Hello, this is my first time growing something and I am taking care of my pomegranate tree. I suppose it is currently sleeping as winter is coming but as I had never experienced this before, could someone tell me if my plant is... not dead? I am just worried and many articles state different ways to take care of pomegranates. I am watering it a little bit every week, not a lot at all. It is standing in a dark spot in my living room where in my house is most cool (outside seems to be warm where I live and no other place in my house is as cold). It has not dropped its leaves as you can see but they are still green. I grew my pomegranate from a seed that I germinated from a store bought fruit. Is my pomegranate alive? and how do I take care of it during this period? Thank you !
The leaves appear to be dead or dying. You could cut off the tip of a stem to check for live plant tissue. If it's still alive I would reduce soil moisture to a bare minimum. Do you have access to an unheated garage to overwinter the plant?
You already know the answer: it is entering the quiet period and will loss all its leaves, eventually, then the buds will begin to swell when the necessary amount of dormancy is attained and then you can move it to good light. You are watering a little, regularly, so it won't get bone dry, that's great! How cold does it get out in your winter? There are a range of Pomegranate varieties that have a range of hardiness', but if you have the most tender one it would be hardy to -9 to -12° C. If that describes your situation, it would be happier outdoors. Sink the pot up to the edge of the pot in a sunny sight and mulch with dry leaves. Oak is best, but any will do. Lots of woody plants will overwinter indoors and live, but like your tree, they are not worth looking at. Boxwood, Chinese Elm and others are in this group. More importantly, they don't really get the best rest indoors. They live, but don't thrive. And they won't spring back as vigorously next spring as a plant wintered outdoors. Overwintered in the ground, they preform better and are easier to care for. It should be a sunny site because when the quiet period is satisfied it will begin to leaf out, as conditions permit. If you have it in shade, that will happen anyway, but when you move it to full sun where it belongs, the leaf edges will usually scorch. House plants should always be tropicals that don't need the same kind of zero growth quiet period. In Washington D.C. they say, "If you want a friend, buy a dog". I say, "If you want a good houseplant, buy any kind of fig, and live happily ever after...
