I planted some pineapple guavas from seed and now they’re growing like beanstalks, 20" tall. Should I just let it continue to grow straight up or should I pinch the top so it starts sending out branches and hardening off?
My future plan is to use them for a tall fence row. Do I need to keep them inside through the winter or should they be okay outside? it starts getting cold end of October here.
That thing looks great! Is there any reason you aren’t considering planting them in the ground along the fenceline already? I’m not sure about young seedlings, but my feijoas didn’t even defoliate at 16°F this last winter, so I doubt you have to worry about protecting them unless you get a really record cold snap.
And I’m not sure about the training question, mine have the opposite problem, I’m constantly pinching off new shoots around ground level and trying to get them to grow taller instead of forming wide, round bushes.
I planted my seedling from Larry’s feijoa in the ground the first year. Its zone 8b. No problems.
When did you start them? I’d have probably put that in the ground in Feb or March where I want it permanently, unless there’s a reason to wait.
Assuming these have not become leggy due to inadequate light, I would pinch them at 16 inches, try one or two and see what happens. Another option is to stake them more robustly once in-ground and see if they branch naturally next year. My experience with feijoa is that any new growth longer than 12 or 16 inches eventually results in willow-like growth habit, although that would keep the eventual height down, if desired. Lanky, leaning growth would also result in a wider bush.
I really can’t remember when I grew them whenever the guavas were in season, I picked some up offline. I’ve been keeping them away from the wildlife outside wanting them to get a little bigger before planting.
I’ve had them on my back porch moving them from morning sun to evening sun because of my roof shading the sun sometimes I do forget and they only get 4 hours a day. I guess I need to get them out in the yard and pinch the tops.
Let me guess every critter out there will want to eat them right? rabbits and deer and I’m sure my squirrels will want to plant pecans in the soil around them
I don’t remember if rabbits messed with them when they were young. I may have put a collar around. I have mine in a cattle panel “cage”, but they don’t seem high on the list for the deer. Although they like everything better when young and tender.
