Guava cultivation. Exotic guava plant: how to grow at home, useful properties Is it possible to grow guava on your site

Guava (Psidium guajava) is a fruit tree whose fruits are eaten in fresh and used to make juices. Guava is very sensitive to cold, grows only in the tropics, but is perfect plant for indoor growing. In the summer, you can take the potted guava tree to the porch, patio or patio, and in the fall move it to the house or conservatory.

Let's look at what you need to know in order to properly plant a tropical guest and take care of her at home.

What does a guava look like: a botanical description

Guava (Psidium guajava) is a shrubby evergreen tree up to 10 meters high, with smooth reddish-brown bark. The plant has opposite oblong leathery leaves and fragrant white five-petalled flowers (large, about 4 cm in diameter) with bright white thread-like stamens. The fruits are edible, yellow and round (sometimes pear-shaped), with a diameter of 3 to 10 cm, sometimes there are varieties with red fruits (strawberry guava, or Psidium cattleianum).

Guava is grown for its fruit, which is technically a berry but is still perceived as a fruit by the consumer. The fruit has a thin, yellow, slightly sour, edible layer under the skin, followed by yellow seeds (more than 3-5 mm long) in juicy pink or yellow pulp. For the manufacture of fruit preserves and juices, a thin layer of fruit rich in vitamin C is used.

Did you know? In the ruins of Pompeii, archaeologists have found not only well-preserved remains of dwellings, but also slightly damaged clay pots with the remains of plants once grown in them. It turns out that container gardening has been widespread since ancient times.

Distribution and habitats

Tropics are considered the birthplace of guava South America and Mexico, but the plant has spread beyond its natural range through cultivation. It is currently cultivated in South Florida (USA), Bermuda, and throughout the West Indies from the Bahamas and Cuba to Trinidad and south to Brazil.

The first information about guava came from the Hawaiian Islands, in the early 1800s. There it grows everywhere: on pastures, roadsides, as well as in shrub forests at an altitude of 1200 meters above sea level.

Guava fruit trees do not grow in our latitudes, as they do not tolerate the cold that is characteristic of our country. These trees need to be protected from cold winds even in southern warm climates where temperatures sometimes drop as well.

Popular types of guava

The common guava grows well in a pot. If the gardener provides the plant with a warm, humid climate and good sunlight, then the guava will bear fruit regularly.

There are several types of guava that are suitable for growing in containers:

Did you know? Potted orchids hide a real vampire character behind their graceful appearance. They have no place in the bedroom, it is at night that they most actively feed on energy. But where passions boil, emotions splash out, they will bloom best of all. Orchids are good companions of active, strong people, with an excess of internal energy and an explosive temperament.

Growing and caring for a plant with your own hands

In their natural habitat, guava trees even undersized varieties grow up to 2.5-4.0 m. However, grown in a pot, it grows much shorter, since its root system is limited by the walls of the container.

Container grown guava trees can grow (and remain so) up to 1.2-1.5 meters tall, making the plants ideal for indoor cultivation. To grow a beautiful guava, you need to provide it with good lighting, suitable temperature conditions, timely watering and pruning.

Did you know? or a "money tree" is planted in pots to attract material wealth to housing. This tree not only contributes to enrichment, but also treats severe depression associated with financial difficulties.

Soil and fertilizer

Priming

Guava is undemanding and grows well in a variety of soils, but prefers well-drained soil with an acid-base balance (pH) of 5 to 7.
Soil for planting - the soil mixture should consist of equal parts of earth, sand and.

fertilizers

To feed the guava tree, you need to purchase fertilizer for indoor potted trees, which is sold in specialized garden stores.
Florists are advised to refrain from fertilizing guava from autumn to mid-winter.
To feed young plants, you need to apply fertilizer once a month during the first year of life in large quantities.
During subsequent years of growth, the top dressing plants are reduced to three or four times a year, but the single dose of fertilizer applied increases.

