I would like to do an experiment and start growing pineapple guavas also known as feijoas (Acca sellowiana) in The Netherlands, USDA hardiness zone 8a.
I researched different varieties for this experiment and came across a variety named ‘Nikita’. This is supposed to be the cold hardiest variety, and early blooming as well. These qualities make it perfect for my cool-summer climate.
I need another variety with similar qualities for cross-polination, so I can get better fruit set.
From what I’ve read so far, the following varieties meet those requirements:
‘Gemini’
‘Marian’
‘Unique’
I was wondering if anyone has tested any of these together with ‘Nikita’, or knows better options.
Unfortunately a lot of varieties from America and New Zealand are not sold in Europe, that’s why I came up with these first.
Your profile says zone 7b, not a large difference from 8a, but still 5 degrees F.
Or is their a difference in how the zones are listed per country?
Since your concern is hardiness, I assume your plants will be grown outdoors, where wind pollination will be helpful. If there are prevailing winds, align a single row of plants in that direction if space allows, otherwise plant them in a grid.
Many hobbyists do hand-pollination; that can be helpful for greenhouse growing.
Most of our winters are not colder than -8c/17.6F. This year for example we had a lot of nights just below freezing. I want to be prepared in case of a severe winter. That’s why I want
the hardiest varieties. They need to be early fruiting as well, because they need more time to ripen in cooler climates.
Thanks for the information regarding pollination. Interesting what you wrote about wind direction. I will think about that. My first thought was to plant them against a south facing wall.
I was wondering if somebody has grown these varieties together and could tell me how well their blooming periods are synchronised, and how they yield in similar climates.
I have been growing Feijoa’s for ten years in the Netherlands. They survive very well in our climate. I don’t think cold hardiness will be a real problem, unless you plant them in the middle of a windy field.
Ripening times are a different story. The Feijoa is a really interesting plant and not a lot of it is known about how its timing works. It doesn’t ripen and size up like other fruits during the summer. Most of the ones I have grown - mostly seedlings - don’t really manage to size up and ripen well before autumn. Nikita does, but it is a plant that grows slowly and the fruit remain very small. I have no experience with two of the other cultivars you mentioned, but Mammoth, Apollo and Unique do manage to ripen most years, although in our climate they do not exactly behave according to the ripening times that are given for them. Sometimes they all ripen at the same time, sometimes the earlier ones are late and the later ones early, it depends much more on when the rains come in October and November and how many weeks we have without frost. They need a long period of good rain, mild temperatures without frost in autumn to ripen well before christmas.
In other words, a very worthwhile experiment in my view, with a beautiful and really good tasting fruit. But in our climate you have to take everything that is known about the cultivars with a grain of salt and experiment for yourself. I have mostly seed grown plants and my seed grown best plants do much better in our climate than these existing cultivars.
I just planted 4 varieties in Northern Germany in 7a. Our winters are getting warmer. -10°C (14°F) was the minimum this winter. We can get late freezes well into may. In april freezes are common. As others already said, getting ripe fruit probably will BE the main challenge.
Varieties are Apollo, Gemini, Marion and Coolidge
All Feijoa’s grown outside in the full ground in our climate flower very late in the season in my experience. Usually in June. So late frosts is usually not really a thing to worry about with these, since the flowers appear only at the beginning of summer.
Pollination is still largely a mystery. Most trees end up producing well enough if there are flowering trees nearby of other cultivars. The first years that they flower, there are not that many blossoms and it is simple enough to hand pollinate.
I planted mine in a row with 1,5 m in between plants to develop a small hedge.
If feijoas survive in my climate I plan to ad more varieties. Feijoas sound like an interesting plant for a hedgerow even without ripe fruit, I really hope for fruit though.
Do you have further recommendations for cultural practice? Your advice already ist very helpful. Sounds like feijoas don’t tolerate drought conditions very well?
Once flower petals start falling, water regularly until autumn rains begin.
This is said to reduce premature fruit drop.
Most feijoa plants get too large to plant against a wall, unless espaliered, much potential growth will be lost or need to be pruned away. If simply near a wall (1 meter or more), it could confine the pollen to a smaller area and increase cross-pollination.