Strawberry guava is a tropical tree native to South America, it bears fruits similar to guavas but smaller, pink in color and with a sweet and sour strawberry taste. It can be planted from a pot in the patio of the house to the garden. Today we are going to know the care of strawberry guava, do you dare to plant it?
Contents
Characteristics of Strawberry Guava
Its scientific name is Psidium cattleianum.it’s good to know because when buying seeds you will buy the right plant if you look for it with the scientific name-, is native to Brazil and is a fruit tree that can reach several meters in height, although it bears fruit when it is about one and a half meters in height, of course, if the conditions are optimal.
It has a tropical or Mediterranean climate that does not have many frosts, being able to withstand -5 degrees Celsius.
The first leaves that the strawberry guava sheds are red or purple and it is not due to its name, it does it to protect itself from the cold because with this color they capture more solar energy and rise several degrees in temperature, thus avoiding freezing.
Strawberry guava bears flowers in the spring with a sweet smell that attracts many pollinators. The fruits will be ripe between 90 and 150 days later, generally in the middle of summer. In temperate climates, they can flower all year round.
SmartMe Strawberry Guava Shrub Small Tree Psidium…
- Psidium littorale var. Cattleianum Strawberry Guava
- A shrub or small tree, originally native to tropical South America, but now widespread in cultivation and even more widespread as a famous escapee from cultivation.
- The small yellow or red fruits are slightly tart and reminiscent of strawberries or passion fruit. They are mainly used to make jam.
- They need a deep container as the taproot is up to 15cm long.
Strawberry Guava Treatment
Strawberry guavas are not very demanding trees, but we will still clarify their vital conditions.
Sun and temperature
This tree grows well in full sun, it can withstand frost and temperatures down to -5°C. If necessary, we can protect it with a thermal mesh. It grows well at temperatures between 21 and 29ºC.
The water
Strawberry guava requires regular watering of at least once a week to thrive, although it can handle short periods of drought. When it produces fruit, it will need more water, so it needs to be watered more so that the fruit grows well and does not fall off.
Earth
It needs sandy loam soil with a pH between 5 and 7. Well-drained and rich in organic matter.
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They must be fertilized 3 times a year, in spring, summer and autumn with fertilizers with a slightly acidic pH and with a ratio of 6-6-6 for good production.
Cut
Strawberry guava does not require pruning. Although if you have to prune it for some reason, the ideal season is fall when the fruiting season ends.
How to Germinate Strawberry Guava Seeds
As we mentioned at the beginning, strawberry guava is not a common tree to see in stores, so its seeds can be purchased online for planting. Although if we know someone who has it or see it in a garden, cuttings or fruit can be obtained.
In the event that you can get very ripe fruits, the process for getting seeds is as follows. Although it is not the same fruit, I extracted them in the same way as physalis.
In a temperate climate it is not very difficult to germinate strawberry guava seeds, I planted them in a rectangular pot and in about 8 weeks they germinated, although it can take up to 12 weeks.
If you live in a colder climate, you can opt for a heated bed so that you can germinate seeds more efficiently.
Once the seeds germinate and grow about 3 or 4 cm, you can transplant them. It’s a hardy tree, I transplanted some without soil in the roots and they stuck well. New plants should be placed in an area with little direct sunlight. This is how they grow.
It’s time to plant the strawberry guava in its final place
It is best to transplant the guava tree into the orchard in the spring when it is about 30 cm or more tall and you can see that it is already hardened, which means it has wood. This is the best time as there is still a possibility of rain and is when there is more sunshine available.
We can protect it from animals with netting or other mechanisms. I usually use long pots that have collapsed, although both protections can be used depending on the animals around your area. The recommended pots for its final transplant should be at least 60 liters for the tree to develop well.
In my urban garden I usually use black canecones which I make holes in the bottom with a drill. It’s cheaper and just as effective as a pot. The tree will bear fruit 2-4 years after transplanting.
SmartMe Strawberry Guava Shrub Small Tree Psidium…
- Psidium littorale var. Cattleianum Strawberry Guava
- A shrub or small tree, originally native to tropical South America, but now widespread in cultivation and even more widespread as a famous escapee from cultivation.
- The small yellow or red fruits are slightly tart and reminiscent of strawberries or passion fruit. They are mainly used to make jam.
- They need a deep container as the taproot is up to 15cm long.
Harvest and storage
If the fruit is left to ripen on the tree, it acquires a sweeter and richer flavor, although it can also be harvested green and stored in the refrigerator for 1 month to take out later and ripen at room temperature. with which you can prepare strawberry guava juice for example.
Plagues and diseases
Strawberry guavas are susceptible to the fruit fly Ceratitis capitata which lays its eggs and its larvae feed inside by creating galleries. It is easy to know that a fruit is infected because when you open it you can see white larvae without legs moving inside. The best way to fight it is by trapping, hanging traps with peach juice inside, because this fly is attracted to yellow and orange colors.
Another of the pests that affect them is the black lapilla or black hat, it is a kind of sucking insect that clings with a shell to the branches and under the leaves. One of the cases in which it must be pruned is if we have this pest to air the tree. The truth is that in ecological terms I had to do a very extreme pruning to be able to control this plague. My recommendation is to prevent the ants from climbing the tree because they are the ones who bring the plague.
Ants, the eternal rivals, one way I’ve found to stop them from climbing trees is to add rat glue around the trunk, the whole trunk isn’t needed, just a little ring at the bottom and that the surface does not rub against the branches no walls.
A very common soil pest is the root-knot nematode which can be kept at bay by planting mats, remember that this plant emits a substance that repels them.
Strawberry guava can contract diseases related to poor drainage, so it is recommended do not overwater if the soil becomes waterlogged and improve the organic matter present to facilitate filtration.
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