Watering and humidity

Guava plants have shallow roots that absorb water and nutrients quickly, so they don't need frequent, deep watering.
AT summer period the plant should be watered abundantly two to three times a month (under the root and by sprinkling).
AT winter months the tree enters a state of rest, so watering under the root should be done rarely and moderately.
When the top layer of soil becomes dry to a depth of 3-5 cm, then it is time to water the plant.
The soil under a flowering or young guava (up to six months) should be kept slightly moist. Evenly moist soil during fruiting helps the gardener to achieve a harvest of juicy and sweet fruits.

Important! Guava trees are drought tolerant and in their native tropics, they are watered only during the rainy seasons. In the intervals between rains, trees calmly survive long periods of drought. However, it is best for a container plant if the root layer is slightly damp.

Relation to temperature

The optimum temperature for this plant is between 20°C and 28°C. AT winter period for young guava trees, the air temperature should not fall below -3°C. mature tree(at least 3 years old) can withstand temperatures down to -6°C.
These tropical trees thrive in warm climates, but are afraid of the cold. Therefore, it is better to grow them indoors all year round or take them outdoors in spring, summer and autumn.
In winter, plants are brought into a well-heated room; winter temperatures from + 10 ° C to + 15 ° C are ideal for them. At temperatures below +10°C, these tropical trees shed their leaves.

Reproduction and planting

Guava can be propagated in two ways: from green cuttings and from seeds.

Growing from cuttings:

Important! A guava tree grown from seeds begins to bear fruit only after 3-4 years. A tree propagated from cuttings grows faster. The easiest and most convenient option is to buy in a special flower shop grafted guava tree. Most grafted trees begin to bear fruit in the same year.

Reproduction by seeds

Guava seeds older than one year partially lose their germination capacity, so they must be stratified before planting in the soil. It should be noted that even fresh guava seeds germinate poorly without stratification, this procedure is necessary so that the sprout can break through the hard outer shell of the seed. For the same purposes in industrial cultivation seeds with a dense shell are pre-treated with sulfuric acid; at home, the grower needs to boil or soak the seeds in hot water.

Stratification by boiling seeds

To soften the hard coating of the seed coat, bring half a liter of water to a boil.
Place the seeds in boiling water and boil for five minutes.
After that, the fire is turned off, and the water, along with the seeds, must be allowed to cool naturally.
Seeds are planted in the ground immediately after they have cooled to room temperature.

Stratification by the h methodseed soaking

Seeds are placed in a container, at the bottom of which lies a cloth napkin, warm water is also added there.
Water should cover the seeds no more than the size of one seed (3-5 mm).
The container is covered with a lid and placed in a warm, dark place for two weeks.
Periodically, you need to check how the seeds feel.
If the seeds are swollen and absorb water, a little liquid should be added, this is necessary so that the seeds are moist and do not dry out.
After two weeks, the seed coat softens enough for the inner shoot to pierce it, and they can be planted in the ground.

Planting seeds

The seeds that have undergone stratification (soaking or boiling) are planted in a separate pot to a depth of one and a half to two centimeters, covered with soil, moderately watered.
Then put on the pot plastic bag to prevent evaporation of moisture from the soil.
Pots with sown seeds are placed in a brightly lit, warm place.
When the first seedlings appear, you need to remove the plastic bag (the plant must learn to live in normal room conditions).
The young guava is exposed to a well-lit window sill for further growth.

Important! Guava seeds germinate at temperatures from +23°C to +28°C, if the soil temperature drops below +15°C, the seeds freeze and stop growing. The seeds of this plant germinate very slowly, taking four to twelve weeks before tiny shoots appear above the soil surface.

Transplantation

Transfer to a container

The plant is recommended to be transplanted once a year, at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring, to change the soil. it right time to increase the size of the pot by 3-5 cm if the plant has outgrown its small pot and the walls of the old one do not allow the roots to grow.

If the gardener does not want the plant to increase in growth, and intends to limit the further increase in roots and above-ground mass, then during the annual transplant, he cuts the root system by 1/3 of the total with. And after changing the soil, he plants the guava in the same pot.

