What Is Red Guava Tree?
The red guava tree (Psidium cattleianum) is a tropical or near-tropical crop cultivated in warm climates around the world. It is grown both commercially and in private gardens for use as an ornamental. The most common color of the fruit produced by Psidium cattleianum, or red guava, is yellow, but the tree also bears fruit in red, pink, and purple shades. Plants grown for their edible fruit are propagated by seed and grow best in well-drained soil in areas that receive full sun or partial shade.
What Is Red Guava Tree Care & Maintenance:
The plant also adapts well to container culture, making red guava tree care simple. In the home landscape, soil composed of equal parts loam and peat moss makes an ideal growing medium for Psidium cattleianum plants. Just make sure the soil drains well so that it doesn’t become waterlogged, as this can cause root rot.
The red guava tree is also quite tolerant to drought. It can survive in areas of moderate frost, so long as it receives at least six hours of daylight a day in warm tropical climates, where the temperature rarely drops below 20 degrees F.
Little protection is needed for this plant. However, if grown in cooler regions, hardier varieties are available that can tolerate temperatures down to about 10 degrees F. These plants require some form of foundation protection through the winter months if you grow them in containers or with an above-ground root system.
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Light Requirements
Plants grown in full sunlight will bear more fruit, though it is possible to have success with the tree in light shade. Red guava trees prefer open areas where no tall trees are shading out all of the sun. If your site has taller vegetation that shades out the red guava tree, consider pruning or removing those trees for a couple of years until the Psidium cattleianum can become established and grow into a canopy large enough to support itself without help from other plants.
This plant also thrives in bright interior spaces so long as you provide adequate natural illumination through windows or skylights. Water Requirements
Red guava trees thrive on regular watering throughout their growing season; however, they are more susceptible to pests and disease when they are watered too frequently or too heavily.
Water your tree deeply but less frequently. Young plants should be watered deeply once every 10 days, while older trees need watering about once a month during the growing season.
Red guava trees require thorough watering, so all of the soil around the root system must become moistened when you water your plant. This is especially true in containers; container-grown plants typically dry out faster than those planted directly in the ground.
A slow drip system provides an even supply of moisture for the entire root system and helps prevent over-watering problems. Fertilizer Requirements
Plants grown from seed will benefit from applications of a balanced fertilizer at planting time followed by additional feedings every six to eight weeks through the growing season. An application of compost or rotted manure will give your plant a boost and help protect it against pests such as earwigs, mealy bugs, mites, and scale insects.
Water Requirements
Red guava trees thrive on regular watering throughout their growing season; however, they are more susceptible to pests and disease when they are watered too frequently or too heavily.
Water your tree deeply but less frequently. Young plants should be watered deeply once every 10 days, while older trees need watering about once a month during the growing season.
A slow drip system provides an even supply of moisture for the entire root system and helps prevent over-watering problems.
Soil Requirements: Red
Guava trees require well-drained soils amended with compost or rotted leaf litter. This will help loosen the soil around the root system, allowing for better growth and development.
Soil pH:
Red guava trees prefer alkaline soils. For best results, amend your potting mix with dolomitic lime to maintain a pH of 7.0 to 7.5; this will prevent brown leaf tips on your plant’s leaves as well as promote deeper root development.
Fertilizer Requirements Regular applications of fertilizer formulated specifically for flowering plants are important throughout the growing season from bud break through mid-October when fruit begins forming on female plants.
A balanced, general-purpose fertilizer applied at planting time followed by supplemental feedings every six to eight weeks during the growing season is sufficient for most plants.
Temperature and Humidity Requirements:
Red guava trees can tolerate heat and humidity; however, they do prefer moderate temperatures. High heat and humidity can cause leaf drop on this plant as well as delay flowering.
Lighting Requirements:
Red guava plants require full sun to perform at their best. They will grow in partial shade but may not bear fruit if grown under less than optimal conditions where sunlight is limited or completely blocked by tall trees or other tall landscape plants.
Fertilizing Requirements:
Plants grown from seed will benefit from applications of a balanced fertilizer at planting time followed by additional feedings every six to eight weeks through the growing season. An application of compost or rotted manure will give your plant a boost and help protect it against pests such as earwigs, mealy bugs, mites, and scale insects.
