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The Health Benefits of Guava Leaf Tea

When you think of guava trees (Psidium guajava), its flavorful fruit probably comes to mind. But the young leaves of the guava tree can be brewed to make a tea that's been part of traditional medicine for centuries in Mexico and parts of South America. A large evergreen shrub or small tree native to tropical regions, guava leaves contain natural compounds that modern science recognizes for several potentially significant health benefits.

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Intestinal Benefits

Guava leaves contain natural phytochemicals, including several antioxidants called carotenoids and anthocyanins, and others called flavonoids. Some of its compounds may have natural antibiotic activity that helps kill pathogens responsible for diarrhea, according to laboratory research published in 2008 in "Revista Do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo," a Spanish-language publication. The authors found that extracts of guava leaves effectively killed types of bacteria that can cause infectious diarrhea. Several small clinical studies support this benefit of guava leaves, including one published in 2000 in the "Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine" in which human subjects given guava leaf extract recovered more quickly from infectious diarrhea than those not given the extract, but larger trials are still needed to confirm this benefit.

Cardiovascular Effects

Guava leaf tea may also benefit your heart and circulatory system, according to laboratory research and a few small clinical studies. Compounds in the leaves may help reduce blood pressure and heart rate, according to a laboratory study published in 2005 in "Methods and Findings in Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology" which found that laboratory animals with high blood pressure fed guava leaf extract had reduced blood pressure and heart rates, compared to a control group. Drinking guava leaf tea might also improve blood lipids, according to several small clinical studies reviewed in a 2010 paper in "Nutrition and Metabolism" that found guava leaf extracts may help lower blood cholesterol and unhealthy triglycerides in human subjects, although larger trials are still needed to confirm this.

Anti-Diabetic Properties

Some of the flavonoids and other compounds in guava leaves may help keep your blood sugar low after you eat a high-carbohydrate meal. The review in "Nutrition and Metabolism" summarizes laboratory findings from several studies indicating that guava leaf tea inhibits several different enzymes that convert carbohydrate in the digestive tract into glucose, potentially slowing its uptake into your blood. It also reports on several clinical trials conducted in Japan that support guava tea's possible anti-diabetic action, showing that drinking the tea regularly helped lower after-eating blood glucose in subjects with Type 2 diabetes, compared to similar subjects who didn't consume the tea.

Tea Preparation

Dried guava leaves, either loose or in teabags, and guava leaf tincture are available at health-food stores, or you might find fresh guava leaves at a specialty food store. You can make guava leaf tea by steeping leaves in hot water for five or 10 minutes, or you can add about 2 teaspoons of tincture to hot water. Guava leaf tea is considered safe and without significant side effects, although it might cause constipation in some people, and its safety hasn't been established during pregnancy or breast-feeding. The tea might also interact with diabetes or anti-diarrhea medications. Talk to your doctor about guava leaf tea to decide if it might be helpful for you.

The Health Benefits of Guava Leaf Tea

Guava leaves contain several antioxidants.

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The young leaves of the guava plant are used in traditional medicine in tropical countries. These leaves contain a number of beneficial substances, including antioxidants like vitamin C and flavonoids such as quercetin. Drinking a tea made by soaking guava leaves in hot water may be beneficial in treating diarrhea, lowering cholesterol and preventing diabetes.

Guava leaf tea may help to inhibit a variety of diarrhea-causing bacteria. People with diarrhea who drink this type of tea may experience fewer stools, less abdominal pain, less watery stools and a quicker recovery, according to Drugs.com. A study published in the "Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo" in 2008 found that guava-leaf extracts inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which is a common cause of diarrhea.

High Cholesterol

Drinking guava leaf tea may cause beneficial changes in your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Study participants who drank guava leaf tea had lower total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein levels and triglycerides after eight weeks whether or not they were receiving medical treatment to lower their cholesterol levels, according to an article published in "Nutrition & Metabolism" in February 2010. Their levels of beneficial high-density lipoprotein were not affected. Other trials have shown similar benefits, with study lengths ranging from four weeks to 12 weeks and doses ranging from 0.4 to 1 kilogram per day, according to Drugs.com.

Japan has approved guava leaf tea as one of the Foods for Specified Health Uses to help with the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Compounds in the tea inhibit the absorption of two types of sugars, maltose and sucrose, helping to control blood sugar levels after meals. The article published in "Nutrition & Metabolism" described two studies showing this effect. The first study showed the short-term benefits, as participants who drank guava leaf tea after consuming white rice had decreases in blood sugar that were greater after 30 minutes, 90 minutes and 120 minutes than when the same study participants ate the same amount of white rice followed by drinking hot water. In the second, longer-term study participants with either prediabetes or mild Type 2 diabetes who drank guava leaf tea with every meal for 12 weeks had lower fasting blood-sugar levels than before they started drinking the tea.

Considerations

Studies showing the benefits of guava leaf tea are still preliminary, and more evidence is needed to verify the beneficial effects found by the few existing studies. However, there are no well-documented adverse effects or drug interactions with guava leaf tea. Pregnant women may want to avoid drinking this type of tea, as there isn't sufficient evidence about its safety at this time.

Guava

Psidium guajava L.

One of the most gregarious of fruit trees, the guava, Psidium guajava L., of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), is almost universally known by its common English name or its equivalent in other languages. In Spanish, the tree is guayabo, or guayavo, the fruit guayaba or guyava. The French call it goyave or goyavier; the Dutch, guyaba, goeajaaba; the Surinamese, guave or goejaba; and the Portuguese, goiaba or goaibeira. Hawaiians call it guava or kuawa. In Guam it is abas. In Malaya, it is generally known either as guava or jambu batu, but has also numerous dialectal names as it does in India, tropical Africa and the Philippines where the corruption, bayabas, is often applied. Various tribal names–pichi, posh, enandi, etc.–are employed among the Indians of Mexico and Central and South America.

The fruit, exuding a strong, sweet, musky odor when ripe, may be round, ovoid, or pear-shaped, 2 to 4 in (5-10 cm) long, with 4 or 5 protruding floral remnants (sepals) at the apex; and thin, light-yellow skin, frequently blushed with pink. Next to the skin is a layer of somewhat granular flesh, 1/8 to 1/2 in (3-12.5 mm) thick, white, yellowish, light- or dark-pink, or near-red, juicy, acid, subacid, or sweet and flavorful. The central pulp, concolorous or slightly darker in tone, is juicy and normally filled with very hard, yellowish seeds, 1/8 in (3 min) long, though some rare types have soft, chewable seeds. Actual seed counts have ranged from 112 to 535 but some guavas are seedless or nearly so.

When immature and until a very short time before ripening, the fruit is green, hard, gummy within and very astringent.

Apparently it did not arrive in Hawaii until the early 1800's. Now it occurs throughout the Pacific islands. Generally, it is a home fruit tree or planted in small groves, except in India where it is a major commercial resource. A guava research and improvement program was launched by the government of Colombia in 1961. In 1968, it was estimated that there were about 10 million wild trees (around Santander, Boyacá, Antioquia, Palmira, Buga, Cali and Cartago) bearing, 88 lbs (40 kg) each per year and that only 10% of the fruit was being utilized in processing. Bogotà absorbs 40% of the production and preserved products are exported to markets in Venezuela and Panama.

Brazil's modern guava industry is based on seeds of an Australian selection grown in the botanical garden of the Sao Paulo Railway Company at Tatu. Plantations were developed by Japanese farmers at Itaquera and this has become the leading guava-producing area in Brazil. The guava is one of the leading fruits of Mexico where the annual crop from 36,447 acres (14,750 ha) of seedling trees totals 192,850 tons (175,500 MT). Only in recent years has there been a research program designed to evaluate and select superior types for vegetative propagation and large-scale cultivation.