Transplantation in open ground

In a place well lit and sheltered from cold winds and drafts, a landing pit is dug.
The planting hole should be 3-4 times larger than the container in which the tree grows.
Humus or compost is introduced into the planting pit in the amount of 1/4 of the total volume of the recess in the soil.
Fertilizer with a shovel is mixed with the soil.
The tree is carefully removed from the planting container by shaking.
An earthen ball with a plant is placed exactly in the middle of the planting hole.
The side gaps remaining unfilled with soil in landing pit filled with soil to the top, so that a small depression of 5-10 cm is obtained on the surface of the soil.
A peg is driven into the ground next to the tree suitable height and tie a planted plant to it. This support peg will be needed by the plant until it is strengthened in the ground and starts to grow. For the garter, a soft natural rope is taken (not synthetics and not wire).
The tree is watered under the root into the resulting recess in the ground. For watering a meter tree, 5-6 liters of water is enough, if the plant is taller than a meter, 10 liters of water are poured under the root.
It is necessary to ensure that during the summer the soil under the planted young tree remains slightly moist. In the absence of rain, watering is carried out weekly.

Important! . The gardener still needs to remember that in the middle climate zone tropical guava will not survive the winter. A tropic dweller will only survive if a heated, well-lit greenhouse is built over the tree in the fall.

pruning

All pruning operations are carried out with a sharp garden pruner small size with slightly rounded blades. Before the procedure, the pruner blades are wiped with alcohol. If you plan to trim another tree, then the pruner blades are again wiped with a disinfectant liquid. This is done in order not to transfer diseases from one plant to another.

top young plant guavas without lateral branches should be cut at a height of about 30-60 cm. This is done in order to induce lateral branching of the plant. During the first year, 3 or 4 well-distributed lateral branches should be selected and allowed to grow from 60 to 90 cm, after which the growing point should be “pinched off” to cause further branching.

New branches formed after pinching the main branch are also "pinched" after they reach a length of 40 to 60 cm. In the future, crooked or poorly placed shoots should be removed.

Sanitary and anti-aging pruning

With the help of pruning, the desired height and shape of the plant is maintained, and a crown that is too thick, which prevents the penetration of sunlight and air, is also thinned out. As well as pruning, dry and damaged branches and leaves are removed.
If the grower wants to rejuvenate his tree, then old thick branches are cut with a pruner. After some time, the plant restores the lost above-ground mass by growing new stems and branches.

Flower regulation

Pruning can be used to encourage out-of-season guava flowering and fruit set. After pruning, trees begin to grow branches. Usually branches appear from lateral buds on a tree trunk or at the ends of lateral shoots. For a period of 2-3 weeks, the plant is left without watering. Pruning and temporary drought causes the tree to take care of the offspring, which causes further flowering and fruit set.

Did you know? The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar was one of the first to "domesticate" plants. He was the founder of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. This idea was conceived and implemented so that the beloved wife of the king would not yearn for her parental home.

Possible difficulties in growing

leaf fall- the plant does not like a sudden change in location, as a result of which the tree may lose (partially or completely) the leaves.
Elongation and sparseness of the crown- to get a beautifully formed tree, you need to regularly pinch the lateral and central points of growth.
fertilizers- for the winter it is advisable not to fertilize the plant, so as not to cause explosive growth. The tree needs a state of rest, as there is not enough light in the room in winter.

Pests, diseases and prevention

Insect pests of guava:

Nematodes

Guava roots can be damaged by several types of nematodes. Nematodes are microscopic roundworms.

Symptoms of root damage by nematodes:

growth arrest or stunting;
wilting and yellowing of leaves;
shedding branches and leaves;
tree death.

Before planting guava trees in a container, you need to disinfect the soil for planting by heat treatment (in the oven) or pouring boiling water. Also, soil mulching and moderate fertilization and watering will help to avoid the appearance of pests.

