During a recent visit to California I had the opportunity to try a few Feijoa. Found these at a farmers market in Orange County. They were not able to tell me what variety they were, but I really enjoyed them. At the time I ate them with the skin and all but have since learned that typically people do not eat the peel much.
I saved some seed and grew them. They germinated readily with bottom heat. Does anyone know if these do ok in north Texas? We have hot summers(90’s and 100’s) and cold winters(Can dip into the teens).
If planted (for your area) in afternoon shade and regularly watered in the growing season and if the temperature does not go below 15 degrees and if you are really lucky and get a seedling that bears fruit, it might work.
Find out if local nurseries sell the plants.
There are a fair number of people who eat the fruit whole, but the peel would dominate the experience; the flesh is more subtle.
Various literature states that the flavor is not as good in hot-climate areas. Fruit drops prematurely in hot conditions without regular watering. Commercial plantings are commonly in subtropical or temperate regions.
Seedling feijoa plants tend to have fewer and lower-quality fruits than named varieties. I have seen several seedling plants in this area that do not bear and do not even bloom much.
How tall is it?
Only one of my seedlings fruited this year but nowhere as large. But I have other high quality seedlings that are expected to be as good or better than the parents. Eventually.
Named varieties are producing large fruit. Like this one
If you want we will start from the beginning.
A few years ago I planted seeds to make rootstocks. I had thus had a variegated.
I have done grafting and currently have 16 named varieties.
My wife wanted a hedge in front of the house. Since I don’t plan to stay here when I’m old, I didn’t plant Anatoki or the like… I put seedlings, just for ornamental purposes and to see what happens.
The seedlings date from 2018 or 2019. They have been in the ground since spring 2021.
I am in a cool climate zone. Big spring frosts, which watched the flowering. This year no rain from the end of March to July. It’s climate change! Some did not grow as a result and even less flowered.
I have just counted to make statistics. The hedge has 30 seedlings of feijoas, in 23 planting holes.
Of the 30, 2 make very large fruits. Here is the comparison with a large caliber chicken egg
On the first, 12, all very big, but only on one side of the tree… I don’t remember if only one side flowered or if it was a pollination problem.
It’s another tree in the hedge that interests me. It made few flowers, but much larger than normal and a pistil that is double in size and length. Maybe a triploid?
Would you mind sharing where you are located? It looks like you are in zone 7, and I always thought that Feijoa wouldn’t fruit in zone 7! I am in zone 7A and would LOVE to grow Feijoa, but always thought it would be impossible. Can you let us know the growing setup of your bushes? Sun exposure, soil condition, water requirements, etc.? Do you protect your plants at all over winter? What are your winter lows?
What is the flavor of your seedlings? Any chance you would want to share seeds or cuttings from the seedling bushes with the biggest/best fruit?
Sorry for so many questions, I am very excited by the idea of a fruitful zone-7-hardy fejoia!
I often thought that feijoa was not for me! And I’ve seen people who had them in colder areas in the winter. I then bought my first grafted plants.
I was in 7b I think, but with global warming… I wonder how I fit in. I can have down to -19°C.
But generally between -7 and -12°C.
My problem is a short growing cycle with cool summers. It is for this reason that with a friend we looked for very early varieties. I have seedlings that resisted -16/-18°C.
Now will have to see the maturity of these seedlings under my climate and taste.
it’s not funny, but you’re going to be surprised.
I collected seeds from unselected fruits. Seedlings of unknown origin, 5 trees in the same hole… so great pollination.
I remind you that the goal was not to select, but to area rootstocks.
When looking at felt selections from NZ, pollination of Apollo by a large-fruited landrace. At worst it will be an excellent pollinator and the fruits will be larger in the future.