In Florida, the first commercial guava planting was established around 1912 in Palma Sola. Others appeared at Punta Gorda and Opalocka. A 40-acre (16 ha) guava grove was planted by Miami Fruit Industries at Indian-town in 1946. There have been more than two dozen guava jelly manufacturers throughout the state. A Sarasota concern was processing 250 bushels of guavas per day and a Pinellas County processor was operating a 150-bushel capacity plant in 1946. There has always been a steady market for guava products in Florida and the demand has increased in recent years with the influx of Caribbean and Latin American people.

The guava succumbs to frost in California except in a few favorable locations. Even if summers are too cool–a mean of 60º F (15.56º C)–in the coastal southern part of the state, the tree will die back and it cannot stand the intense daytime heat of interior valleys.

In many parts of the world, the guava runs wild and forms extensive thickets–called "guayabales" in Spanish–and it overruns pastures, fields and roadsides so vigorously in Hawaii, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Fiji, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Cuba and southern Florida that it is classed as a noxious weed subject to eradication. Nevertheless, wild guavas have constituted the bulk of the commercial supply. In 1972, Hawaii processed, for domestic use and export, more than 2,500 tons (2,274 MT) of guavas, over 90% from wild trees. During the period of high demand in World War II, the wild guava crop in Cuba was said to be 10,000 tons (9,000 MT), and over 6,500 tons (6,000 MT) of guava products were exported.

'Redland', the first named cultivar in Florida, was developed at the University of Florida Agricultural Research and Education Center, Homestead, and described in 1941. Very large, with little odor, white-fleshed and with relatively few seeds, it was at first considered promising but because of its excessively mild flavor, low ascorbic acid content, and susceptibility to algal spotting, it was abandoned in favor of better selections.

'Supreme' came next, of faint odor, thick, white flesh, relatively few, small seeds, high ascorbic acid content and ability to produce heavy crops over a period of 8 months from late fall to early spring.

'Red Indian', of strong odor, medium to large size, round but slightly flattened at the base and apex, yellow skin often with pink blush; with medium thick, red flesh of sweet flavor; numerous but small seeds; agreeable for eating fresh; fairly productive in fall and early winter.

'Ruby', with pungent odor, medium to large size; ovate; with thick, red flesh, sweet flavor, relatively few seeds. An excellent guava for eating fresh and for canning; fairly productive, mainly in fall and early winter.

'Blitch' (a seedling which originated in West Palm Beach and was planted at Homestead)–of strong odor, medium size, oval, with light-pink flesh, numerous, small seeds; tart, pleasant flavor; good for jelly.

'Patillo' (a seedling selection at DeLand propagated by a root sucker and from that by air-layer and planted at Homestead)–of very mild odor, medium size, ovate to obovate, with pink flesh, moderate number of small seeds; subacid, agreeable flavor; good for general cooking. (As grown in Hawaii it is highly acid and best used for processing).

'Miami Red' and 'Miami White', large, nearly odorless and thick-fleshed, were released by the University of Miami's Experimental Farm in 1954.

In early 1952, Dr. J.J. Ochse imported into Florida air-layers of a seedless guava from Java. All died. In September 1953, the writer received air-layers from Saharanpur, India. One survived and was turned over to the Agricultural Research and Education Center, Homestead. Four more were ordered from Coimbatore but arrived dead. Willim Whitman brought in a grafted plant from Java in 1954 which grew well, fruited and was the source of propagating material. In 1955, Whitman obtained a plant of a seedless guava from Cuba and it bore its first fruit in 1957. Seedless guavas are the result of low fertility of pollen grains and self-incompatibility. The fruits tend to be malformed and the trees are scant bearers. Applications of gibberellic acid increase fruit size, weight and ascorbic acid content but induce prominent ridges on the surface.

Among early California cultivars were:

'Webber' (formerly 'Riverside'), of medium-large size, pale-yellowish flesh, good flavor and 9.5% sugar.

'Rolfs', of medium size with pink flesh; of good quality and containing 9% sugar.

'Hart', fairly large, with pale-yellow flesh, and 8% sugar content.

Currently, some rare fruit fanciers grow the Florida-developed 'Red Indian' and 'White Indian'; also 'Detwiler' and 'Turnbull'.

In India much attention is given the characteristics of local and introduced guava cultivars and their suitability for various purposes. Among common white-fleshed cultivars are:

'Apple Colour'–of medium size, slightly oblate; deep-pink skin, creamy-white flesh, moderate amount of seeds, very sweet flavor (0.34-2.12% acid, 9 to 11.36% sugar); heavy bearer; good keeping quality; good for canning.

'Behat Coconut'–large, with thick white flesh, few seeds; poor for canning.

'Chittidar'–medium to large, round-ovate, white-fleshed, mild acid-sweet flavor; bears moderately well; keeps well; good for canning.

'Habshi'–of medium size with thick, white flesh, few seeds; halves good for canning.

'Lucknow 42'–of medium size, roundish, with creamy-white, soft flesh; sweet, pleasant flavor; very few seeds; good quality; bears heavily; keeps fairly well; not suitable for canning.

'Lucknow 49'–medium-large with cream-white, thick flesh, few seeds; acid-sweet; good quality; heavy bearer; high in pectin and good for jelly; halves good for canning.

'Safeda'–of medium size, with very thin skin, thick, white flesh, few seeds. Outstanding quality for canning. A famous guava, widely planted, but susceptible to wilt and branches are brittle and break readily.

'Smooth Green'–of medium size, with thick white flesh, few, small, hard seeds. Halves are firm, good for canning.

'Allahabad'–large, white-fleshed, with few, medium-sized, fairly hard seeds.

'Karela'–medium-large, pear-shaped, furrowed, rough-skinned, with soft, granular, white flesh; sweet, rich, pleasant flavor. Poor bearer. Not popular.

'Nagpur Seedless'–small to medium, often irregular in shape; white-fleshed.

'Seedless' (from Allahabad)–medium to large, pear-shaped to ovoid; with thick white flesh, firm to soft, sweet. Light bearer; poor keeper.

A seedless type at Poona, India, was found to be a triploid with 33 chromosomes in place of the usual 22.

Other white-fleshed guavas with poor canning qualities are: 'Dharwar', 'Mirzapuri', 'Nasik', 'Sindh', and 'White Supreme X Ruby'.

'Anakapalle'–small, with thin, red flesh, many seeds; not suitable for canning.

'Florida Seedling'–small, with thin, red, acid flesh; many seeds; not suitable for canning.

'Hapi'–medium to large, with red flesh.

'Hybrid Red Supreme'–large, with thin, red, acid flesh; moderate amount of seeds; not suitable for canning.

'Kothrud'–of medium size with medium thick, red flesh; moderate amount of seeds; not suitable for canning.

'Red-fleshed'–of medium size with many (about 567) fairly soft seeds; high in pectin and good for jelly; not suitable for canning.

Among other Indian cultivars are: 'Banaras', 'Dholka', 'Hasijka', 'Kaffree', and 'Wickramasekara'. The latter is a small fruit and poor bearer.

Indian breeders have crossed the guava with its dwarf, small-fruited relative, P. guineense Sw., with a view to reducing tree size and enhancing hardiness and yield.

In Egypt, a cultivar named 'Bassateen El Sabahia' has long been the standard commercial guava. Efforts have been made to improve quality and yield and to this end selections were made from 300 seedlings. The most promising selection was tested and introduced into cultivation in 1975 under the name 'Bassateen Edfina'. It is pear-shaped, of medium size, sometimes pink-blushed, with thick, white flesh, few seeds, good flavor and higher ascorbic acid content than the parent. It bears well over a long season.

In Puerto Rico, over 100 promising selections were under observation in 1963.

Numerous cultivated clones identified only by number have been evaluated for processing characters. Others have been tested and rated for resistance to Glomerella disease. Among the few named cultivars are 'Corozal Mixta', 'Corriente', and 'Seedling 57-6-79'.