Did you know? is a real home pharmacy. Possessing healing properties, the plant still cleans the energy of the house. To stop worrying, it is enough to sit next to this flower. It protects the owners from other people's evil thoughts and troubles.

fungal diseases

Treatment and prevention of fungal diseases

The fungal disease of guava contributes to the thickening of the crown. A thinning pruning of branches and crowns will help an already diseased plant, it will open access to light and air, which will prevent fungal spores from developing. As preventive measure wood treatment is used against fungal diseases copper-containing preparations(once or twice per season).

A little knowledge, a little patience and care - and to home comfort a green live note will be added tropical plant. It is only necessary to remember that although certain types of guava endure a significant drop in temperature, they still remain a delicate plant that needs protection from severe frost. Happy growing!

Video: how to grow guava

How to grow guava at home: reviews

This year I improved the "Happy" guava plant by planting it in the ground in spring, it grew a lot of branches and leaves and bloomed and tied one fruit and more flowering is on the way .. I transplanted it into a bucket in August, already blooming, absolutely without consequences. My large-fruited guava "Suprim" also tied the fruit, but I can’t cope with the size of the tree, it could be grown in the ground. Stand in the shade and water abundantly every day be sure

extreme amateur

http://forum.homecitrus.ru/topic/7-guajiava-i-drugie-psidiumy/?p=391645

While they are small, you can overwinter in the aquarium. When they get stronger and grow up, it is possible that there will be no need for such maintenance. It will just be difficult to place them in containers. Although, with the advent of winter, it is possible to build a collapsible greenhouse cabinet from slats and film. Of course, powerful illumination will also be needed for those Psidiums that will not winter at lower temperatures. For young animals, the very thing is a greenhouse in the winter.

I read on various forums that even large specimens throw leaves for the winter, and growth points, just like yours, are shed. In the spring, with a stable temperature, people plant them in the exhaust gas or take them out to Fresh air in pots, drop in, the plants vegetate well and lay buds, and with the advent of August they bloom and set fruits.

But only in the fall, after being brought into apartments, problems begin - shedding leaves, ovaries and drying out of growth points. This happens not only with Psidiums, it happens with citrus fruits too. Changes in the intensity of insolation, humidity, air convection and temperature regime soil - a significant change in the conditions of detention.

I still think that in winter, plants that do not need lower temperatures for full development and laying fruit buds need a lot of light - high-quality lighting and not a strong temperature difference at night and day, well, and high humidity air.

That's just in large boxes they can be wintered, and then - in the spring, gradually adapted to the usual content. So that the leaves do not burn out in the spring sun, shade temporarily with a plastic film curtain (a couple of weeks is enough).

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Olga Tarasova 7.02.2014 | 2770

A guava bush grown from seeds will bloom and bear fruit if all the necessary conditions are created for it.

I decided to transplant guava, or psidium, as soon as I brought it home, into a mixture of garden soil, peat and sand (2: 1: 1), not forgetting to make good drainage. In a slightly larger pot, I poured a layer of expanded clay, laid a little rotted cow manure, then new soil. In order to disturb the plant less, I planted it with a clod of earth, covered the remaining gaps with soil, trying not to deepen the root neck.

Summer watering guava is plentiful, in winter - as needed, but I do not forget that drying out the earthy coma leads to drying out of young shoots and leaf edges. I feed once a month with infused mullein.

Humidity is not important when growing guava, but I periodically shower almost all of my plants, including hers. In winter, when there is little light, I sometimes spray many of my pets with Epin.

Despite the fact that the guava loves the light, I try to accustom it to it after the winter gradually. Since the plant lives on the balcony in summer, at first I put it in partial shade, and by the middle of summer - in the sun, which is here only in the morning. In addition, I noticed that you should not change position abruptly - the guava can partially shed its leaves.

