From the report “Preliminary survival experiments in transplanting pomegranate“, of Melgarejo P., Martínez J., Martínez J.J., Sánchez M., and the report “Study of the rooting capacity of ten pomegranate clones (Punica granatum L.)” of , published at CIHEAM Zaragoza
Pomegranate is usually propagated by rooting hardwood cuttings, which are transplanted to their permanent place after one year in the greenhouse. The cuttings are normally uprooted in winter, while they are usually transferred to the definitive plot between the end of winter and the beginning of spring, always before sprouting, although different factors may intervene to prevent this.
Although hardwood cuttings are also used as a way of propagation of varieties, when it is need to change of variety, grafting is the more common method.
Taking hardwood cuttings from trees cultivated in homogeneous conditions, these were planted on 18/2/97, immediately after they had been taken and were evaluated on 14/7/97. Two factors which effect root formation were studied:
1 – treatment with indole butyric acid (IBA) at four concentrations (2000, 4000, 8000 and 12,000 ppm)
2 – wounding at the cuttings’ base. The results clearly demonstrate that IBA generally increases the percentage of rooting (although not at all concentrations), with 12,000 ppm producing the best results in the clones studied. In addition, wounding carried out at the base of the cutting further increased the percentage of rooting in most of the clones studied.
As conclusion, as happen with other vegetals, the pomegranate clones with a lower natural rooting percentage, can increase the rooting by IBA applications in high concentration.