Is TikTok's Seed Soaking Trick The Key To Growing Prosperous Pomegranate Trees?

While you might find TikTok's seed soaking trick for growing pomegranate trees entertaining, it does require some further explanation as to why this might work and how you should actually do it. There's nothing all that wrong with the method described, which is to remove the pulp from the seeds, soak them in water and then put them in some damp paper towel until they germinate before planting them in soil. But, there's a better way to sprout these pomegranate seeds, although you might want to try this paper towel hack to easily germinate lemon seeds.

Pomegranate seeds are quite hard, so soaking them in water may help to soften the seed coat and make it easier for them to germinate; however, this step is generally not necessary if the seeds are subjected to cold stratification before they're ready to be sown. This is one of the common methods for seed stratification. It helps to break a seed's dormancy so that it is prompted to germinate. After this, the seeds need some warmth to germinate effectively. It's also important to note that when you grow a pomegranate tree from seed, you're going to need some patience because it can take several years before the tree will start to produce fruit. If you live in a northern climate, you'll need to grow your pomegranate tree in a container to bring in during the winter, since most varieties of these trees are hardy in USDA zones 7 and warmer. 

If you want to try and grow your own pomegranate tree from seed, here's the right way to go about preparing the seed for germination. Find a ripe pomegranate and remove some of the seeds. Roll these in some paper towel to remove all the pulp. This removes the aril and helps with germination. The aril is just the seed pod or seed covering. In pomegranates, this is the fleshy pulp that is eaten with the seeds. A seed's aril makes it attractive to birds, who consume the fleshy fruit and then discard the seeds so that they can germinate and grow far away from the original tree.

Once you've removed the pulp from the seeds, you want to rinse them thoroughly and then dry them for at least 30 minutes or more. The next important step — which was not covered in the TikTok method — is to place the seeds in the refrigerator for several weeks. This is known as cold stratification and helps to break the seed's dormancy. After the seeds have been dried, place them in a damp paper towel and put them inside a plastic bag or a sealed container. Keep this in the crisper section of your fridge and leave it there for at least four weeks.

Once the seeds have been in the fridge for several weeks, it's time to take them out and plant them. Fill some small pots or a seedling tray with a seed-raising mix. You could even just use premium potting soil as these seeds will germinate quite well in any type of potting medium. Sow your seeds around half to 1 inch deep in the mix. If you're using individual pots, place one or two seeds in the center. For seedling trays, you want to space them out equally. Water the mix well, taking care not to displace the seeds.

Put your pots or trays in a warm spot. Pomegranate seeds need a warm temperature between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit for successful germination. Make sure that you keep the mix nice and moist and don't let it dry out. You could cover the pots or trays with a plant cloche, as suggested in the TikTok method, in order to keep the moisture in. Once the seeds have sprouted, continue to keep the soil moist and transplant each seedling into its own pot once it's about 4 to 6 inches tall. Now, you just need to know how to grow and take care of pomegranate trees so that you can get a successful harvest. Keep in mind that it can take up to three years for your pomegranate tree to produce fruit.