How to Train Guava Trees
Guava is a low, spreading tree that fruits throughout the year. In the United States guava are grown predominantly in southern Texas, southern California, Hawaii, and Florida. The guava tree features a flaky copper bark and small fruits, which may smell sweet or musky when ripe. Popular types of guava include strawberry, pineapple, ruby, red, and white. Guavas tolerate humid and dry climates and need full sun to fruit properly. Train young guava trees to branch laterally in order to maximize your crop. You'll need to provide a leader line and prune judiciously, but you'll be rewarded with ample fruit. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Guava tree
- Wooden posts
- Thin wire
- Anvil pruning shears
- Fertilizer
- Water
Instructions
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1
Plant your young guava tree in a sunny location. By planting a sapling, you can begin to train the tree to produce lateral growth immediately.
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2
After the tree has acclimated to its setting, ideally sometime in the first month, prune the tree down to one to two feet tall to encourage the development of lateral branches, using your anvil shears. This will increase your guava crop. If your guava tree already has lateral branches, proceed to step 3.
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3
Allow developing lateral branches to grow 24 to 36 inches before snipping the top, which will encourage the growth of new shoots. Establish a leader line of wire strung between two poles space 3 to 4 feet apart and wind your branches around these shoots. The line will offer support for the thin, young branches.
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4
Prune back any water spouts and suckers that develop. Harvest the guava as they are ripe. Continue to provide support to the upper branches by adding another wire line to your support system and encouraging lateral branching as the tree develops vertically.
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5
Fertilize the young tree every two months during the first two years and every fou months thereafter. Use a well-balanced fertilizer that corrects any deficiencies in your soil. If you are unsure what nutrients are lacking in your soil, purchase a soil test kit from a garden center.
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Tips & Warnings
Guava trees perform best in tropical to subtropical climates. Young trees cannot withstand freezing temperatures.
Although you can try to grow a guava tree directly from seed, the best approach is to purchase a young guava sapling from a nursery. Not all seeds will germinate, and the wait will be significantly longer.