In 1967, French horticulturists made a detailed evaluation of 11 guava cultivars grown at the Neufchateau Station in Guadeloupe:

'Elisabeth'–large, round, pink-fleshed, very acid; good for processing.

'Red' X 'Supreme' X 'Ruby'–large, ovoid, with deep-pink flesh; agreeable for eating fresh.

'Large White'–large, round, white-fleshed; low sugar content, astringent; can be useful as filler in preserves.

'Acid Speer'–large, round, with pale-yellow flesh; acid; recommended only as source of pectin.

'Red' X 'Supreme' X 'Ruby' X 'White'–large to very large, pear-shaped, with creamy-white flesh; good for eating fresh and for juice and nectar.

'Pink Indian'–of medium size, red-fleshed; agreeably acid; good for eating fresh and for processing.

'Red Hybrid'–medium, sub-ovoid, red-fleshed; medium quality.

'Supreme' X 'Ruby'–medium, sub-ovoid, white-fleshed; unremarkable except for high productivity.

'Stone'–small, ovoid, with deep-pink flesh; attractive and of agreeable flavor for eating fresh.

'Supreme'–small, ovoid, with pale-yellow, pink-tinged flesh; sweet; good for sherbet and paste; very productive.

'Patricia'–very small, ovoid, salmon-fleshed; attractive; good to eat fresh but quickly loses its distinct strawberry flavor; good for sirup; very productive.

Between 1948 and 1969, 21 guava cultivars from 7 countries were introduced into Hawaii. Some have been test planted and evaluated at the Waimanalo Experimental Farm. Four sweet, white-fleshed, thick-walled cultivars were rated as commercially desirable: 'Indonesian White', 'Indonesian Seedless', 'Lucknow 49', and 'No. 6363' (a 'Ruby' X 'Supreme' hybrid from Florida). Lower ratings were given four others of this group: 'Apple' (too musky and seedy); 'Allahabad Safeda' (too bumpy of surface); 'Burma' (too seedy) and 'Hong Kong White' (too seedy). Of the sweet, pink-fleshed, thick-walled cultivars examined, 'Hong Kong Pink' was preferred. Second choice was 'No. 6362' (a seedling of a 'Ruby' X' Supreme' cross in Florida). 'No. 7199', a seedling of a 'Stone Acid' X 'Ruby' cross in Florida, was considered too musky. Among acid, non-musky, thick-walled guavas, 'Beaumont', a Hawaiian selection, is large and pink-fleshed. 'Pink Acid' (#7198), from a Florida cross of 'Speer' and 'Stone Acid', has dark-pink flesh and few seeds. These cultivars are employed in breeding programs in Hawaii. In 1978, a new cultivar, 'Ka Hua Kula', selected from 1,200 seedlings of 'Beaumont', was released and recommended for commercial guava puree. The fruit is large, with thick, deep-pink flesh, and fewer seeds than 'Beaumont', and is less acid. It is also a heavier bearer.

In Colombia, the cultivars 'Puerto Rico', 'Rojo Africano', and 'Agrio', all yield over 2,200 fruits annually. Other high-yielding cultivars being evaluated are 'White', 'Red', 'D-13', 'D-14', and 'Trujillo 2'.

In Hawaii, India and elsewhere, the tree has been grown from root cuttings. Pieces of any roots except the smallest and the very large, cut into 5 to 10 in (12.5-20 cm) lengths, are placed flat in a prepared bed and covered with 2 to 4 in (5-10 cm) of soil which must be kept moist. Or one can merely cut through roots in the ground 2 to 3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) away from the tree trunk; the cut ends will sprout and can be dug up and transplanted.

By another method, air-layers of selected clones are allowed to grow 3 to 5 years and are then sawn off close to the ground. Then a ring of bark is removed from each new shoot; root-inducing chemical is applied. Ten days later, the shoots are banked with soil to a height 4 to 5 in (10-12.5 cm) above the ring. After 2 months, the shoots are separated and planted out.

Pruned branches may serve as propagating material. Cuttings of half-ripened wood, 1/4 to 1/2 in (6-12.5 mm) thick will root with bottom heat or rooting-hormone treatment. Using both, 87% success has been achieved. Treated softwood cuttings will also root well in intermittent mist. In Trinidad, softwood, treated cuttings have been rooted in 18 days in coconut fiber dust or sand in shaded bins sprayed 2 or 3 times daily to keep humidity above 90%. Over 100,000 plants were produced by this method over a 2-year period. Under tropical conditions (high heat and high humidity), mature wood 3/4 to 1 in (2-2.5 cm) thick and 1 1/2 to 2 ft (45-60 cm) long, stuck into 1-ft (30-cm) high black plastic bags filled with soil, readily roots without chemical treatment.

In India, air-layering and inarching have been practiced for many years. However, trees grown from cuttings or air-layers have no taproot and are apt to be blown down in the first 2 or 3 years. For this reason, budding and grafting are preferred.

Approach grafting yields 85 to 95% success. Trials have been made of the shield, patch and Forkert methods of budding. The latter always gives the best results (88 to 100%). Vigorous seedlings 1/2 to 1 in (1.25-2.5 cm) thick are used as rootstocks. The bark should slip easily to facilitate insertion of the bud, which is then tightly bound in place with a plastic strip and the rootstock is beheaded, leaving only 6 to 8 leaves above the bud. About a month later, an incision is made halfway through 2 or 3 in (5-7.5 cm) above the bud and the plant is bent over to force the bud to grow. When the bud has put up several inches of growth, the top of the rootstock is cut off immediately above the bud. Sprouting of the bud is expedited in the rainy season.

At the Horticultural Experiment and Training Center, Basti, India, a system of patch budding has been demonstrated as commercially feasible. A swollen but unsprouted, dormant bud is taken as a 3/4 x 3/8 in (2 x l cm) patch from a leaf axil of previous season's growth and taped onto a space of the same size cut 6 to 8 in (15-20 cm) above the ground on a 1-year-old, pencil-thick seedling during the period April-June. After the bud has "taken", 1/3 is cut from the top of the seedling; 2-3 weeks later, the rest of the top is cut off leaving only 3/4 to 1 1/4 in (2-3.2 cm) of stem above the bud. This method gives 80 to 90% success. If done in July, only 70%. In Hawaii, old seedling orchards have been topworked to superior selections by patch budding on stump shoots.

Light pruning is always recommended to develop a strong framework, and suckers should also be eliminated around the base. Experimental heading-back has increased yield in some cultivars in Puerto Rico. In Palestine, the trees are cut back to 6 1/2 ft (2 m) every other spring to facilitate harvesting without ladders. Fruits are borne by new shoots from mature wood. If trees bear too heavily, the branches may break. Therefore, thinning is recommended and results in larger fruits.

Guava trees grow rapidly and fruit in 2 to 4 years from seed. They live 30 to 40 years but productivity declines after the 15th year. Orchards may be rejuvenated by drastic pruning.

The tree is drought-tolerant but in dry regions lack of irrigation during the period of fruit development will cause the fruits to be deficient in size. In areas receiving only 15 to 20 in (38-50 cm) rainfall annually, the guava will benefit from an additional 2,460 cm (2 acre feet) applied by means of 8 to 10 irrigations, one every 15-20 days in summer and one each month in winter.

Guava trees respond to a complete fertilizer mix applied once a month during the first year and every other month the second year (except from mid-November to mid-January) at the rate of 8 oz (227 g) per tree initially with a gradual increase to 24 oz (680 g) by the end of the second year. Nutritional sprays providing copper and zinc are recommended thrice annually for the first 2 years and once a year thereafter. In India, flavor and quality of guavas has been somewhat improved by spraying the foliage with an aqueous solution of potassium sulfate weekly for 7 weeks after fruit set.

