Growing Guava Plants How To Grow And Care

Guava (Botanical name : Psidium guajava) is a tropical tree, producing sweet fruits which are eaten as a fruit or used as an ingredient in drinks, smoothies and desserts.

The common names are guava, amrood, jamphal, goiaba, guayaba, djamboe, djambu, goavier, etc.

Learn how to grow guava from seeds, cuttings and layering in pots and ground.

Guava Fruit

The guava tree is a highly attractive tree. The leaves and flowers are both mildly fragrant and attractive. The tree produces white 1 inch size flowers.

The fruits are about 5 inches in diameter; either oval, round or pear shaped and the ripe fruit has a rich pungent smell which spreads quickly in the house.

 The fruit has white, pink yellow flesh having seeds at its center. The taste of the fruit varies from sour to sweet, depending on its variety.

The Guava Varieties

1. The common or Apple guava (Psidium guajava) has fruit that typically ripen as a yellow color. It is the most frequently eaten species.
2. The Strawberry guava (Psidium littoral) has a red colored outer skin, and has strawberry-like flavor fruit, generally smaller than the common guava.
3. The Pineapple Guava or Feijoa (F. sellowiana) has attractive flowers and larger sized fruits.

Guava Growing Tips

Position : Where To grow

1. Guava plant needs full sun to part shade to grow, however, it cannot withstand too much heat.
2. The guava plants have very little tolerance for cold. The plant will drop all the leaves in winter. The new leaves start to grow from the begining of spring.

Planting in Pot or Ground

1. Guavas can be planted in pots and ground as well. If you are planning to grow it in a container, then select a big pot, at least 30 cm (12 inch) pot, bigger is better. The potted guava plant can be pruned in early summer to keep the size compact. Transfer the young guava plant every spring into a larger pot.
2. The pot should have good drainage holes at the bottom, which is important to protect the roots.
3. The guavas planted in ground grows into big tree, up to 30 feet in height. The fruits in these trees become difficult to pluck as they grow to very high branches. So I am growing guava in the container.

Soil

Plant your guava in a rich free-draining soil having a pH 4.5-7.0. Add lots of compost and manure to the soil and some river sand to make iot free draining.

Planting

Guava can be propagated by seed, grafting, and air layering. For commercial cultivation, it is  grafted onto a established root-stock.

Growing From Seeds

1. The guava started from seed, will not produce fruit for many years. To speed up the germination, soak the seeds in water for 10-15 days, or boil them for 5 minutes before sowing. The seeds will germinate in 3-8 weeks.
2. Transplant the seedlings when 2 to 30 inch (5-75 cm) high.
3. I, in Sydney bought a small plant propagated from layering method and planted it in a 30 cm size pot. After 2 years it has grown quite big so I transferred it into a 75 cm pot.

Watering

Guavas prefer regular deep root watering, allow the soil to dry out somewhat between waterings. Provide regular water during the growing season, and reduce watering during the winter.

Mulch

Mulch with 2-6 inch (5-15 cm) of wood chips, bark to retain soil moisture. Keep the mulch-10 inch away from trunk.

Fertilization

Fruits Growing on a Guava Tree

Guava Flower

1. Guava tree is is heavy feeder, should be fertilized every 1-2 months, thereafter 3-4 times a year.
2. Guava trees need a fertilizer high in nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and some magnesium for maximum fruit production. Mix 6-6-6-2 fertilizer into soils beginning of the growing season and then 3-4 times during the growth period.
3. Apply a fertilizer high in potash and potassium to increase fruit production.
4. I feed with a liquid fertilizer throughout the growing season.
5. Guava trees become iron deficient in alkaline and high pH soil. Fertilize 1-2 times with iron sulphate each year.

Guava Flowers and Pollination

1. Guava tree has perfect flowers with male and female parts in each flower.
2. Honeybees pollinate the guava flowers.
3. If there are no bees in your area, then you may hand pollinate the flowers. Use a very small  paint brush and tickle the inside of flowers.
4. Spray your guava tree a 5 % solution of urea mixed with a wetting agent just before flowering. When the urea spray dries, then water the plant. This will increase the duration of fruit production.

How to Make a Guava Tree Bear Fruit

1. If your guava tree has matures and not flowering then you can encourage the tree to flower.
2. Allow the tree to dry out for 2-3 weeks and prune the tips of the branches to stimulate new growth. Guava will flower on the new growth.
3. Water restriction causes the tree to begin reproduction defense mechanisms that result in flowering.

Pests and Diseases

1. Young guava are attacked by a number of pests including aphids, guava white fly, mealy bugs, moth, scale and thrips. Treat early. I cover the fruits with a paper bag to prevent fruit fly.
2. The guava tree is attacked by a number of diseases like anthrcnose, red alga, and leaf spots. Pruning the tree to increase air circulation will be beneficial. Regular copper spray, pest oil spray or insecticidal soap can control the disease.
3. Sometimes, ants crawling on the guavas may be problem. Use Boric Acid Ant Baits to control ants.

Pruning

Prune the new plant at 1-2 feet length to produce new lateral branches. Allow such 3-4 branches to grow to 2-3 feet. Then cut the tips of these branches to grow more branches. Remove the weak branches. The tree in this way will become dense with a good canopy.

Protection Form Low Temperatures

To protect guavas from freezing temperatures, cover with a blanket at night or put Christmas lights on them when there is a threat of frost.

References

1. Jonathan Crane and Carlos Belerdi, Guava growing in Florida Home Landscape, www.growables.org/information/TropicalFruit/documents/GuavaGrowingInTheFloridaLandscape.pdf
2. Guava - An American Exotic, okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/Exotic.Guavas.htm
3. California Rare Fruit Growers. Tropical Guava (Fruit Facts).  Fullerton, CA: CRFG, 1996.  www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/guava.htm