Guava Trees
Guava Trees can be reliably found in the United States in Hawaii and Florida and a few sheltered areas in California and Texas. The trees are very frost tender. Young trees will die if exposed to freezing temperatures, but adult trees may survive short periods of cold. The plants produce sweet fruits that are high in vitamin C and are excellent eaten fresh or in desserts.
Guava plants will thrive in almost any soil but will produce better in rich soils high in organic matter. They also prefer a well-drained soil in the pH range of 5 to 7 and typically do not tolerate salty soils.
The Guava should be planted in full sun for best flowering and fruit production. These trees should be planted in well-drained soil where its roots have room to spread. Guava trees should be fertilized every one to two months while young and then three to four times per year as the tree matures. Guava trees need a high amount of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, along with some magnesium for maximum fruit production. Using 6-6-6-2 as an example, this should be worked into soil just before the beginning of the growing season and then evenly spaced out three times during the growth period. Guavas are fast growers and considered heavy feeders.
The trees should be watered frequently after planting and mature trees should be kept moderately moist during the blooming and fruiting seasons. The tree can take temporary water logging. Once established, caring for a guava fruit tree is similar to any fruiting tree care.
Shaping the tree and removing water shoots and suckers are usually all that is necessary. Guavas can take heavy pruning, however, and can be used as hedges or screens in landscaping a yard.
Guava flesh may be white, pink, yellow, or red. They have a sweet, musky odor. In warmer regions guavas will ripen all year. There is a distinctive change in the color and aroma of the guava that has ripened. For the best flavor, allow fruit to ripen on the tree. They can also be picked when green and allowed to ripen off the tree at room temperature.