Guavas kept at room temperature in India are normally overripe and mealy by the 6th day, but if wrapped in pliofilm will keep in good condition for 9 days. In cold storage, pliofilm-wrapped fruits remain unchanged for more than 12 days. Wrapping checks weight loss and preserves glossiness. Unwrapped 'Safeda' guavas, just turned yellow, have kept well for 4 weeks in cold storage at 47º to 50º F (8.33º-10º C) and relative humidity of 85-95%, and were in good condition for 3 days thereafter at room temperature of 76º to 87º F (24º-44º C).

Fruits coated with a 3% wax emulsion will keep well for 8 days at 72º to 86º F (22.2º-30º C) and 40 to 60% relative humidity, and for 21 days at 47º to 50º F (8.3º-10º C) and relative humidity of 85-90%. Storage life of mature green guavas is prolonged at 68º F (20º C), relative humidity of 85%, less than 10% carbon dioxide, and complete removal of ethylene.

Researchers at Kurukshetra University, India, have shown that treatment of harvested guavas with 100 ppm morphactin (chlorflurenol methyl ester 74050) increases the storage life of guavas by controlling fungal decay, and reducing loss of color, weight, sugars, ascorbic acid and non-volatile organic acids. Combined fungicidal and double-wax coating has increased marketability by 30 days.

Australian workers report prolonged life and reduced rotting in storage after a hot water dip, but better results were achieved by dipping in an aqueous benomyl suspension at 122º F (50º C). Higher temperatures cause some skin injury, as does a guazatine dip which is also a less effective fungicide.

Fruits sprayed on the tree with gibberellic acid 20-35 days before normal ripening, were retarded nearly a week as compared with the untreated fruits. Also, mature guavas soaked in gibberellic acid off the tree showed a prolonged storage life.

Trials at Haryana Agricultural University, Hissar, India, showed that weekly spraying with 1.0% potassium sulfate–1.6 gals (6 liters) per tree–beginning 7 days after fruit set and ending just before harvesting at the pale-green stage, delays yellowing, retains firmness and flavor beyond normal storage life.

Food technologists in India found that bottled guava juice (strained from sliced guavas boiled 35 minutes), preserved with 700 ppm SO ₂ , lost much ascorbic acid but little pectin when stored for 3 months without refrigeration, and it made perfectly set jelly.

The red-banded thrips feed on leaves and the fruit surface. In India, cockchafer beetles feed on the leaves at the end of the rainy season and their grubs, hatched in the soil, attack the roots. The larvae of the guava shoot borer penetrates the tender twigs, killing the shoots. Sometimes aphids are prevalent, sucking the sap from the underside of the leaves of new shoots and excreting honeydew on which sooty mold develops.

The guava fruit worm, Argyresthia eugeniella, invisibly infiltrates hard green fruits, and the citron plant bug, Theognis gonagia, the yellow beetle, Costalimaita ferruginea, and the fruit-sucking bug, Helopeltis antonii, feed on ripe fruits. A false spider mite, Brevipalpus phoenicis, causes surface russeting beginning when the fruits are half-grown. Fruit russeting and defoliation result also from infestations of red-banded thrips, Selenothrips rubrocinctus. The coconut mealybug, Pseudococcus nipae, has been a serious problem in Puerto Rico but has been effectively combatted by the introduction of its parasitic enemy, Pseudaphycus utilis.

The guava is a prime host of the Mediterranean, Oriental, Mexican, and Caribbean fruit flies, and the melon fly–Ceratitis capitata, Dacus dorsalis, Anastrepha ludens, A. suspensa, and Dacus cucurbitae. Ripe fruits will be found infested with the larvae and totally unusable except as feed for cattle and swine. To avoid fruit fly damage, fruits must be picked before full maturity and this requires harvesting at least 3 times a week. In Brazil, choice, undamaged guavas are produced by covering the fruits with paper sacks when young (the size of an olive). Infested fruits should be burned or otherwise destroyed. In recent years, the Cooperative Extension Service in Dade County, Florida, has distributed wasps that attack the larvae and pupae of the Caribbean fruit fly and have somewhat reduced the menace.

In Puerto Rico, up to 50% of the guava crop (mainly from wild trees) may be ruined by the uncontrollable fungus, Glomerella cingulata, which mummifies and blackens immature fruits and rots mature fruits. Diplodia natalensis may similarly affect 40% of the crop on some trees in South India.

Fruits punctured by insects are subject to mucor rot (caused by the fungus, Mucor hiemalis) in Hawaii. On some trees, 80% of the mature green fruits may be ruined.

Algal spotting of leaves and fruits (caused by Cephaleuros virescens) occurs in some cultivars in humid southern Florida but can be controlled with copper fungicides. During the rainy season in India, and the Province of Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, the fungus, Phytophthora parasitica, is responsible for much infectious fruit rot. Botryodiplodia sp. and Dothiorella sp. cause stem-end rot in fruits damaged during harvesting. Macrophomina sp. has been linked to fruit rot in Venezuela and Gliocladium roseum has been identified on rotting fruits on the market in India.

In Bahia, Brazil, severe deficiency symptoms of guava trees was attributed to nematodes and nematicide treatment of the soil in a circle 3 ft (0.9 in) out from the base restored the trees to normal in 5 months. Zinc deficiency may be conspicuous when the guava is grown on light soils. It is corrected by two summer sprayings 60 days apart with zinc sulphate.

Wilt, associated with the fungi Fusarium solani and Macrophomina phaseoli, brings about gradual decline and death of undernourished 1-to 5-year-old guava trees in West Bengal. A wilt disease brought about by the wound parasite, Myxosporium psidii, causes the death of many guava trees, especially in summer, throughout Taiwan. Wilt is also caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. psidii which invades the trunk and roots through tunnels bored by the larvae of Coelosterna beetles. Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) may attack the fruits in the rainy season. Pestalotia psidii sometimes causes canker on green guavas in India and rots fruits in storage.

Severe losses are occasioned in India by birds and bats and some efforts are made to protect the crop by nets or noisemakers.

Bars of thick, rich guava paste and guava cheese are staple sweets, and guava jelly is almost universally marketed. Guava juice, made by boiling sliced, unseeded guavas and straining, is much used in Hawaii in punch and ice cream sodas. A clear guava juice with all the ascorbic acid and other properties undamaged by excessive heat, is made in South Africa by trimming and mincing guavas, mixing with a natural fungal enzyme (now available under various trade names), letting stand for 18 hours at 120º to 130º F (49º-54º C) and filtering. It is made into sirup for use on waffles, ice cream, puddings and in milkshakes. Guava juice and nectar are among the numerous popular canned or bottled fruit beverages of the Caribbean area. After washing and trimming of the floral remnants, whole guavas in sirup or merely sprinkled with sugar can be put into plastic bags and quick-frozen.

There are innumerable recipes for utilizing guavas in pies, cakes, puddings, sauce, ice cream, jam, butter, marmalade, chutney, relish, catsup, and other products. In India, discoloration in canned guavas has been overcome by adding 0.06% citric acid and 0.125% ascorbic acid to the sirup. For pink sherbet, French researchers recommend 2 parts of the cultivar 'Acid Speer' and 6 parts 'Stone'. For white or pale-yellow sherbet, 2 parts 'Supreme' and 4 parts 'Large White'. In South Africa, a baby-food manufacturer markets a guava-tapioca product, and a guava extract prepared from small and overripe fruits is used as an ascorbic-acid enrichment for soft drinks and various foods.

Dehydrated guavas may be reduced to a powder which can be used to flavor ice cream, confections and fruit juices, or boiled with sugar to make jelly, or utilized as pectin to make jelly of low-pectin fruits. India finds it practical to dehydrate guavas during the seasonal glut for jelly-manufacture in the off-season. In 1947, Hawaii began sea shipment of frozen guava juice and puree in 5-gallon cans to processors on the mainland of the United States. Since 1975, Brazil has been exporting large quantities of guava paste, concentrated guava pulp, and guava shells not only to the United States but to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Japan.

