HELP! What's wrong with my guava?!

Hi everyone :slight_smile: This is my first post on the forum :slight_smile: I was hoping someone could please help me diagnose and cure my guavas. I have one strawberry guava and one lemon guava in pots, that are both showing the same symptoms at the same time.

I had these for a couple years now with no problems, repotted them this past fall in Miracle Gro Moisture Control potting mix and had them in a north facing window all winter. They put on a lot of growth over the winter with healthy green leaves. I recently put them on the deck when temperatures were consistently above freezing, only a few weeks ago. Now both of them are showing discolored leaves, first the new growth from the winter turned a lighter green although the veins were still dark, next it started turning brown. There’s also some black leaf edges on the newest growth. Also, all of the branches are all drooping down now and before they were upright. It seems only the growth from this winter has been effected. The previous year’s growth looks normal.

Unfortunately I can’t post more than one picture since I’m a new user, but if you look closely you can see the black curled red leaves on the new growth in the center of the photo.

They were happy just a few weeks ago with no discoloration until I put them outside! Please help and guide me on what to do!! It’s been raining every day here for a couple of weeks but they are in air pots which have good drainage. The moisture control potting mix sometimes causes mold on the surface of some of my potted plants, not sure if these had that problem though or if it would effect anything.

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Hi Janet, Welcome!

What is your location? … Please add it to your profile if possible.

What were the sustained low temperatures while your guavas were outside?

Transitioning from indoor light to full sun could stress the leaves, they aren’t ready for that light intensity. The plant should grow back normal leaves that are acclimated to the sun if this is the issue. Temperature could have an effect as well as indoors is always consistent and mild.

Hi, I added my location. I’m in upstate New York. Temperatures were mid-40’s to mid-50’s. Would not having a long enough transition to full sunlight cause dropping branches and for the leaves to turn lighter green like that? I appreciate your assistance :slight_smile:

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I was wondering if that was the cause if the leaves were brown, however the lighter green veined leaves don’t quite look like sun burn to me. Also the new growth is red, and curls with black edges. That concerns me that the new growth might die back.

The new growth while indoors was always green. Now it’s red.

That’s normal for spring growth outdoors. However, I agree with others here that the plant looks “burnt” by sunlight exposure. The temperature range you mentioned is just fine for the Guava relatives you are growing: Psidium cattleyanum (Strawberry “guava”) and Psidium cattleyanum var. littorale (Yellow Cattley “guava”). True guava are cultivars of the species Psidium guajava.

Interveinal chlorosis? maybe from some bad fertilizer ingedient