Gardening is rewarding, highlighted by harvesting firsts like pomegranates. They symbolize patience in growth, with my pomegranate bushes taking four years to yield six fruits, costing $421.90 with a potential revenue of $21.00. The return on investment (ROI) is -95%. Despite initial losses, like property investments, patience and resourcefulness may yield future profits. I plan to reduce costs and expect gradual increases in harvests over the next decade. In the meantime, I share a recipe for chocolate bark with pistachios and pomegranates.
What's the ROI on THAT!? Pomegranates I'm in the red... and my pomegranate pistachio bark recipe Tue, 12 Nov 2024 19:43:30 GMT https://carmeninthegarden.substack.com/p/whats-the-roi-on-that-pomegranates It never gets old—harvesting something for the first time. When I began gardening nearly a decade ago, I still remember the thrill of cutting my first flowers from my apartment balcony, of juicing my first Meyer lemon. Gardening is full of firsts—the first failures and the first successes, the thrill of discovering a plant’s resilience, or the mystery of a volunteer squash springing up out of nowhere. Yet this latest “first” might just top them all: my first pomegranates .
There’s something so undeniably romantic, visceral, even a bit sensual about pomegranates. The way they stain your hands a deep, wine-red; how their inner structure resembles honeycomb, each jewel-like aril nestled with a touch of mystery; the irresistible balance of tart sweetness that keeps you reaching for just one more, craving that burst of flavor. I rarely pick them up at the store or farmers market—there’s a sense of luxury about them that makes them feel reserved for special occasions, whether a cocktail garnish or a sprinkling over a fall salad, where a few glistening arils (yes, the technical term for those edible bits) can elevate the entire dish.
Gardening any crop, especially one like this, teaches you more than just growing techniques. It demands patience, and yes, a bit of resilience in the face of failure. I planted these pomegranate trees (well, technically bushes, but we’ll get into that distinction later) in late 2020. If my math is right, that’s four years in the making for this first harvest—six pomegranates.
So, in today’s post, I’m setting aside my love for this fruit just long enough to break down the numbers. Four years, six pomegranates: was it worth it!? I’m also sharing my quick and easy recipe for pomegranate pistachio bark—a deliciously sweet and salty treat!
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Welcome to the fourth installment of “What’s the ROI on THAT!?”, a series where I break down the financial return on various crops I grow in my garden. So, what makes me qualified to tackle this topic? Before dedicating myself full-time to Carmen in the Garden , I worked as the director of acquisitions for a couple real estate investment companies. My role centered on making sound investment decisions, and my approach has always been rooted in rigorous post-mortem analysis—especially when things didn’t go as planned. After all, it’s through dissecting less successful investments that we often learn the most. So far, I’ve covered garlic , artichokes , and sweet potatoes —now let’s dive into this week’s pick!
COSTS Pomegranate Shrubs: $45.95 each, totaling $91.90 . I bought two Wonderful Pomegranate shrubs .
Soil Amendments: Approximately $280 . This area was originally sod, complete with plastic netting and compact, waterlogged soil underneath. Over the years, I’ve used cover crops like rye and fava beans to gradually improve the soil. Although I wish I’d tracked these costs more closely, I’ve amended with compost (both store-bought and homemade) and mulched twice a year. Estimated breakdown: $40 per year on mulch and $30 per year on compost, totaling $160 on mulch and $120 on compost.
Pest Control: $0 (none needed so far).
Labor: $50 . Due to the compact, clay-like soil, I hired someone to plant most of my trees, allocating about $25 per pomegranate tree for this expense.
Total Cost: $421.90 (yikes!)
RETURNS Total Yield: 6 medium-to-large pomegranates.
Market Price per Unit: Based on local prices from Instacart vendors and Whole Foods, organic pomegranates are around $3.50 each .
Total Potential Revenue/Savings: 6 x $3.50 = $21.00 .
Investment Gain (Revenue - Cost): $21.00 - $421.90 = -$400.90 .
ROI (Return on Investment): Gain / Investment = -$400.90 / $421.90 = -95%… Double YIKES!
Annualized ROI: Planted on December 12, 2020, with the first harvest on November 7, 2024, for a period of 3.91 years. Annualized ROI = -53.6%… Triple YIKES!
Here’s how pomegranates stack up to past crops we’ve analyzed:
DO NOT DESPAIR… Before we get too disappointed with the modest six pomegranates I’ve harvested this year, let’s put things in perspective. A fruit tree, like a pomegranate, is quite different from quick-turn crops like sweet potatoes. Think of it as an investment property—it requires a substantial upfront investment and a bit of maintenance, but it holds the promise of steady returns over time. However, unlike a house, I can’t “flip” my tree or meaningfully build equity, making it more of a slow-burn investment.
Now, if we treat the pomegranate shrubs like property investments, we can use an amortization-style approach to estimate when they might start delivering returns. Here’s where it gets interesting…
At $70 a year for soil amendments, even a steady dozen pomegranates per year wouldn’t bring us close to breaking even. To close this gap, I’ll need to bring those costs down to $0 by relying on resources like leaf litter, cover crops, and homemade compost. This approach eliminates extra expenses and helps the tree pay back the initial investment over time. See!? This is exactly why we do post-mortem investment analysis—to make better decisions for our shareholders... erm, I mean, gardens.
Here’s my updated plan:
Initial Investment : $421.90 (one-time cost) with no recurring costs.
Projected Yields & Revenue :
Years 5-7 : 12 pomegranates per year at $3.50 each → Annual revenue of $42.
Years 8-9 : 16 pomegranates per year at $3.50 each → Annual revenue of $56.
Years 10-13 : 24 pomegranates per year at $3.50 each → Annual revenue of $84.
Cumulative Revenues: I’ll need to calculate the cumulative revenue after each year to see where the “break even point” exists. I will note that this does not account for inflation.
Based on these projections, by the eleventh year (2031) , the trees will have fully paid for themselves, and from that point onward, every pomegranate harvested will represent pure profit! For our visual learners in the room:
In the end, this whole pomegranate journey is a good reminder that gardening—and investing—is all about patience and a bit of flexibility. Sure, pomegranates aren’t the flashiest, quickest payoff, but they teach you to get creative and think long-term. And who knows? A little extra time and resourcefulness could make these shrubs my most satisfying "investment" yet...even if I have to wait a decade to see it! In the meantime, let’s snack on a sweet treat below.
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Dark Chocolate Bark with Pistachio and Pomegranate Watch me make it on TikTok and Instagram .
Ingredients: 10 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher), chopped or in chips
1/3 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
Sea salt flakes
Instructions: In a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate until smooth and fully melted.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the melted chocolate onto the parchment and spread it out evenly with a spatula to about 1/4 inch thickness.
Sprinkle the pistachios and pomegranate seeds evenly over the chocolate. Lightly press down so the toppings adhere. Sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt.
Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 20–30 minutes or until the chocolate is fully set.
Once set, remove the chocolate from the fridge and break it into pieces.
Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
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