Article: Pomegranates don't have many soil requirements. Almost any type will do, but it needs to drain well. If you have clay-based soil or another type with poor drainage, replace it with a looser topsoil. A visual test is an easy way to check your soil's drainage. Dig a 1 foot (0.30m) x 1 foot (0.30m) hole in the ground, and wait until the soil in it is dry to the touch (this might take a day or more). Pour enough water into the hole to fill it up. If it takes more than a few hours for the water to drain out of the hole, then your soil has poor drainage. Pomegranates do well in moderately alkaline soil, with a pH a little above 7. However, they will also tolerate slightly acidic to neutral soils (pH 5.5-7). Buy a soil pH test kit from a garden store and check your soil to make sure it's somewhere in this moderate pH range. In a temperate zone, you can plan on sowing pomegranate seeds in spring after the last frost. In subtropical zones, late spring to early summer will be the optimum time. Pomegranates actually won't do well in tropical zones, since the weather there will be too humid. Pomegranate seeds will germinate best in soil that is 24C (75F) to 26C (79F). If the air temperature isn't mostly at or above these temperatures, use a soil thermometer to check the ground temperature. If your soil temperature is not up to this level, wait for warmer weather. You can get a head start by germinating your seeds indoors, however. Germinating your seeds early and allowing them to reach seedling stage by the time warmer weather starts gives you a longer growing season. However, you'll have to plant them in pots in regular potting soil and keep them indoors in a sunny area. You do not have to use special seedling containers if germinating your seeds indoors. Regular plant pots are just fine.

What is a summary?
Select soil with naturally good drainage. Test the soil's pH. Wait for warm weather. Check the soil temperature. Start your seeds indoors instead if you want to get ahead.