Feijoa (Pineapple Guava) Home Growing Guide: Pay Attention to Fertilizing and Pruning
AbstractFeijoa (pineapple guava) thrives in sunny spots. It is drought-tolerant and alkali-tolerant, and needs a certain amount of air humidity, but not long-term moisture. It is not demanding about soil, but the soil must drain well. If the salt and alkali content in the soil is too high, the fruit yield of the feijoa will be reduced. It can be propagated by seed, and also by cuttings, layering and grafting. When grown at home, a light fertilizer should be applied to the tree in both spring and autumn, once a week. Repotting can be done in spring or late winter, and pruning should be done irregularly.
The feijoa is an evergreen shrub or small tree. Its fruit has a dark green skin, and the flesh inside resembles guava, which is why it is also called feijoa, pineapple guava, and Brazilian guava.
1. Growing Environment
The feijoa is suited to warm, sunny places, but it can also withstand low winter temperatures. It is suited to areas with annual rainfall of 600mm-1500mm, but it does not like long-term moisture. It is drought-tolerant and alkali-tolerant. The fruit needs plenty of water while growing, and a lack of water will cause the fruit to drop. For long-term growth it needs plenty of sunlight and relatively high air humidity. It can survive at low temperatures of -10°C, but the optimum temperature for overwintering is 4°C-10°C.
It has no particularly strict requirements for soil. The most suitable soil for its growth and development is fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter with an acidic pH of 6.0-6.5. If the salt and alkali content in the soil is too high, it will reduce the growth of the feijoa and the fruit yield. It can withstand sea breezes, can grow about one meter in a year, and is easy to cultivate and manage.
2. Cutting Propagation
According to the climate conditions of different regions, cuttings can be taken when the feijoa branches are semi-lignified. The length of the cut shoot is generally 3.5cm, and 2 lateral buds and 2 opposite leaves should be kept. Keep the whole leaf or cut off half a leaf. The bottom should have a flat cut, and the cut height of the mother plant should also be kept at 15cm. If it is a 2-year-old mother plant, 25cm should be kept; a three-year-old mother plant should keep 30cm; a four-year-old one should keep 35cm; those over five years old cannot be used as mother plants. They can be cultivated into tall hedge seedlings with a seedling height of 120cm and a crown width of 60cm. Stumping measures can also be taken to promote sprouting and rejuvenation at the base of the mother plant and improve the quality of the shoots.
It can be propagated by seed, and also by cuttings, layering and grafting. From spring to autumn, a dilute fertilizer solution should be applied to the feijoa tree once a week, and the soil moisture should be kept up. Repotting should be done in spring or late winter. The tree should be pruned irregularly to prevent disordered growth or a loose plant shape. Generally, a feijoa tree will bloom in its third year and begin to bear fruit after the fourth year, so growing feijoa requires enough patience.
3. Main Value
The feijoa contains a large amount of vitamin C, plant fiber and fruit acids, and also contains a variety of glycosides and flavonoids. It has effects such as detoxifying and beautifying the skin, fighting cancer and lowering blood lipids. It is not only edible but can also be made into various foods such as smoothies, juice, jam and ice cream.
However, its fruit ripening period is relatively short, only from March to June each year, and the fruit is easily damaged after ripening, so ripe fruit is not suitable for storage and transport.