🍉 How to grow a Guava Tree: Practical Guide to Growing Guava

• 🍑 Guava Trees (Psidium sp.) are beloved for their flavorful fruit and easy-growing nature. These fast-growing trees are reliable producers and can thrive in a variety of climates, making them a favorite among home gardeners. Guavas are compact and can be grown in containers, making them suitable for small spaces and urban gardens.
• 🍑 Light and Soil

Guava trees thrive in full sun, requiring at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily to produce the best fruit. They prefer well-draining soils rich in organic matter but are adaptable to a range of soil types, including sandy or loamy soils. Slightly acidic to neutral soil is ideal. While guavas tolerate poor soils, enriching the soil with compost or manure will improve growth and yield.
• 🍑 Pruning tips

Pruning is essential for maintaining the shape, size, and productivity of guava trees.

· Frequency: Prune guavas annually, ideally after the fruiting season, to encourage new growth and improve airflow.

• · Remove dead, diseased, or crossing branches to maintain tree health.
• · Shape the tree to allow sunlight to penetrate the canopy, which enhances fruit production.
• · For container-grown guavas, keep the tree compact by trimming back vigorous shoots regularly.

• 🍑 Guava in containers

Guavas are well-suited to container growing. Compact varieties like the "Nana" guava are ideal for pots. Use a large container (at least 15-20 gallons) with good drainage. Fill it with a high-quality potting mix enriched with organic matter. Place the container in a sunny location and water consistently. Regular pruning helps maintain a manageable size and promotes fruiting in container-grown guavas.
• 🍑 Watering

· Guava trees require consistent watering, especially during dry periods and the fruiting season. While they can tolerate short periods of flooding, ensure the soil is not waterlogged. Water deeply once or twice a week, depending on your climate.

• · Fertilize guavas 3-4 times a year during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer rich in potassium and phosphorus to promote flowering and fruiting. Adding organic matter like compost or manure annually boosts soil fertility and improves yields.

• 🍑 Harvesting

· Guava trees are quick to fruit, often producing their first harvest within a year of planting. For container-grown trees, fruiting can start in even smaller pots, such as 1-gallon containers.

• · Signs of ripe guava fruit include:

- A change in color from green to yellow (depending on the variety).
- A sweet, fruity aroma.
- Slight softness when gently pressed.
• · Harvest ripe guavas by hand or with pruning shears. Consume fresh or use them to make juices, jams, or desserts.

• 🍑 Health Benefits of Guava

· Guava is a nutrient powerhouse, offering numerous health benefits:

• · Vitamin C: Boosts the immune system and helps protect against colds and infections.
• · Potassium: Supports healthy blood pressure levels.
• · Antioxidants: Contribute to glowing skin and may reduce the risk of cancer.
• · Fiber: Aids digestion and helps regulate blood sugar levels.

• 🍑 Popular Varieties of Guava

· Tropical Guava (Psidium guajava): Sweet and aromatic, suitable for warmer climates.

• · Cattley Guava (Psidium littorale): Cold-hardy with a slightly tart flavor.
• · Cas Guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum): Known for its sour taste, perfect for juices like Costa Rica’s traditional "Agua de Cas." Cold hardy, disease resistant and vigorous, productive variety.
• · Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowiana): Fruity and floral, thriving in cooler climates.

🍑 Additional Tips

• · Guava trees are relatively pest-resistant but may require monitoring in humid climates for mealybugs. Use neem oil if needed.
• · Planting multiple guava varieties ensures a continuous supply of fruit.
• · With their fast growth, compact size, and delicious fruit, guava trees are a fantastic addition to tropical garden, greenhouse or patio.

📚 More from previous posts about #Guava

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⭐️ When you have a big crop of Star Fruit: sweet and Spicy Carambola Salsa recipe

😁 Ingredients:

• · 2 ripe Carambola (starfruit), finely diced
• · 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• · 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• · 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• · 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• · Juice of 1 lime
• · 1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup
• · Pinch of salt

📞 Instructions:

• · Combine the diced carambola, red bell pepper, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro in a bowl.
• · Add lime juice, honey, and a pinch of salt. Mix well.
• · Chill in the fridge for 15–30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
• · Serve with tortilla chips, grilled fish, or as a topping for tacos.

🎁 This recipe balances carambola's sweet-tart flavor with a spicy kick! 😏

🛒 Plant your own Carambola Tree

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🌈 Mango Rainbow tasting table: varieties you should try

• 🥭 Kent Mango variety is native to Florida. It is originated in Coconut Grove, in 1945 from a Haden seed.
• 🥭 Kent has an excellent flavor, large size, and very little fiber. Considered by many to be one of the best tasting Florida mangoes and one of the most beautiful, truly rainbow colored fruit!
• 🥭 Eat before fruit gets too ripe.
• 🥭 The most rewarding attribute is a bountiful late season crop.

❔ What Mango varieties do you have in your garden?
Share in comments 👇

📚 Previous Mango Rainbow Tasting Table: 1 • 2 • 3 • 

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💝 Can you grow plums in Florida?

💕 Yes, absolutely! This year, starting end of January, we are harvesting our first Plums... Sweet! 🥰

🎥 Scarlet Beauty Plum. Hypoluxo variety just started flowering, fruit coming soon!

📚 Learn more from previous post:
The most rewarding hardy fruit tree suitable for hot climate: peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums

🛒 Shop Low Chill Peaches, Nectsrunes, and Plums

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🤟 When Peach trees are in full bloom

• 🍑 Our Peach trees are in full bloom now. Early Spring started in January this year in Florida!
• 🍑 You can grow peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums in Florida, provided you choose low-chill varieties. These have been developed specifically for subtropical regions like Central and South Florida, where traditional temperate varieties struggle due to insufficient chill hours.