I endure psidium for the winter landing where it is cool but not cold. This is a heat-loving plant that does not tolerate frosts - even at -2 ° C, the leaves are damaged, and at -3 ° C, the plant dies. Young specimens are especially sensitive to cold. The minimum temperature for normal development is 15°C.

My guava blossomed and gave fruit, but there were not many of them. It turns out that guava has its own specifics during pollination. Flowers are characterized by the so-called protandria. In practice, this means that pollen must be taken from the stamens of freshly blooming flowers and transferred to the pistils of fading ones. I did just that, and as a result I got four fruits.

Guava struck whitefly. But during fruiting, it is desirable to deal with pests not by chemical means.

reproduction

Guava is easy to grow from seeds- in a year it turns out almost mature plant. I make up the substrate from sod land, humus and sand (1: 1: 1). I don't plant the seeds deep. For germination, I keep them in a warm, bright place (22-24 ° C). To make the plant more bushy, I pinch the growing point. But it happens that the first time it "does not work", and the guava still goes into one trunk. You have to pinch a few times.

cuttings take root with difficulty, with a root stimulator and heating. And, unfortunately, I have not yet been able to get a positive result.

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Like many plants familiar to us, exotic ones can also be grown on your windowsill. And not just admire the leaves, but also get fresh fruits. Like any plant, the "foreigner" loves care and will respond with love in full. Take, for example, an exotic useful evergreen bush - psidium. He will give his caring owners healthy and tasty fruits -.

What kind of guava is best to grow at home

For those who want to get fresh fruit at home, it is better to take care of a variety of guava that will quickly take root, will be able to bear fruit in this climate, and is not very picky about soil and watering. Botanists consider Psidium Littorale or coastal psidium to be a suitable “candidate”: it generously responds to warmth and care, does not get sick in room conditions, it is not afraid of a worm, aphids, fungal diseases and scale insects.

In the photo there is a strawberry guava tree (the fruits of the fruit are small and have a red "raspberry" color).

The advantages of the "coastal" variety of guava include beautiful flowers: relatively large, snow-white, eight-petaled, with many stamens and extremely fragrant. Psidium has the usual dense green leaves. Its fruit ripens to four centimeters, spherical in shape, the skin color is light yellow, fragrant, it will have the same qualities as growing in nature.

Planting and propagating guava at home

Psidium does not reproduce well from cuttings. They take root poorly and require a certain high temperature and humidity. It is better to just collect the seeds from a freshly eaten guava. Fresh and planted shallow in the soil, they germinate well. And in three years they will begin to bear the first fruits.

Guava pollinates itself. But, there is a little trick to increase the number of ovaries: with a brush, transfer pollen from a flower that has just blossomed to a flower that is already losing its snow-white petals.

homemade guava care

Preparing the soil in a pot: to form a drain to remove excess moisture during irrigation, expanded clay is poured onto the bottom, then cow manure (a little) is laid, and a mixture of garden soil, sand, peat (2:1:1) or earth, sand, humus (1:1 :one).

Temperature regime: in order for guava seeds to germinate, heat from 22 to 28 degrees is required. In general, guava is a heat-loving plant and also loves light. Therefore, as soon as the still warm spring rays appear, the guava can be gradually transferred to the balcony. To provide enough moisture, guava can not only be watered into the soil, but also "rinse in the shower" in the heat, along with leaves and branches.

In winter, the temperature should be kept indoors from +16 to +20 ° C.

Young plants are sensitive to cold. Generally minimum temperature, allowing the guava to develop only +15 degrees. During frosts (-2 ° C), the foliage is damaged, at -3 ° C, the psidium irrevocably leaves its owners.

Watering and feeding: when shoots appeared, the earthen coma should not be allowed to dry out. Because of this, young shoots dry out and leaves curl. root system guava superficial. Psidium is watered abundantly in summer, and as needed in the winter months. Guava is fed at home from autumn to the first sunny days, with infused mullein.

Transplantation: when the psidium sprout has grown to 5 cm, it can be transplanted. Tall trees up to 75 cm in height are also suitable for transplantation. It is recommended to transplant the plant several times: first into a small container, then larger ones, etc. This can be done in spring (March-April), but not during flowering and fruiting.