Canned, frozen guava nectar is an important product in Hawaii and Puerto Rico but may be excessively gritty unless stone cells from the outer flesh and skin are reduced by use of a stone mill or removed by centrifuging.

In South Africa, guavas are mixed with cornmeal and other ingredients to make breakfast-food flakes.

Green mature guavas can be utilized as a source of pectin, yielding somewhat more and higher quality pectin than ripe fruits.

*Analyses of whole ripe guavas.

Ascorbic acid–mainly in the skin, secondly in the firm flesh, and little in the central pulp–varies from 56 to 600 mg. It may range up to 350-450 mg in nearly ripe fruit. When specimens of the same lot of fruits are fully ripe and soft, it may decline to 50-100 mg. Canning or other heat processing destroys about 50% of the ascorbic acid. Guava powder containing 2,500-3,000 mg ascorbic acid was commonly added to military rations in World War II. Guava seeds contain 14% of an aromatic oil, 15% protein and 13% starch. The strong odor of the fruit is attributed to carbonyl compounds.

Wood: The wood is yellow to reddish, fine-grained, compact, moderately strong, weighs 650-750 kg per cubic meter; is durable indoors; used in carpentry and turnery. Though it may warp on seasoning, it is much in demand in Malaya for handles; in India, it is valued for engravings. Guatemalans use guava wood to make spinning tops, and in El Salvador it is fashioned into hair combs which are perishable when wet. It is good fuelwood. and also a source of charcoal.

Leaves and bark: The leaves and bark are rich in tannin (10% in the leaves on a dry weight basis, 11-30% in the bark). The bark is used in Central America for tanning hides. Malayans use the leaves with other plant materials to make a black dye for silk. In southeast Asia, the leaves are employed to give a black color to cotton; and in Indonesia, they serve to dye matting.

Wood flowers: In Mexico, the tree may be parasitized by the mistletoe, Psittacanthus calyculatus Don, producing the rosette-like malformations called "wood flowers" which are sold as ornamental curiosities.

Medicinal Uses: The roots, bark, leaves and immature fruits, because of their astringency, are commonly employed to halt gastroenteritis, diarrhea and dysentery, throughout the tropics. Crushed leaves are applied on wounds, ulcers and rheumatic places, and leaves are chewed to relieve toothache. The leaf decoction is taken as a remedy for coughs, throat and chest ailments, gargled to relieve oral ulcers and inflamed gums; and also taken as an emmenagogue and vermifuge, and treatment for leucorrhea. It has been effective in halting vomiting and diarrhea in cholera patients. It is also applied on skin diseases. A decoction of the new shoots is taken as a febrifuge. The leaf infusion is prescribed in India in cerebral ailments, nephritis and cachexia. An extract is given in epilepsy and chorea and a tincture is rubbed on the spine of children in convulsions. A combined decoction of leaves and bark is given to expel the placenta after childbirth.

The leaves, in addition to tannin, possess essential oil containing the sesquiterpene hydrocarbons caryophyllene, b -bisabolene, aromadendrene, b -selinene, nerolidiol, caryophyllene oxide and sel-11-en-4x -ol, also some triterpenoids and b -sitosterol. The bark contains tannin, crystals of calcium oxalate, ellagic acid and starch. The young fruits are rich in tannin.

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TROPICAL GUAVA

Psidium guajava L.

Related species: Brazilian guava, Guisaro (Psidium guinense Sw.), Cattley Guava, Strawberry Guava (P. cattleianum Sabine), Costa Rican Guava (P. friedrichsthalianum Ndz.), Para Guava (P. acutangulum DC.), Rumberry, Guavaberry (Myrciaria floribunda Berg.).

Origin: The place of origin of the guava is uncertain, but it is believed to be an area extending from southern Mexico into or through Central America. It has been spread by man, birds and other animals to all warm areas of tropical America and in the West Indies (since 1526).

Adaptation: The tropical guava is best adapted to the warm climate of Florida and Hawaii, although it can be grown in coastal Southern California, and with some protection, selected areas north to Mendocino County. Guavas actually thrive in both humid and dry climates, but can survive only a few degrees of frost. The tree will recover from a brief exposure to 29° F but may be completely defoliated. Young trees are particularly sensitive to cold spells. Older trees, killed to the ground, have sent up new shoots which fruited 2 years later. Guavas can take considerable neglect, withstanding temporary waterlogging and very high temperatures. They tend to bear fruit better in areas with a definite winter or cooler season. The adaptability of the guava makes it a serious weed tree in some tropical areas. The smaller guava cultivars can make an excellent container specimen.

DESCRIPTION

Foliage: Guava leaves leaves are opposite, short-petioled, oval or oblong-elliptic, somewhat irregular in outline, 2 - 6 inches long and 1 - 2 inches wide. The dull-green, stiff but leathery leaves have pronounced veins, and are slightly downy on the underside. Crushed leaves are aromatic.

Flowers: Faintly fragrant, the white flowers, borne singly or in clusters in the leaf axils, are 1 inch wide, with 4 or 5 white petals. These petals are quickly shed, leaving a prominent tuft of perhaps 250 white stamens tipped with pale-yellow anthers.

Guavas are primarily self-fruitful, although some strains seem to produce more fruit when cross-pollinated with another variety. Guavas can bloom throughout the year in mild-winter areas, but the heaviest bloom occurs with the onset of warm weather in the spring. The exact time can vary from year to year depending on weather. The chief pollinator of guavas is the honeybee.

Fruits: Guava fruits may be round, ovoid or pear-shaped, 2 - 4 inches long, and have 4 or 5 protruding floral remnants (sepals) at the apex. Varieties differ widely in flavor and seediness. The better varieties are soft when ripe, creamy in texture with a rind that softens to be fully edible. The flesh may be white, pink, yellow, or red. The sweet, musky odor is pungent and penetrating. The seeds are numerous but small and, in good varieties, fully edible. Actual seed counts have ranged from 112 to 535. The quality of the fruit of guavas grown in cooler areas is often disappointing.

Soil: The guava will tolerate many soil conditions, but will produce better in rich soils high in organic matter. They also prefer a well-drained soil in the pH range of 5 to 7. The tree will take temporary waterlogging but will not tolerate salty soils.

Irrigation: Guavas have survived dry summers with no water in California, although they do best with regular deep watering. The ground should be allowed to dry to a depth of several inches before watering again. Lack of moisture will delay bloom and cause the fruit to drop.

Pruning: Shaping the tree and removing water shoots and suckers are usually all that is necessary. Guavas can take heavy pruning, however, and can be used as informal hedges or screens. Since the fruit is borne on new growth, pruning does not interfere with next years crop.

Fertilization: Guavas are fast growers and heavy feeders, and benefit from regular applications of fertilizer. Mature trees may require as much as 1/2 pound actual nitrogen per year. Apply fertilizer monthly, just prior to heavy pruning.

Frost protection:Overhead protection and planting on the warm side of a building or structure will often provide suitable frost protection for guavas in cooler areas. A frame over the plant covered with fabric will provide additional protection during freezes, and electric lights can be included for added warmth. Potted plants can be moved to a more protected site if necessary.

Propagation: Guava seed remain viable for many months. They often germinate in 2 - 3 weeks but may take as long as 8 weeks. Since guavas cannot be depended upon to come true from seed, vegetative propagation is widely practiced. They are not easy to graft, but satisfactory techniques have been worked out for patch-budding by the Forkert Method (probably the most reliable method), side-veneer grafting, approach grafting and marcotting The tree can also be grown from root cuttings. Pieces of any roots except the smallest and the very large, cut into 5 - 10 inch lengths, are placed flat in a prepared bed and covered with 2 - 4 inches of soil, which must be kept moist. They may also be grown by air-layering or from cuttings of half-ripened wood. Pieces 1/4 - 1/2 inch will root with bottom heat and rooting-hormone treatment. Trees grown from cuttings or air-layering have no taproot, however, and are apt to be blown down in the first 2 or 3 years. One of the difficulties with budded and grafted guavas is the production of water sprouts and suckers from the rootstocks.