📚 Learn more from previous post:
The most rewarding hardy fruit tree suitable for hot climate: peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums

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🪚 How to get mango trees to bloom and set fruit

• 🥭 Our Mango garden in Sebring, FL is in full bloom now! Early spring in Florida started in January this year. Surprisingly, all our mango varieties decided to start blooming: - early, mid- and late- season cultivars. It's a stunning view!
• 🥭 Mango trees flower from late Winter to Spring, with the peak blooming season varying based on variety. During this time, mango trees produce hundreds of small, fragrant flowers in large panicles. A healthy mango tree can produce anywhere from 500 to 2,000 flowers per panicle. However, only a small fraction of the flowers will be successfully pollinated and develop into fruit, depending on the tree's size and health.
• 🥭 To support healthy flowering and fruit set, mango trees need dry weather, as excessive moisture can inhibit pollination and fruit development. During flowering period, it's important not to overwater, as the tree is less active in water uptake.
• 🥭 Avoid dry fertilizers during flowering since the tree is focused on reproduction rather than vegetative growth. You may continue applying Sunshine Boosters Mango Tango liquid fertilizer to support the tree's overall health and vigor. Sunshine Boosters deliver essential nutrients in optimum amounts, proportionally to water intake.
• 🥭 Ensuring a dry, sunny environment will help the tree set fruit successfully.

📚 Learn more from previous posts about #Mango varieties

🛒 Check out new Mango varieties - just arrived!

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😛 The star of the orchard

Start Fruit - Carambola Tree (Averrhoa carambola). Growing this tree is a fun and rewarding way to enjoy this unique and delicious fruit right at home!

📚 Learn more from previous posts:
Star Fruit from our garden
How to grow your own Carambola
Top 10 fast-fruiting trees: #8. Carambola - Starfruit
Carambola Banana Whip
Carambola tree is the Star of the orchard

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🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 10: Loquat Tree.

• 🍑 Loquat tree (Eriobotrya japonica) is a fast-growing, drought-tolerant, and highly cold-hardy tropical fruit tree.
• 🍑 Heavy Producer: Loquats are juicy, aromatic, and apricot-like in flavor, ripening from early Spring to early Summer.
• 🍑 Compact and Ideal for Small Gardens: Perfect for beginners and those with limited space.
• 🍑 Undemanding: Loquat trees thrive in any soil, tolerate summer heat, winter cold, heavy rains, and occasional flooding.
• 🍑 Nutrient-Rich: High in sugar, acids, vitamins B and C, minerals, and pectin. Eaten fresh or used in fruit salads, jams, jellies, chutneys, sauces, pies, and wine-making. It's also popular as a natural sweetener.

📚 Learn more from previous posts:

• 🟡about #Loquat
• 🟡Loquat – the Symbol of Prosperity
• 🟡Learn more about Loquats
• 🟡10 best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes

🎥 YouTube video about Loquat
📁 Overlooked fruit: tasty Loquat recipes (PDF)

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🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 9: Jackfruit Tree.

• 🍐 Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is a giant, eye-catching fruit tree and is the largest fruit grown on a tree, making it a showstopper in your fruit tree collection. Everybody wants to grow this giant Nature's Wonder - the biggest fruit in the world grown on a tree!
• 🍐 Nutrient-Packed: Highly nutritious, Jackfruit is often used as a meat substitute in South Asian cuisine, as well as in curries and chutneys. Dehydrated jackfruit chips are a delicious snack.
• 🍐 Fast-Growing and Ornamental: Jackfruit trees are fast-growing with large waxy leaves and ornamental value. They can be maintained at a compact height of 7-8 feet since the fruit grows at the base of the trunk. Keeping it short also makes it easier to protect the tree from cold if needed.
• 🍐 Cold Tolerant: While cool temperatures can reduce fruit production, jackfruit trees are relatively hardy and can survive light frost. Established trees are more cold-hardy than young seedlings.
• 🍐 Fast Fruiting: Jackfruit trees start producing fruit within 3-4 years from seed. Varieties come true to seed, so grafting is unnecessary, however, can be done when you need a particular variety.

📚 Learn more from previous posts:

• 🟡about #Jackfruit
• 🟡 How to Grow Jackfruit: Practical Guide
• 🟡10 best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes

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🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 8: Guava Tree.

• 🍉 Guava Tree (Psidium sp.) - Guava trees are beloved for their flavorful fruit, commonly used in juices, drinks, and desserts.
• 🍉 Popular Varieties: include Psidium guajava (Tropical Guava), Psidium littorale (Cattley Guava), Psidium friedrichsthalianum (Cas guava), and Feijoa sellowiana (Pineapple Guava).
• 🍉 Cold Hardy: Despite its "Tropical" name, the Tropical Guava is relatively cold-hardy, and other varieties are even hardier, suitable for cooler climates with occasional frost.
• 🍉 Water Needs: Guava trees like water and can tolerate some flooding.
• 🍉 Compact Growth: Guavas are medium size bushes or trees that can be easily maintained at any height and shape.
• 🍉 Fast Fruiting: Guava trees are quick to fruit, often within a year of planting, and some start fruiting in containers as small as 1 gallon.
• 🍉 Dwarf Variety: The Nana variety is perfect for container culture, producing full-sized fruit in a compact form.
• 🍉 Pest Control: In humid areas with rainy seasons, check for mealybugs, which can be controlled with neem oil as needed.
• 🍉 Endless Supply: Planting multiple guava trees ensures a constant supply of fresh, juicy fruit and flavorful guava juice loved by kids and adults.

📚 Learn more from previous posts:

• 🟡about #Guava
• 🟡10 best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes

🛒 Shop Guava varieties

#Food_Forest #Guava

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