Strawberry Guava Tree (Psidium cattleianum) is also a simple plant to care for and once the plant is cared for it will grow rather easily.
Quick Care Tips
Strawberry Guava is a tropical tree that loves sunshine. If you are growing the Strawberry Guava tree indoors, make sure to give it as much sunshine as possible. In order to grow a Strawberry Guava tree at home, make sure that you can provide a warm temperature range of 70°F to 84°F. When growing a Strawberry Guava Tree outdoors, it will need a sunny spot in the yard.
The Strawberry Guava Tree is a small tree that can grow to about 15 feet. This tree acts as a small ornamental tree for your yard.
As a tropical tree, the growing Strawberry Guava Tree requires lots of water. This tree is drought resistant, but will grow faster with a good water supply. When growing a Strawberry Guava Tree, make sure that your soil is rich and moist enough to enable the plant to grow.
Planting Strawberry Guava
Strawberry Guava (Psidium cattleianum) is a small tropical tree that gets its name from the sweet and aromatic strawberry-like fruits that it bears. These trees are originally from South America- Brazil but are now grown in many tropical countries throughout the world. In the United States, Strawberry Guava is grown primarily in Hawaii and Florida where it is valued for its beautiful deep green leaves that complement the other tropical or subtropical plants in the landscape.
Strawberry Guava is not a true guava and it's also not related to the strawberries that we eat in the supermarket. The fruits produced are small and look very much like tiny strawberries with the exception that it is not really a strawberry. The fruit flesh is very sweet and is eaten both fresh and when processed into jams and preserves.
Strawberry Guava Plant Care
The Strawberry Guava shrub or plant is an easy to grow fruit bearing tree that will produce delicious fruits.
So how can you take care of this plant?
Sun and Temperature
Strawberry Guava Trees need good weather conditions to grow. These fruit producing guavas will thrive in the subtropical and tropical regions. When you are selecting a place to plant your tree, you should keep temperatures warm and humid.
If you live in a hot climate, it is better to plant the tree in the shade or partially under a taller tree that grows fruit. Sunlight that is too hot can cause blossom damage.
These trees must be protected from freezing winds that will harm them.
When your tree is young, it is recommended to put mulch to provide the soil with the proper amount of moisture. Mulch will also be of benefit to the tree if the tree is growing in the dry soil.
Water
Strawberry Guava is a semi-tropical plant, so as mentioned it should be protected from frost. The tree grows well in tropical climate as the plant loves full sun and requires constant warmth.
This plant is known as a drought-tolerant plant, and requires less watering than most fruit bearing plants. However, the plant can only tolerate droughts for a shorter period of tme only. Therefore it is essential for you to water the plant regularly.
The plant grows up to 30 feet tall if you keep the plant in a sunny location and water the plant once a week.
Try to water the plant with warm, not cold water, because cool water may make the stems go limp. Steer clear of using water that does contain chlorine or fluoride.
Soil
Strawberry Guava Trees need well-drained loamy soil that is slightly acidic.
Warmer soil is far more desirable but remember the Strawberry Guava Tree can grow in either full or partial sun exposure conditions, though exposure to strong sunlight will affect the overall fruit yield and nutrient levels in the tree's ripe fruit.
Make sure that the soil is high in organic matter.
You can cover the young trees with a simple row cover or newspaper for the first year after planting so as to help the young tree settle in. After that the tree should remain uncovered in the spring and summer. The tree grows very slowly and needs this extra time to gain energy for producing fruit.
Fertilizing
The Strawberry Guava Tree is not a very fussy plant when it comes to fertilizer.
Generally, don't worry about fertilizing often. The plant is a tropical plant, and it likes warm weather. However, when temperatures drop, the plant's growth will slow down. It is ideal to add fertilizer in the fall. You can also add fertiliser in summer and spring. Fertilizing the soil in spring when growth begins is best. This will give your tree a kick-start and will prevent the tree from becoming a weak plant.
If you have older, weaker trees, and they are not growing very well, it could be a sign that you need to fertilize the soil.
Fertilize the tree with a balanced, plant-based fertilizer that contains nutrients A, B, C, and D, as well as iron. Follow the directions on the fertilizer bag carefully to ensure that your Strawberry Guava Tree receives the proper balance of the fertilizer.
As with most trees, avoid applying fertilizer to the leaves or the ground around the tree.
If you do not have the time or resources to fertilize the soil, you can buy a special fertilizer solution made specifically for the Strawberry Guava tree. These commercial products are made with just the right dimensions of nutrients to keep your plant healthy.
Pruning
Strawberry Guava is a small tree that grows with cone-shaped green leaves and red edible fruit no larger than a cherry. Like with many other trees, the Strawberry Guava tree must be pruned in order to keep the tree small and the fruit within reach.
In addition to pruning, the Strawberry Guava Tree needs constant watering. Without a steady supply of water, the tree will wither and die.
Pruning and other maintenance are required to keep this tree looking attractive and producing a pulpy, flavorful fruit.