When forming the crown of a guava tree, it must be taken into account that the fruits appear on young shoots. If possible, it is better to refuse to cut the crown altogether, the path is formed independently. Or cut only long branches.
Delete root growth, so as not to get dense bush thickets in the end.
You can not abruptly change the position of the guava. She can drop leaves (partially).
To get a bush, not a stem tree, you need to pinch the growing point. Sometimes you have to do this several times.

Caring guava owners who planted a seed, looked after the bush, followed all the recommendations, will be pleased with the result. First, a little (3-4) fresh healthy fruit, and then a few kilograms will give an evergreen handsome psidium. They can be used to make wonderful puddings, jams, fruit salads, etc., eat and maintain your health.

Video (sorry, in English) about landing already big tree guavas in your garden (if you only live in warm areas):

Or psidium guava (Psidium guajava), or simply guava. it evergreen shrub or small beautiful tree about 10 m, sometimes grows up to 20 m, originally from tropical America, perhaps the range once spread from Mexico to Peru. Quite a long time ago, guava was brought to India, where it successfully naturalized, now it is grown throughout the East, it also grows on the Mediterranean coast of France and in Algeria, in the USA it is grown in Southern California and Florida. The life span of the plant is short, only about 40 years.

The bark of the trunk is smooth, light brown, exfoliates with age, exposing the green areas of the trunk. Young branches are tetrahedral. The leaves are opposite, 5-15 cm long and 3-5 cm wide, elliptical, pointed, with a characteristic uneven surface and distinct transverse veins, dull, pubescent below, fragrant when rubbed. Flowers appear on young growths, bisexual, white, with numerous stamens, calyx 4-5 lobed, usually arranged singly or in pairs in the leaf axils. P. guava is able to bloom several times a year. He usually gives one big harvest and several smaller crops. Fruits are spherical, ovoid or pear-shaped, up to 10 cm, whitish-yellow or pale pink, sweet and sour, with a pronounced musky aroma, fleshy, multi-seeded.

The fruits are valued, in addition to their high palatability, for high content vitamin C, which is several times more in guava fruits than in citrus fruits, red-colored fruits contain a large number of beta-carotene, fruits are rich in vitamins of group B and vitamin P, very fragrant. They are used raw and in the form of jams, for flavoring desserts, for making juices, cocktails, sauces, salads and drinks. Unripe fruits are rich in pectin.

Guava juice is used to treat heart disease and asthma, the fruits are used for diarrhea and bladder diseases, in the treatment of diseases in the throat area. The leaves and bark are rich in tannins, the bark is used for tanning leather, and a black dye is extracted from the leaves. Tea from the bark and leaves helps with digestive disorders, in the treatment of dysentery. The leaves contain substances with antibacterial and anticancer activity. The dense wood is used to make the tool, and its aroma saturates the meat unusually when smoked and barbecued.

Psidium guava prefers a dry tropical climate, is not picky about soils, can grow on both heavy clays and sands, tolerates soil acidity from pH 4.5 to pH 9.4, is relatively salt-tolerant, tolerates a short drought and puts up with some waterlogging, although it prefers moist, well-drained soils. Likes full sun, although it can grow in some shade. Grows poorly at low summer temperatures, does not tolerate extreme heat, the minimum temperature is +5 degrees, adult plants can tolerate short frosts of 1-2 degrees, but still they are serious stress for plants.

Unpretentiousness to the composition of the soil and its moisture makes this species quite aggressive in countries with a warm climate, where it is able to form dense thickets, displace native species, and capture pastures. Initially cultivated in gardens, it quickly spreads and naturalizes through the dispersal of seeds from the fruit, which is eaten by birds and animals. P. guava is recognized as an invasive species in the Galápagos, Hawaii, New Zealand, and South Africa, and is a problem in the Marquesas, New Caledonia, and Fiji.

