Hi Fruit Forum,
Last year, I planted a pink guava tree. It has grown a lot and I am not to sure where I need to prune the tree. I tried youtube but the information out there kind of left me with more questions. It would be great if anybody can provide some guidance based on the photo. I think the one touching the ground needs to go, but not to sure and I don’t want to make a mistake that will harm the tree.
Depends on if you are trying to make it a bush or a tree, and how tall you want it.
You should probably prune all those branches reaching towards the ground, as contact with the ground can cause diseases. The ones that aren’t touching the ground yet could have the downward facing branches trimmed off, and that might help fling the branch back up, but personally I would prune all those reaching branches right off.
Some of the higher branches are very lateral as well. Since guavas flower on new growth, it might become really droopy when it fruits, possibly breaking branches. You could trim them to make them shorter so the new growth isn’t as far from the center of gravity. That would also help reign in the height if thats an issue.
In warmer climates with tropical/subtropical fruits, you can be more aggressive with your pruning because you will have a longer growing season for the plant to recover. You just don’t want big wounds, especially if its humid or rainy. However any pruning you do will effect your next harvest (or 2 if you are in an area where you can get a winter harvest) but its usually worth it to make it more managable.
