Guava Tree Plant Care

Tips from Top Tropicals Plant Expert - Tatiana Anderson

Where to Plant Outdoors

Guavas love full sun — aim for 6–8 hours of direct light. They’re adaptable to many soils but do best in well-drained, organic-enriched mixes. Plant them in a spot where you can water easily; guavas are thirsty trees during fruiting.

Container & Indoor Growing

Don’t have space or live in a cooler climate? Guavas thrive in large pots. Use well-drained potting mix. LINK TO OUR SOIL Keep them on a sunny patio during warm months and bring them indoors when nights dip below freezing. Compact varieties like Dwarf Hawaiian Rainbow or Tikal are especially good for pots.

Winter Care

Mature guavas can handle a light frost (down into the high 20s F), but young plants need protection. If planted outdoors, cover them with frost cloth on cold nights. Container guavas can be wheeled into a garage, greenhouse, or bright indoor window until the weather warms.

Watering and Fertilizing

Water deeply once or twice a week, more often in hot weather or when fruit is developing. They don’t like soggy soil, but they won’t complain about short floods either. Fertilize 3–4 times a year during the growing season with a balanced fruit tree fertilizer. Guavas especially love potassium and phosphorus for strong flowering and heavy crops. We recommend liquid crop booster Sunshine C-Cibus and balanced controlled release fertilizer Green Magic.

Pruning

Prune after fruiting to keep them compact and open up airflow. Remove crossing or dead branches. In containers, trim back vigorous shoots regularly to manage size and encourage more fruiting wood.

Pests and Problems

Guavas are generally tough and pest-resistant. The main thing to watch for in humid or rainy climates is mealybugs - those cottony white clusters on leaves or stems. They're easy to manage with neem oil or a quick spray of horticultural soap.

Fruit time

Guavas fruit young - often within a year or two.

Pollination

Guavas are self-pollinating, so you'll get fruit even with a single tree. Planting more than one tree, however, often boosts harvests and gives you a longer fruiting season.

If you've ever wanted instant gratification from a fruit tree, guava is it.

🍴 Guava Recipes

With all that fruit, the next question is always: "What do I do with it?" Here are our favorites:

• Cas Guava: Make Agua de Cas

  Boil halved Cas Guava fruits with sugar, simmer, strain, and bottle. Dilute with water when serving. The concentrate keeps for months in the fridge.
  Check out the recipe.

• Hawaiian Gold: Make Drinks

  Perfect for Mojitos or Margaritas. Sweet, tangy juice pairs beautifully with lime and mint. Learn more

• Araca Pera: Guava Wine

  Famous in Brazil, where the fruit is turned into a vibrant rosу wine. Locals say it’s the taste of summer in a glass — and yes, you can make it at home too. Learn more...

• Quick snack: Guava Grilled Cheese

  Spread guava paste or fresh mashed fruit with cheese, grill until golden. Sweet and savory heaven. Learn more...

• Simple Guava Juice

  Blend ripe guavas with water, ice, and a little sugar if you like. Instant refreshment.

✅Ready to Grow? Whether you want fresh juice, sweet fruit, or even your own guava wine, we’ve got the best varieties in stock right now. Your future self, sipping guava juice on a hot summer afternoon, will thank you.

👉 Order your guava tree today

Dragon Fruit Plant Care – Tips from the Garden Expert

Dragon fruit is one of those plants that look exotic but are surprisingly easy once you know the basics. Here is what works best in the garden:

• Soil: They hate wet feet. A sandy, fast-draining soilless-mix is your friend. If water sits around the roots, rot comes fast.
• Watering: Deep watering is better than frequent sips. Let the soil dry between waterings. In rainy season they cope well, but in pots you need to be careful.
• Sunlight: Full sun is great, but in very hot places a touch of afternoon shade keeps them happy.
• Support: They are natural climbers. A wooden post, concrete pole, or trellis will give them something to grab and makes harvest easier.
• Fertilizer: Feed lightly but often. A gentle liquid like Sunshine C-Cibus liquid booster with every watering, or Green Magic controlled release fertilizer every 5-6 months. It encourages strong roots, lush growth, and lots of flowers.
• Pruning: Trim off tangled or weak stems. This guides energy into strong branches that will flower and fruit.

Think of it as training a cactus vine into a small tree. Once it settles in, it almost takes care of itself — and pays back with fruit you can’t buy in stores.

🌱 Dragon Fruit Plant Care – Outdoors and Indoors

Outdoors: Dragon fruit thrives in USDA Zones 10–11 year-round. In warm regions like Florida, Texas, California, and Hawaii, you can grow it outside in the ground. Give it fast-draining soil, full sun with a little afternoon shade in the hottest months, and a sturdy trellis or post to climb. Deep watering with drying periods in between keeps roots healthy. A yearly pruning shapes the plant and boosts flowering.

Indoors or Patio Pots: Gardeners in cooler zones can still enjoy dragon fruit in containers. Use a large pot with sandy, well-draining mix or soilless-mix and a pole for support. Place the pot in the brightest spot — a greenhouse, sunroom, or patio that gets 6+ hours of light daily. Move pots inside when temperatures drop below 40F. Even indoors, a healthy plant can bloom and fruit if it has enough light and warmth.

❓ Dragon Fruit FAQ

How soon will a dragon fruit start producing?

Cuttings can flower and fruit in as little as 2–3 years. Seed-grown plants take longer, often 4–6 years. Large developed specimens can start flowering and fruiting within a year or even the same season.

Do I need more than one plant for pollination?

Some varieties are self-fertile, others need a second plant for cross-pollination. Even self-fertile types usually set more fruit with a partner nearby.

How big do they get?