Guava is easily propagated by fresh seeds; when grown on plantations, the method of grafting and cuttings is used to preserve the variety, and it can produce root shoots. Seedlings bloom for 3-4 years, the peak of fruiting occurs at the age of 15-25 years.

There are several varieties selected during the cultivation process. They differ in the color of the peel and pulp, the shape and size of the fruit, and taste. The two previously described species guava pear (Psidium pyriferum) with pear-shaped fruit and apple guava (Psidium pomiferum) with round fruits are now considered subspecies of the common guava. Some varieties are sold as guava guinea (Psidium quineense), although it separate view, as well as others, for example, fragrant guava (Psidium aromaticum).

Care and maintenance

Psidium guava is able to bear fruit in small volumes of soil, it is often grown as a container or pot fruit plant. But it develops especially well in soil greenhouses. Growth is quite fast, the annual growth is about 30 cm, and over the years the plant can develop into a large tree.

The plant tolerates pruning and shaping well, but the field usually does not give this strong branching (in India and countries East Asia used to create bonsai).

The main difficulty in maintaining a house in the temperate zone is the lack of light in winter time and the need to provide the plant with a cool, bright wintering, at +12 ... +15 0 C. Guava prefers illuminated windows of eastern, southern and western orientation, in summer it is desirable to take it out into the open air in the sun. When growing in a pot, care should be taken to ensure that the roots do not overheat in the sun. The rest of the psidium is undemanding, puts up with a short overdrying. It should be noted that brown spots often appear on the leaves, this spoils the appearance plants. Amazed mealybug, shield.

About measures to combat these insects- in the article Indoor plant pests and their control.

Guava vulgaris is easily propagated from fresh seeds. Having bought a mature guava, you can eat its pulp, seizing the seeds for sowing. By placing them in a container with earth (for example, myrtle soil) and arranging a greenhouse, you will sprout in 4-6 weeks. Seedlings 10 cm high can be planted in separate pots and grown in a warm sunny place. Young plants like abundant watering and showers, but it is necessary to slightly dry the soil between waterings. The beginning of flowering and fruiting can occur in 2-8 years (on average, 2-3), and the plant will reach a meter height by this time.

In room culture, guava cuttings are not very willing, only in greenhouses with bottom heating and the use of root formers. However, the wait for rooting can last from 1 to 2 months, and its success rate is only 2%. It might be better to use the method air layers, although it is even longer in time.

In conclusion, we emphasize that for this tropical plant, warm, light and humid conditions are the ideal environment. Therefore, it will feel good in the subtropical winter garden, and in the summer it will gratefully respond to moving to the veranda, to the greenhouse, glazed gazebo or just to the sun in the open air.

Guava is an exotic and versatile fruit. Outwardly, it looks like the fruits of three plants of lemon, apple and pear, it may have unequal volume, weight and unpredictable colors. Only the aristocratic honey taste and the rare benefits of the fruits, which are equally popular both in the homes of ordinary citizens and in restaurants, and are also used in folk medicine, do not change.

Tropical apple is exotic southern fruit. Guava quietly and peacefully grew in the territory of the South and Latin America, local Indians reveled in its taste and healing power, created dwellings from wood, made ink from leaves, but one day the conquering Spaniards came to them. Finding themselves among fruit trees and inhaling the fragrance of guava fruits, the Spaniards suspected that they had landed in paradise, and decided to share this paradise with the whole world. So the tropical apple began to grow in almost any warm southern area.

External Description

This fruit is from 4 to 10-15 centimeters in size. The skin of the fruit is wrinkled, thick in appearance, but in fact thin and extremely useful. The pulp contains many small strong bones. The grains in one fruit are from 112 to 535.

The color of the peel happens in all sorts of tones: light and bright green, yellowish, pale pink and dark crimson. The flesh is snow-white, yellow and red with all kinds of tints. The difference in tones depends on the variety and where the fragrant fruit grows.