Pruning Requirements:
Red guava trees are evergreen; however, you can trim off dead or diseased branches during the dormant season (late fall through winter). However, pruning is not necessary for healthy growth. Mature trees produce large amounts of fruit that require some pruning to maintain good air circulation around the tree. Because red guava fruits have a short shelf life once they are harvested, be sure to thin out some of your crops if you plan on storing them for more than a week or two.
Harvesting Requirements:
Red guava fruits ripen in late spring and early summer. Some fruit may appear before the plant flowers, but it is important not to harvest this fruit unless it has turned deep yellowish-orange; otherwise, it will be sour and have low sugar content. The fruit produced after flowering should appear shortly after the tree has finished blooming (when flower petals begin falling from the tree).
Fruit picked when they are still green can be allowed to ripen under refrigeration at 45°F (+7°C) until they turn yellow with soft flesh that gives slightly when pressed. Remember, unripe guava fruit is sour and will not taste good or ripen properly if left on the tree.
Most red guava varieties do not store well for more than a few days once they have been picked; however, some varieties such as ‘Femminello’ can be stored under refrigeration until they are fully ripe with soft, yellow flesh that gives slightly when pressed.
Fruit can also be frozen whole or pureed for smoothies, ice cream, or other desserts after several weeks of ripening at room temperature (70°F (+21°C)). The flavor of the fresh-picked fruits tends to improve as it ages. =
Potting and repotting Requirements:
Freshly-chipped red guava wood contains a natural fungicide (resin) that can hinder the growth of many common plant diseases. Fungicides are not needed on healthy plants, and if overused, they can cause damage to your plant. It is best to let nature take its course when treating disease problems rather than applying chemicals at the first sign of trouble.
Avoiding Problems:
Most problems affecting red guava trees are related to improper watering practices. Overwatering caused by allowing water to stand in the saucer under the pot or allowing the soil mix to become soggy for extended periods often results in root rot and tip burn on leaves – two common problems associated with moisture stress.
Yellowing leaves with brown leaf margins are often a sign of over-watering. Overhead watering can cause leaves to develop brown or black spots, and a condition referred to as leaf scorch. This condition is more prevalent when temperatures are warm – overhead watering should be avoided on hot days.
Red guava trees that produce fruits in cooler months may drop fruit if daytime temperatures rise above the mid-80s F (27 C) during the growing season because the tree’s internodes (where flowers and new growth occur) will shorten to protect themselves from high humidity and heat stress. The fruit set will resume once temperatures cool down again.
What Is Red Guava Tree Propagation info:
Propagation is done by seed or vegetative means. Seeds can be germinated in vermiculite using bottom heat with supplemental lighting at 70°F (+21°C). A fungicide on the seeds before sowing and early eradication of fungal diseases is also recommended for healthy young plants. Cuttings can be taken from side shoots two months after flowering during the early summer.
What Is Red Guava Tree Problems:
Birds and squirrels love to eat sweet, ripe red guava fruits. Since birds have a keen sense of smell, to avoid attracting them: 1) don’t allow ripe or unripe fruit to sit on the ground 2) remove fruit as they ripen 3) pick fallen fruit from the ground before it has time to attract too many pests and 4) plant your tree in areas where you can easily protect against unwanted guests.
Animals such as rats may also be attracted by the sweet, juicy flesh of fruits that fall to the ground – plant your trees away from fences if possible.
Insects & Mites:
Because red guava fruits are both nutritious and delicious, hordes of hungry insects often invade garden areas searching for an easy meal. Keeping the soil and foliage free of weeds is one measure you can take to discourage insects from congregating under your tree.
Fruit flies, aphids, and mealybugs are often found on young growth during warm weather months and tend to migrate from nearby fields that have been sprayed with pesticides or herbicides – avoid these for best results!
Nematodes and other microscopic pests are sometimes associated with moist, sandy soils; however, it is hard to predict when a problem may occur – taking preventative measures such as watering at the bases rather than over them will lessen the chances of problems.
When disease does occur, look around your yard for signs of such things as moldy leaves or excess thatch (inviting conditions for pests to breed) and take steps to remedy the problem.
Insects, mites, and nematodes are best controlled with soil drenches of insect-fighting solutions such as pyrethrum or horticultural oils – these can be purchased at your local garden center or nursery.
Avoid broad-spectrum pesticides such as Sevin and Malathion, which kill large numbers of insects but do not discriminate between harmful and beneficial species like bees, ladybugs, etc.