In the ground, dragon fruit can climb 15–20 ft if you let it. With pruning and a trellis, you can keep it shaped like a small tree, 6–8 ft tall.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes. A large container with sandy mix or soilless-mix and a pole for climbing works well. Indoors it will need bright light or a grow lamp.

What does a dragon fruit taste like?

Sweet and juicy, like a blend of blackberry and raspberry. Varieties differ: flesh can be white, pink, deep red, or purple, wrapped in skins of red, pink, or yellow. White flesh is mild and refreshing, red flesh is sweeter, and yellow flesh is the sweetest with a honey-pineapple flavor.

What zones can I grow dragon fruit outside?

USDA Zones 10–11 are best for year-round outdoor planting. In cooler areas, grow it in containers and bring inside for winter.

How often should I water?

Deep water, then let the soil dry. Too much water causes root rot. Think “desert cactus with a taste for rain.”

Is dragon fruit easy to grow?

Yes. Pitayas grow like cactus trees on strong supports, but they are easy to care for — little water, sun or semi-shade, and they thrive.

How long do they live?

A healthy dragon fruit cactus can produce for 10 years or more with proper care.

What are the health benefits?

Dragon fruit is high in fiber, supports digestion, and is low in calories. It is rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, making it good for immunity and overall wellness. Many gardeners enjoy it as a healthy snack or in smoothies.

Explore Dragon Fruit varieties

Mulberry Care and Growing Tips

Mulberries are tough, low-maintenance fruit trees that adapt to many conditions.

• Climate: Hardy from USDA zone 5 to 10.
• Soil: Grow well in almost any soil; prefer good drainage.
• Watering: Regular watering during dry spells; drought tolerant once etablished.
• Growth: 3–5 feet per year, producing fruit early.
• Pruning: Annual pruning controls size and improves branching.
• Pot culture: Dwarf types thrive in containers, staying 6–7 feet tall. Use a large pot, water consistently, and prune lightly. Use Abundance potting mix for best results.
• Fertilizer: For reliable production, fertilizer regularly. Apply Sunshine C-Cibus liquid booster with every watering, or Green Magic controlled release fertilizer every 5-6 months.

❓ Mulberry FAQ

How soon will a mulberry fruit?

One to two years, sometimes the very first season.

What climates are suitable?

USDA zones 5–10, from -20F winters to hot summers.

How tall do they get?

Standard trees 20–30 ft; dwarfs 6–10 ft in pots.

Do I need more than one tree?

No, they are self-pollinating.

What do they taste like?

Sweet and juicy, like a blend of blackberry and raspberry.

How long is the harvest?

Everbearing types ripen gradually from summer into fall.

Do birds eat them?

Yes, but trees are so productive there’s plenty to share.

Are they messy?

Dark-fruited varieties can stain; white mulberries do not.

Can I grow them in containers?

Yes, dwarf types (Dwarf Everbearing, Issai) fruit well in pots.

How long do they live?

Many live for decades; Illinois Everbearing can endure for generations.

What are the health benefits?

Mulberries are low-glycemic, support healthy blood sugar, improve heart health, and are rich in antioxidants.

Shop Mulberries

Ground Orchid FAQ – Your Questions Answered

Why should I buy them?

Because they give you more bloom for less effort. They flower on and off almost all year, they’re tough, and they come in colors you can actually plan a garden around.

Will they survive winter in my area?

In frost-free zones, yes, they come back bigger every year. If you’re farther north, just keep them in pots and bring them inside for the cold months.

Do they really bloom in shade?

They do. We’ve got a clump under a big oak and it still puts on a show. Not as heavy as full sun, but enough to brighten the spot.

How big do they get?

Depends which one. Spathoglottis stays neat, about knee-high. Nun Orchid shoots up tall spikes that can hit 4 ft. So you can go small or dramatic.

Are they hard to care for like other orchids?

Not at all. Forget the bark mix and misting bottles. Just plant them in soil, keep the water steady, and feed once in a while. That’s it.

Can I grow them in pots?

Absolutely. They do great in containers. Makes it easy if you’ve only got a patio or you want to move them in for winter. Use well-drained soilless mix like Abundance Potting Mix.

Do they attract pollinators?

Yep. Bees love them, butterflies too, and every so often a hummingbird will check them out.

What is the best fertilizer?

For extra blooms, we use Sunshine Orchidasm – Orchid TotalFeed Booster. Works like a charm!

Shop ground orchids

📅 Do not miss: September 6 - Fall Plant Market!

Saturday, September 6, 2025: 9 am - 4 pm

Fall is just around the corner, but Florida is still full of sunshine and growing energy! It’s one of the best times to plant - cooler days are coming, but there are still months of warmth ahead for your garden to thrive. Our nursery is bursting with big, healthy plants that grew all summer long - loaded with blooms, fruit, and lush foliage, ready to shine in your yard.
Come stroll the gardens with our PeopleCats, enjoy the most beautiful season for planting, and let us help you find the perfect picks for your space. Bring your friends and family for a weekend of fun, color, and fresh ideas - this is your moment to plant, grow, and enjoy!

Explore the Event

Event Highlights:

30% OFF online prices
FREE plant with any purchase (including Guava)
Gift bags for first 25 customers with $50+ order
Special deals on select plants
Exciting raffle prizes
Green Magic fertilizer FREE samples
The LAST PERFORMANCE of the Famous Hand Pan Lady! (She is moving from Florida)
See her previous performance at Top Tropicals - here and here.

Event discounts valid at both locations:

Ft Myers Garden Center: 13890 Orange River, Ft Myers, FL
Sebring B-Farm: 9100 McRoy Rd, Sebring, FL

to confirm attendance
RSVP on Facebook!