Guava in the Ground

SMALLER LOCAL GUAVA

Today we planted the smaller of the two guava trees. It stands at around 70cms high and has two main stems. It has been looking rather bare of leaves and my boyfriend and I weren't sure if it would survive much longer in its pot. The soil that came with the pot looks rather dark and solid, not friable and moist. So we have a suspicion the guava may not be receiving enough water even though we water it regularly.

This morning, we made it a priority to plant the guava. After all, it has been waiting patiently with us for a couple of months now. I'm not sure what variety of guava it is, but it is probably the most common one grown in the tropical north, with a green skin and pinky red centres, also known as Cherry guava.

Two days later, my boyfriend planted the larger guava, known as Indian Guava, var. Allahabad Safeeda. Apparently it is a small evergreen tree of 3-5m which bears large rounded fruit with pale yellowy cream skin and white flesh with few seeds. It is in a full-sun position as recommended, however its leaves seem to be curling and browning at the edges. Overall though, the tree seems to be reasonably healthy. Hopefully both trees will be happy in their new spots in the garden. As fruit trees go, guava seem unfussy as to they type of soil it calls home. One website I searched says "They will thrive in any sort of soil from sand right to clay soils". (Greengold Garden Concepts) The site also recommends adding dolomite to the soil around the tree after planting. Maybe I should try that and see if the leaves improve. Also, both trees should bear fruit within 12 months of planting. Looking forward to that!

Guava fruit is crunchy and fragrant. I remember eating heaps as a kid, sometimes mixing crushed salted plums to the fruit to give it a tanginess when it lacked sweetness. Sometimes guava skin can be a little bitter when picked too early, but fully-ripened guava is delicious and soft.

INDIAN GUAVA