Listed below is a guide on how to prune:
Step 1
Keep the tree small, by pruning the main trunk. Prune as soon as you bring your plant home. This will prevent the tree from growing out of control.
Step 2
Remove debris from the surface of the soil every other month and water the tree whenever the topsoil is dry.
Step 3
Apply fertilizer on more or less the same dates that you remove tree debris. Apply the fertilizer lightly to the soil.
Step 4
Pinch off any litter that forms around the base of the Strawberry Guava Tree.
Step 5
Place a stick over the plant periodically to support its branches. Remove the stick when the tree is well established.
Propagating Strawberry Guava
Strawberry Guava Trees are easy to grow, but they do require a few factors in order to grow them properly.
In order for the fruit of the Strawberry Guava Tree to reach its full growth potential, you will want to make sure that you have the male and female parts of the plant separated from each other.
In most cases, you can tell them apart because the male plant features flowers that com looks like a spike, whereas the female Strawberry Guava Tree's flowers take the form of clusters.
Once you have the male and female parts of the plant separated from each other, you will need to remove the flowers of the male plant.
When propagating, remove the ripe seeds from ripe berries. Wash them and store in an airtight container so that you can always plant them at a later stage.
Harvesting and Storing Strawberry Guava
This tree provides a year-round supply of fruit to the homeowner. One tree produces fruit for over 15 years with new trunks being produced the entire time.
Strawberry Guava is served fresh in fruit bowls. On the other hand, it can be canned and used in beverages and main dishes.
The fruit can be eaten fresh or used in recipes. The fruit can be eaten at any stage, but the best fruit is handled at ripeness. Most fruits are mature just before they fall off the tree. The leaves, stems, and unripe fruit are toxic. It is important to wear rubber gloves while handling the tree or picking the fruit.
These Strawberry Guavas can be stored for up to one week in the refrigerator. To store the fruit for longer periods of time, peel and cut horizontally. Freeze the cut fruit in airtight bags and use within three months. The plucked fruit can be pureed without being thawed first. This makes them ideal for sauces. They also make a great base for smoothies and ice cream!
Uses
The nutritional benefits of the Guava fruit are well known in many countries. The young leaves and shoots can be eaten raw, stewed, or made into a succulent tea. The fruit is also a good source of vitamin C. The seed of this fruit is a popular snack and is very rich in oils.
The flesh of the fruit is also referred to as the pulp or the meat of the fruit. In some cases, only the flesh is consumed. In other cases, the seeds and the flesh of the fruit are consumed together.
Growing Problems
If your Strawberry Guava Tree begins to fail, there are several total failure scenarios that can produce got results. If the tree has problems with the leaves, it is often due to either over fertilization or improper watering techniques.
If the leaves turn yello, there is a high possibility that your tree has a nutrient toxicity.
You should remove the yellow leaves and pour a palm full of potassium permanganate on the soil, around the base of the tree.
A good way to fight any deficiencies is to give the tree 20 ml magnesium sulfate solution per liter of water every week.
Pests and Diseases
The Strawberry Guava Tree is an easy plant to grow and generally is always pest free.
However, Strawberry Guava Trees are also not very susceptible to diseases. There are some diseases that may affect your trees but there are also preventive measures. Some of the diseases that may affect the trees are Fusarium wilt, and powdery mildew.
Fusarium Wilt
This disease is caused by the soil borne fungus. In the early stages you can see leaves wilt, yellowing of the leaves, failure to bloom, and the death of twigs and branches. If it is not treated well, the tree will die. Some of the preventive measures for this disease include installing a drainage system, planting the tree in a non-wet area, planting the tree in soil that has the right pH level, and planting the tree in well drained soil.
Powdery Mildew
This disease is caused by a fungus that attacks the leaves. As a result of this attack on the leaves, the tree may wilt and leaves may fall. To prevent this disease you have to space the trees, give the tree sun exposure, prune the infected branches, and remove the dead leaves. You can also protect the trees from this disease by installing the drip irrigation system.
FAQs
What Plant Should I Use to Support the Growth of my Strawberry Guava Tree?
Strawberry Guava Trees are very durable and can handle many growing environments. If the tree is grown in the ground, it needs plenty of room for its roots to spread out. Once this tree gets close to the size of two feet in diameter, it is very sturdy and the roots will take up the space needed. The tree can survive and even thrive in the conditions like full sun or full shade, hot or cold temperatures, and retains moisture as long as it is not flooded. It can even survive fires. It is not best, but the tree can survive moisture levels that are low. The tree will survive if you prune it quite a bit.
How Deep Should the Container be?
The best container size used for a Strawberry Guava Tree should be as tall as the potted plant and as wide as the distance between the two eyes of the tree. That is the trunk. If the plant comes with another trunk, take that into account as well. The depth of the container depends on what is being planted in it.For the Strawberry Guava Tree, the depth should be about as wide as the container you are using.
Conclusion
Your Strawberry Guava Tree can withstand almost anything if you provide the best care for it.