheltered beneath eaves during rainless weather. Reduced winter growth does not keep a small root ball from drying. Feel beneath the surface before another soaking.

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Sources