Pests and diseases: Foliage diseases, such as anthracnose, can be a problem in humid climates. They can be controlled with regular fungicide applications. Where present, root-rot nematodes will reduce plant vigor. Guava whitefly, guava moth and Caribbean fruit fly can be major problems in southern Florida, but have not been reported in California. Mealy-bugs, scale, common white flies and thrips can be problems in California. In some tropical countries the where fruit flies are a problem, the fruit is covered when small with paper sacks to protect it and assure prime quality fruits for the markets.

Harvest: In warmer regions guavas will ripen all year. There is a distinctive change in the color and aroma of the guava that has ripened. For the best flavor, allow fruit to ripen on the tree. The can also be picked green-mature and allowed to ripen off the tree at room temperature. Placing the fruit in a brown paper bag with a banana or apple will hasten ripening. Mature green fruit can be stored for two to five weeks at temperature between 46° and 50° F and relative humidity of 85 to 95 percent. Fruit that has changed color cannot be stored for any extended periods. It bruises easily and will quickly deteriorate or rot. Commercial juice varieties have rock hard inedible seeds, deep pink flesh and hard yellow rinds. They are not good for eating out of hand but have extremely high vitamin C content.

Commercial potential: Guavas are the only commercially significant myrtaceous fruit. It is an important fruit in many parts of the world suitable for its production. Guava is one of the leading fruits of Mexico. Commercial producation of guava in Hawaii and Florida is hampered by the presence of fruit flies. California is too cool except for a few selected sites.

How to Grow a Guava Tree

Guava fruit can be eaten whole or used for juices and purees.

Related Articles

The guava tree, with its fragrant white blossoms, glossy leaves and copper-toned trunk makes it a prime choice as an ornamental tree. Guavas grow in the frost-free climates of U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 11. The tree is pleasant to the eye, and you can use its fruits in smoothies and juices or eat it fresh. Growing a guava tree adds a tropical flair to your backyard.

Spread 2 to 3 inches of mulch, such as bark pieces or wood chips, around your guava tree. Guava trees respond well to mulch because it blocks weeds while keeping the soil moisture levels high. Additionally, as the mulch decomposes, it adds nitrogen and micronutrients to the soil.

Water the guava tree once a week, applying enough water to moisten the soil to the depth of 1 foot. Guava trees are drought-tolerant plants, and infrequent watering helps encourage deep, extensive root networks that result in healthier trees.

Fertilize the guava tree once a month during its first year of growth, using a complete fertilizer product labeled for use on trees and applying it according to the label instructions. After the tree is more than 1 year old, fertilize every other month.

Regularly apply mulch and hand-pull any weeds to keep the area around the tree free of weeds. Weeds steal soil nutrients and water from your guava tree and may also harbor insect pests.

Prune the guava tree throughout the year, using pruning shears to cut off any new limbs that appear at the base of the plant. This encourages a stronger central trunk and a healthier, more stable tree.

Things You Will Need

• Mulch
• Complete tree fertilizer
• Pruning shears

• Mature guava trees don't need pruning, but you can occasionally trim trees back every other spring to help keep the branches from getting too high and pushing the fruit out of reach.

References (3)

About the Author

Joshua Duvauchelle is a certified personal trainer and health journalist, relationships expert and gardening specialist. His articles and advice have appeared in dozens of magazines, including exercise workouts in Shape, relationship guides for Alive and lifestyle tips for Lifehacker. In his spare time, he enjoys yoga and urban patio gardening.

Growing Guava in Pots | Guava Tree Care and Information

Guava tree care and growing is easy. With the information given in this article, you can understand how to grow guava tree in a pot. It will delight you with its sweetly scented flowers, delicious fruits, and beautiful tropical appearance.

USDA Hardiness Zones— 9 – 11, *can be grown in colder zones in pot

Other Names— Psidium guajava, Amrood, Amrut Phala, Araçá-Goiaba, Araçá-Guaçú, Banjiro, Brazilian Guava, Brazilian Red Guava, Common Guava, Fan Shi Liu, Feuille de Goyavier, Goiaba, Goiabeiro, Goyabe, Goyave, Goyave Jaune, Goyave Rouge, Goyavier, Goyavier du Brésil, Guaiaba, Guaiava, Guajava, Guava Leaf, Guava Leaves, Guava Peel, Guava Pulp, Guava Seed, Guava Seed Protein, Guavas, Guave, Guavenbaum, Guayaba, Guayabo, Guayave, Koejawel, Lemon Guava, Pépin de Goyave, Psidium, Psidium guajava, Pulpe de Goyave, Red Guava, Yellow Guava, Bihi

Guava Tree Information

Guava tree is a small tropical tree that grows 5-6 meters high on average, but if properly pruning it does not exceed the height of 3 m. It is a tough plant that can also be grown in containers.

Guava tree stems are tender when they are angled. The leaves are born in pairs, pale green, leathery and elongated, ending in the sharp tip with a length ranging between 10 and 20 cm and 8 cm wide. The flowers are borne at the base of the leaves, about 1-3 per node, in the younger branches with a great number of stamens and one pistil. Fruit shape, size, the color of flesh and skin usually depends on the variety. Maturity is observed when the shell reaches a yellowish-green, yellow, pink or pale color.

Best Guava Varieties

Over 100 varieties of guavas are identified in the world, different from each other by their flavor and appearance. Most of them can be grown in containers but we are listing some of the best.

• Guava Ruby Supreme
• Lucknow 49
• Psidium Guajava Nana (Dwarf Guava)
• Tikal Guava
• Red Malaysian (Also grown for ornamental purposes)
• Patricia
• Indonesian Seedless
• Indonesian White
• Safeda

Guava Tree Propagation

Growing Guava from Cuttings

Guava is propagated from cuttings and seeds. Growing guava from cuttings require specific temperature and humidity, this method is suitable in warm climates.

Growing Guava from Seeds

Guava seeds are propagated easily with high germination rate. The main thing is that they must be fresh and obtained from the quality source. You can also use seed fresh seeds collected from the fruit but it is better to buy seeds from a seed store or online.

If you are using seeds obtained from guava fruit. Firstly, rinse them in soft water, which is not very cold then wrap the seeds in a cloth and dry them for a couple of hours. Then pour them in a cup of warm water and soak the seeds for 3-4 hours. Prepare a pot filled with seed starting mix, and sprinkle seeds in it. Now put the pot on a warm, well-lit spot, like a windowsill. To speed up germination, you can install a small plastic or cellophane over the top of a pot.

Guava tree grown from seeds take 3-4 years to mature and start to form fruits. From cuttings, it grows more quickly. However, our recommendation for you is to buy a grafted guava tree. Most of the grafted trees start to bear fruit in the same year and remain healthy.

Planting Guava Tree

Choosing a pot

Guava tree grows large (around 30 feet) but in pots, it can be reduced to 2-3 m. Choose a pot that is at least 3 gallon (10 inches) to provide the plant a sufficient space to grow roots. *It is best to choose a clay pot with sufficient drainage holes in the bottom.

Requirements for Growing Guava Tree in a Pot

Guava loves the sunny and warm exposure. It is a tropical plant but very much adaptable to temperate climates with moderate winter, when grown on the ground.

If you are growing guava in a container in tropics you can choose a location that receives shade in the afternoon and at least six hours of sun daily. In colder zones, place the plant in a spot that receives full sun for healthy growth and more fruiting.

For growing guava in pots choose a quality potting mix or make your own substrate using equal parts compost, sand, and soil.

Growing guava is possible in a variety of soil types. It is one of the plants that tolerates different soil types easily. It can be grown in heavy clay-rich or very sandy soil with pH ranging from 4.5 (acidic) to 9.4 (alkaline), but a loose, well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter and neutral to slightly acidic in pH is optimum.

