Growing different varieties of Guava

[george]

That is how I prefer the flesh to be, not rock hard crunchy with no taste.

[george]

I also have a larger Vietnamese white guava tree which fruits. The green fruits get large, but it is the crunchy fruits and I don’t think it has much flavor or taste for me so I have been grafting over it with other named varieties.

[Itchybee]

I am fascinated with your barbie pink photo. I purchased two several years ago and both produced round seed balls with relatively no flesh. Composted both. Yours look worth trying.
Any chance you remember where you acquired the plant?

[Gkight]

Just fruits and exotics, fruited the first year I had it too

[Rispa]

This thread was a great read. I’m surprised no one has mentioned ruby supreme. I haven’t had one in about 5 years due to freezes knocking my mom’s tree to the ground every year and someone stealing mine and then having the frost cloth blow off it freezing late fruits last year. Maybe this year I’ll get to enjoy more. They are both good less ripe and crunchy and fully ripe. My friend who doesn’t like soft ripe fruit would take one and leave it in his room because it was so aromatic. Some seeds, but not a ton. Highly recommend. I’m trying that one, kilo, and some I just picked up from Cody’s Cove in Florida that I’m stoked about. I want to try pearl.

[swincher]

I thought my P. longipetiolatum was toast after our really bad 6-day freeze in January (low of 14.7°F, with over 100 hours below freezing, ~70 hours below 25°F, and ~26 hours below 20°F). But I think I might see a little shoot emerging? I had trouble getting a good photo, but it looks to be a living bud swelling:

[Gkight]

Looks like a bud swelling above it also. I’d never heard of that guava, does it taste good? (Subjective I know)

[swincher]

@Gkight

I’d never heard of that guava, does it taste good? (Subjective I know)

I’ve never had one! Luis says good things about them. I think it isn’t quite hardy enough for Seattle, though. They are similar to cattley guava, I think, just a bit more hardy.

There’s more info in the dedicated thread:

Psidium longipetiolatum (mountain cherry guava)

I got a small seedling of Psidium longipetiolatum (labeled as “mountain cherry guava”) as a bonus/freebie with my plant order from a local nursery in Seattle. They said this was their first time growing this species so they aren’t sure of cold hardiness, or anything else about it really. I found it mentioned a couple times in passing on this forum by @Luisport (e.g., this post), but not much about it beyond that. Does anyone know if this will be able to handle zone 8b? Will it be self-fertile…

[Luisport]

Hi. No its not like cattley guava. First the flavor is more lemony and less acid, its the only variety that can stand storage and its the most cold hardy too.

[Gkight]

Ordered me some seeds from BellamyTrees
Seemed like the only place on the entire internet that sells them. Y’all sold me, I have no room but seeds don’t take up much space haha

[swincher]

I’ve had mixed results from Bellamy, but this seller from TFF just launched a website that lists them. The price is PER SEED and seems a little high if you get at least 5-10, but I’ve been happy with the one time I ordered another kind of seeds on the other forum from this seller:

Arazá serrano (Psidium longipetiolatum)

Beware their seed list is very tempting and you may find yourself ordering more than you should lol. They work with a single importer who brings large batches of the seeds into the U.S. (legally) and then ships to buyers, so it does take a little while to get your order.

[Itchybee]

Thanks for replying-JF&E seems to have great reviews and just about everything one could want, but they dont ship to CA. Sux to be me lol. Keeps their prices lower for the rest the nation, you dont have to pitch in for our phytosanitary certificates.

[Gkight]

Yeah it was $1 per seed on Bellamy, also got a grumichama as I’ve been curious to try growing one. If they don’t appear to be the correct cultivar I’ll try this site next. Thanks for the information, they definitely seem hard to find.

[AaronN]

I’ve purchased Psidium seeds from Marcos and had lots of germination from the guajava species but nothing to show for the various “araza” types. I really wanted to grow the araza grande and hybrid araza and I almost succeeded on a second attempt where I left the seeds in water until germination started but I messed up anyway, lol. Maybe I’ll try again someday but I’m hoping to trade for a seedling from someone who managed to do a better job.

[Rispa]

@george I’ll just have to try to get one from someone who’s raving about it and see for myself. I know I already have a couple of good guava varieties, so I shouldn’t be lacking if it isn’t that great

[SoCalBackyard]

Good to hear you’ve been grafting Guavas. I wanted to start doing that too with my smaller in-ground trees. Any place in particular you are getting scions from? Or is it just folks you know.

[Rispa]

Thanks, I’ll be reading up on it.

[Rispa]

@CA-Orchard

If I have to choose only one tree it would be the Mexican Cream if you get the right strain.

With many labels as MC, I see variation in size/shape distribution, strength of aroma, shape of leaves, texture … beyond normal even when age and conditions of trees are factored. The best I found is a tree in Ceres, CA whose owner got from an air layer from friend who got his from Central America. It has more % of round (vs elongated) fruits, red blush, brilliant yellow and white colors, excellent texture and aroma. I believe MC is a sort of hybrid and close cousin of Egyptian Baladi Guava (picture attached). The Baladi Guava share almost everything but sweeter and almost all round shape.

Anyone manage to pick up this guava?

[Zone9Gardening]

No, but it sounds very interesting. I live in Modesto 5 minutes from Ceres, do you know if he still has guavas? I could buy one from him. Thanks! @CA-Orchard

[SoCalBackyard]

I am getting a seedling guava and seeds from Hawaiian local guavas next week (along with Papaya plants and seeds - will post that on a different thread). How are the “Hawaiian pink” guavas? Worth eating/growing? I am wondering if I should just try to sprout the seeds anyways and then graft on top.

If folks are growing guavas from seeds, how long is it taking you to see fruit?

Thanks!