Pomegranate trees can withstand the cement-like structure of gypsiferous soils.
Gypsum (calcium sulfate) is a garden amendment often recommended to improve soil structure in clay soils or to neutralize salts in soil. Whether gypsum is good for pomegranate trees depends largely on the state of the soil beforehand.
Benefits
Pomegranates prefer well-drained soil. Prolonged periods in soggy soil can lead to root disease and rot. Amending clay soil with gypsum will help improve drainage, but only as deep as you amend with gypsum. Pomegranates are sensitive to salty soils. In areas with naturally salty soils that are irrigated with salty water from wells or from where chemical fertilizers have been overused, added gypsum binds with the salts and lowers salinity.
Drawbacks
Gypsum does little to improve sandy or layered soils. While it does improve calcium in the soil, it leeches iron and manganese. Since pomegranates can survive in naturally gypsiferous soils, this is less of a concern for the pomegranate tree than for the surrounding plants.
Considerations
Gypsum can be a wise investment for saline, clay soils, but is not optimal for pomegranates in all soil types. Amending with home-made compost will improve the soil structure of any soil type, including clay soil. As such, it is a cheaper alternative to purchasing gypsum, and has the added benefits of bringing soil pH closer to pomegranate's preferred neutral pH while providing a wide array of micro- and macro-nutrients for your pomegranate tree.
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