When growing guava in a pot choose a self-pollinating variety.

Temperature range

The optimum temperature for germination of guavas falls in the range of 68 to 82 F (20 to 28 C). In winters, the temperature must not fall below 27 F (-3 C) for young guava trees. Mature guava tree (at least 3 years old) can bear temperature down to 20 F (-6 C). Remember, guavas are not frost tolerant, especially young plants, so if in a climate where the temperature falls below the range given here then it is better to keep the plant indoors until the temperature rises up.

When the plant is young or forming flowers water it regularly and deeply to keep the soil slightly moist. Evenly moist soil at the time of fruiting helps in developing more juicy and sweet fruits. In winter reduce the watering. One of the most interesting facts about guava trees is that they are drought tolerant and once established they can survive only on rainfall and bear long periods of drought. Still, it better to keep the soil slightly moist.

Guava Tree Care

Guava tree care is simple and easy and with a few basic information, you can grow a healthy plant.

Pruning guava is essential to keep guava tree growing in a pot in desired shape and size to develop a strong structure, healthy plant and increased fruiting.

Dry, dead, damaged or diseased branches can be pruned anytime. The crowns grow naturally and well-branched and do not need regular cutting. Best is to cut back too long, unbranched shoots and branches that are crossing each other and blocking the penetration of sun rays after the harvest or at the beginning of growing season.

Fruit Thinning

Whenever the first time your guava tree blooms to form fruits it is better to deadhead the flowers, never allowing the fruits to set (do this if your plant is weak).

Allow no more than 4 fruits per branch. Also, thin out the fruits if they are developing on a small and weak branch.

Repot the plant in one size bigger than the previous one. Never plant a plant in a too big pot directly, albeit change the pot time to time once the plant has outgrown the current one.

Fertilizer

Guava responds well to the monthly fertilizing. When the tree is young and is not bearing fruits, fertilize your potted guava tree with 6:6:6:2 [N P K Mg] to speed up the growth of the plant.

When the tree starts to bear fruits change the composition to 8:3:9:2 [N P K Mg].

Guava tree is also susceptible to iron deficiency (symptoms includes yellowing of the leaves in between the dark green veins). It can be corrected or prevented by periodic application chelated iron.

Do mulching with organic matter so that the plant retains moisture. Mulching also helps in insulating the root of guava tree in winter.

Pests and Diseases

Guava tree care from pests and diseases is not much required when grown in a pot. This fruit tree is very tough but you should keep an eye on common garden pests. Mealy bugs, guava scale, white flies, fruit flies and thrips can affect it.

In diseases, guava plant suffers from rust, which occurs in too warm weather and high humidity.Besides this, anthracnose and leaf spot can be a problem too, both of these occurs in wet humid weather and spread through splashed water. By proper irrigation, you can easily prevent this.

Harvesting Guavas

Most of the guava tree varieties are self-pollinating and fruit ripens year round in tropics (except summer). Guava fruits usually mature in 3 to 4 months after flowering.

In India, generally, the main crop arrives in winter and after the summer in the rainy season. Winter crop is more flavorsome and sweet.

Guava fruits taste better when picked earlier than they fully mature. Fruits are highly nutritious, rich in vitamin C and can be eaten raw, its seeds are edible too. Ripened fruits can be used to make guava ice-cream, juice, jam, chutney, sauce or desserts.

A Few Guava Tree Care Tips

• Do not abruptly change the location of your potted guava tree otherwise the plant may lose leaves (partially).
• To get a bushy plant, it is necessary to pinch the growing tip regularly.
• It is advisable to suspend the fertilizer during the winters. In tropics, you can continue it.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

8 Of The Best Berries To Grow In Containers

Growing Mulberry in Containers | How to Grow Mulberry Tree in a Pot

9 Unbeatable DIY Ideas for Growing Strawberries in a Little to No Space

13 COMMENTS

The article is rudimentary and very useful even to a beginner. Similar articles will be helpful to the urban people.

Thank you for the comment. On Balconygardenweb we try to serve our best to those who live in urban and suburban areas.

Informative and very helpful :)

Informative and very useful. I threw some seeds a few months ago in my front yard as I was eating. Never thought seedlings would appear because they were not properly planted. I’m glad they can grow in containers because I don’t have a big front yard. (^_^)

Quality articles or reviews is the main to invite the people to pay a quick visit the site, that’s what this web site is providing.

The article is simple and highly informative. Lot of thanks for the wide range of tips offered by the author. It will definitely serve as a guideline to grow a dwarf guava plant in a pot. It is a definite blessing for city dwellers

I am an allopathic doctor and son of a farmer , always interested in balcony gardening.your artical about this is very informati’ve & very useful. Thanks a lot.

thank you for posting – how do you prune a guava tree? I m not sure how to take of my tree.

It’s very useful

Thank you, I found this article very interesting. I bought a dwarf Guava two years ago, but put it in a large pot (too big I think) its healthy and has grown, but no sign of fruiting….yet! Will follow your advice.

Please guide me the method of Pruning guava. My 6 month old plant has only one branch. And it is not in good shape

Very informative. planted my guava plant on the grown but snail is eating all the leaves. Can I transplant the tree back to the pot? It’s barely 2 feet tall.. pls advise. Thanks.

very interesting & informative. thanks a lot.

Guava

Other Names: Kuawa

Fruits and Nuts

GENERAL CROP INFORMATION

This summary was prepared from a publication by

Shigeura, G. T. and R. M. Bullock.

FAMILY: Myrtaceae SCIENTIFIC NAME: Psidium guajava L. ORIGIN: Tropical Americas

Neal (1965) describes the guava tree as a low evergreen tree or shrub 6 to 25 feet high, with wide spreading branches and downy twigs. The branches are very strong and highly tolerant to high winds. The leaves are oblong or oval and blunt, 3 to 6 inches long, and feather-veined. The flowers are an inch or more across, the calyx bell-shaped and splitting irregularly, the four to six petals are white, and the stamens are white with yellow anthers (Neal, 1965). The fruit is yellow and lemon-shaped. Some fruits may be brownish yellow. The inside of the fruit has pink or cream-colored pulp and small hard seeds.

Neal (1965) indicates that there are a few varieties recognized by Hawaiians that differ only in the fruit produced: the lemon guava (kuawa-lemi) has sour pink pulp, kuawa-momona has bigger seeds and thicker skin, kuawa-ke’oke’o is like the lemon guava but has whitish pulp. The purple strawberry guava and the yellow strawberry guava are a different species, P. cattleianum Sabine and P. cattleianum f. lucidum Degener, respectively.

The cultivars ‘Beaumont’, introduced in 1960 and ‘Ka Hua Kula’, identified in 1972 and introduced in 1978, are the only processing guavas now recommended and grown commercially (Shigeura and Bullock, 1983). Both of these cultivars are high yielding, have a high puree recovery percentage, are pink in color, are somewhat low in acidity, have a pleasant aroma, and are delicate in flavor, and high in total solids. Commercial field trials indicated that ‘Ka Hua Kula’ appears to be a better yielding cultivar. It is also a lower tree with less branch extensions. There are other cultivars that may have potential for later introduction.

Guava is used to produce jams, jellys, and juices commercially. Guava may be eaten raw or cooked. Guavas are an excellent source of vitamin C and also contain iron calcium, and phosphorus.

Despite its use commercially, guava is considered a weed in lower elevations in Hawaii. It is also a serious pest plant in pastures.

Guava trees can be nursery propagated by grafting, by budding, by stem cutting (succulent green stems), or by root cuttings (Shigeura and Bullock, 1983). The use of seedlings to establish an orchard is not recommended at the present time; most of these seedlings will not be like the parental type in yield, taste and fruit flesh color.

Seedlings used for grafting or budding may be propagated from seeds from wild guava or clonal trees. There appears to be no differences in the seed source at the present time. Regardless of the seed source, fresh seeds should be from healthy, clean, ripe fruit. The seeds should be thoroughly washed free of any pulpy material and treated with a fungicide to prevent damping-off. If damping-off occurs as the seedlings emerge, both the seedlings and the media surface should be treated with a fungicide. The seedlings may be planted in small containers for later nursery row planting when they are 1-1/2 inches high, or they may be planted in 1 gallon containers for the propagation of larger seedlings for budding or grafting in the future. Grafting or budding can be done when the seedlings are 1/2 inch in diameter and 10 inches above the ground. The seedlings can be grafted or budded by using any acceptable method.

Only strong, succulent greenwood should be used in stem cutting propagation. Shigeura and Matsuyama (1981) recommend the use of a three-node stem cutting with two leafy nodes and a basal node without leaves, or a similar cutting without a basal node. The cuttings should be placed in an intermittent mist chamber with bottom heat and a media temperature of 27 degrees C (80 degrees F). The next step would be to treat the cuttings with a mixture of 2% indolebutyric acid (IBA) suspended in fine dolomitic limestone or insecticidal talc. After 6 to 8 weeks in the mist chamber, the cuttings should be adequately rooted for container transplanting. The transplant containers should be large enough to sustain the cuttings for 4 to 6 months until the resulting plants are ready for field transplanting. Careful handling, a well drained potting soil, and adequate water are necessary at this stage to prevent any damage to the plant.

Propagation from root cuttings is appropriate only if the parent orchard was started from cuttings and not from budding or grafting on a seedling rootstock. This method is not recommended for large nurseries because the amount of available root cuttings is low.

In Hawaii, soil type as a requirement for guava growth is not a major consideration. Guava grows in almost any type of soil.

For fruit production, it is recommended that the guava trees are not planted in areas of high wind. A low windbreak that does not have much lateral growth can be used along the field edges in areas with constant prevailing winds of 10 - 15 miles per hour. Larger orchards extending over 500 feet in length or width will benefit from the use of tall columnar or upright trees on the edges and possibly within the field.

Water supply throughout the production cycle is very important. Irrigation should be used to supply adequate water in any commercial orchard.

Field observations indicate that heavier set fruit are grown in lower elevations. Plants grown at 2000 feet or higher become very erratic depending on temperature differences due to cloud cover. Guava can be economically grown at elevations where pineapple, macadamia, coffee, papaya, mango, and banana are profitably grown. Except for a few areas with a definite southern exposure, most of the areas above 1800 feet are not suitable for growing guavas profitably.

The growth habit of the tree, its response to pruning, harvesting method, and other cultural methods should be considered before determining the planting design of any crop. Guava can be pruned and trained into a large, low hanging bush to permit hand harvesting or into a small tree with a single trunk to permit mechanical harvesting. Judicious pruning can maintain the tree radius to about 11 or 12 feet in conjunction with crop cycling. To maximize production in clonal orchards, tree limbs must cover the land area as completely as possible. Pruning and tree training over time can achieve this, but perhaps a better way to this is to initially reduce the blank areas between trees by planting the trees along an equilateral triangle (quincunx) system and at a desired distance between trees rather than on a square system.

The farmer ultimately must make the final decision on spacing between trees. The farmer must consider the production potential of the land based on fertility, availability of water, intensity of sunlight, wind exposure, and other factors. A quincunx design with 25 feet between trees, 21.7 feet between perpendicular rows, 80 trees per acre, and 543 square feet per tree optimizes production. However, a farmer may choose closer spacing with more trees.

A seedling orchard should be planted with an operational area of 24 to 25 feet between rows with trees planted in-row at 8 to 12 foot spacing because of economic reasons. Off-types should be rouged out or topworked when they develop or when cash flow is available for topworking of undesirable trees.

Guava trees should be pruned and trained within the first 3 to 4 months after field planting to increase yield and to reduce the total cost of field operations by eliminating obstacles and branch hazards which allows easier movement around the trees. Pruning is done to train trees to a single trunk and to develop a canopy. Pruning is also used in crop cycling.

Crop cycling is done to keep fruit production constant throughout the year and as a result, increase yield and profit. Crop cycling depends on the natural flowering and fruiting tendencies of the guava tree. Guava trees bear more fruits in certain times of the year, a light crop in the spring and a heavier one in the fall. Production of guava fruit can be cycled by systematic cultural manipulation, for example, pruning, fertilization, irrigation, and defoliation. Each cultural manipulation technique, alone or in combination, can influence flower bud formation by forcing the trees into vegetative growth.

Crop cycling should be initiated immediately after a crop is harvested or when the next cycled crop is desired. The crop harvest will begin approximately 7 months after cycling treatment. As an example, if cycling starts on the first of January, the crop can be harvested on the first of October. The second cycling begins on the first of October and ends on the first of July. Eight separate fields could be separately cycled so that the fruits could be produced around the year.

Presently, there is no data available that would indicate Hawaii soil pH (3.5 to 7.0) has any effect on guava. Unless there is data that indicates pH is a factor in guava production, pH need not be considered for the Hawaii soil types used to grow guavas

During the first few months in the field, guava trees should be fertilized at a 2 to 3 month interval with a complete fertilizer including calcium, magnesium, and other trace elements. Leaf sampling should be done as leaves become available to determine deficiencies. Appropriate fertilizer should be applied to compensate for any deficiencies. At the end of the second year or at the beginning of the third, the trees can then be put into production cycling. If a crop cycling program prevents the use of fertilizer, the fertilizer should be applied after the completion of the current crop as a benefit for the succeeding crop.

Leaf sampling involves taking a sample of leaves and having those leaves analyzed for its elemental components. For guava, the index leaf is the fourth leaf in a whorl of leaves of an actively growing major terminal. The first expanding young leaf in the whorl is considered the first leaf. A 10 leaf sample should be taken from 10 trees with similar appearances in the area.

Currently, guava fruit are hand picked. Guavas require care when being picked and harvest cannot go on for more than 2 to 3 days during the height of the season because of potential losses from insects and overripe fruit.

The picked fruit should be placed in a cool place away from the sun. To maintain quality, it is best to process the fruits soon after harvest. The puree can be chilled, frozen, or aseptically packaged. If the fruits need to be stored overnight, the fruit boxes should be places in a covered well ventilated area. Clean green fruits can be set aside for later use and ripened with ethophon.

Mucor rot - Mucor hiemalis

Rhizopus rot - Rhizopus stolonifer

Firm rot - probably not pathenogenic but physical in origin

Blossem-end rot - origin unknown, may be due to calcium deficiency

Fruit spots - origin unknown

Mummified fruits - caused by insufficient water

Sooty mold - Asterina psidii and Meliola psidii

Parasitic alga - Cephaleuros virescens

Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis)

Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata)

Green scale (Coccus viridis)

Red-banded thrips (Selenothrips rubrocinctus)

Coconut mealybug (Nipaecoccus nipae)

Striped mealybug (Ferrisia virgata)

Red and black flat mite (Brevipalpus phoenicis)

Chinese rose beetle (Adoretus sinicus)

Fuller’s rose beetle (Pantomorus cervinus)

Transparent-winged plant bug (Hyalopelpus pellucidus)

Guava moth (Anua indiscriminata)

Spiraling whitefly (Aleurodicus dispersus)

Green shield scale (Pulvinaria psidii)

In 1992, the State of Hawaii processed 13,300,000 pounds of guava at 14.3 cents per pound. The value of sales for the processors was $1,902,000.

A total of 125 farms grew guava on 930 acres (including planting intentions) in 1992. There was 765 acres that was harvested. Farm production was 13,260,000 pounds that commanded 14.3 cents per pound. The value of sales for the farmers was $1,896,000.

Neal, Marie C. In Gardens of Hawaii. Hawaii: Bishop Museum Press, 1965.

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