The taste of fruit is an extremely mysterious thing. The most delicious fruits are soft and ripe, but the inhabitants of many countries, from India to Thailand, prefer green fruit, which makes it difficult for inexperienced Russian travelers to find a ripe fruit for sale. Southerners love to sprinkle sweet slices with pepper and salt, and not everyone will truly appreciate such a national dish.

Those who have tried a ripe tropical apple (easier in Indonesia) say that the taste of scarlet fruits is similar to the taste of raspberries, and the skin has a delicate coniferous taste. Strawberry guava tastes like strawberries and pineapple at once, and light fruits have a delicate and incomparable aroma.

Gallery: guava (25 photos)

General information

The scientific name for the fruit is Psidium Guava. Guava is the fruit of an evergreen, short tree that grows in regions with a warm and humid climate. Its homeland is still unknown, this plant was first grown in Mexico and Central America, from where the fruit could be brought to Southeast Asia.

This is an inconspicuous fruit the size of an apple, which has a bright green color. The shape can be oval, pear-shaped, slightly elongated. Looks like a bumpy avocado. The pulp has a juicy scarlet tone. The fruit tastes sweet and sour, like pineapple and strawberries. Delicate fragrance and taste gives rise to "addiction". Getting hooked on guava is extremely easy.

Growing guava at home

AT living conditions you can also grow a bush, the guava plant is undemanding, freely withstands drought. The plant is called both a tree and a shrub; when grown in captivity, a tropical guest can reach up to 1 meter. You can plant it from a simple seed of a store-bought fruit or buy grains on the Internet.

An impeccable variety for home breeding is Psidium coastal. The plant is very grateful and unpretentious, blooms with fragrant white flowers and produces a crop every 1-2 years. At home, the plant is a natural air freshener. Fruit leaves are an excellent antiseptic, a decoction of them heals cough and dysentery, removes the temperature, and fresh leaves, when chewed, save from bad breath, pacify toothache and reduce gum inflammation.

Guava, or Psidium Guava

The tree is harvested once a year. If it bears fruit twice, then the fruits will be small. Three to five months pass from the moment the plant blooms to the harvest. The mass of large fruits reaches 160 grams, small ones - up to 70 grams. The color of ripe guava is yellow, green, burgundy. The skin is cast, wavy, not thick. The thicker the skin, the bitterer. Thin skin has a honey taste. The fragrance of the plant is similar to the smell of lemon. The taste of the pulp is sweet, sometimes sour. Guava pulp contains extremely strong grains.

Places of growth

It is not worth buying guava from us. It is impossible to find tasty fruits in our country. The best option is to bring a little juice and fruit with you from a vacation in hot countries. Guava grows in Vietnam and Thailand, Malaysia and Tunisia, Egypt.

The homeland of the guava stretches from Mexico to the northern lands of South America. The plant is grown in Southeast Asia, Africa and India. Few species of Psidium have been found in nature. For the most part, strawberry guava is cultivated. The fruit contains many useful nutrients.

Application of Psidium fruits:

In cosmetology.
In cooking: for the preparation of jams, jelly, squeeze juices, make alcoholic beverages.
Tea is brewed from the leaves and decoctions are made.

Benefits and medicinal properties

It is no coincidence that the fruit is called the most useful king of fruits. Its composition is rich in vitamins and nutrients. This is an almost waste-free product; leaves, skin and bark have healing properties. Guava is amazing useful fruit, contains lycopenes and potassium.

Useful properties of guava:

It has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and immune-stimulating properties - the real king of fruits. Has a low calorie content. One serving contains only 112 calories. With this amount of nutrients, this is quite a bit.

The fruit is good for diabetics. In patients with the first stage of diabetes, the amount of glucose in the blood decreases. It has a positive effect on the skin of the face when applying masks from the pulp.

How to eat fruit correctly

Closer to the core there are many tiny strong seeds, you should be careful when using, as you can break your teeth. You need to be more careful and swallow grains, they cleanse the intestines very well.

As for the question of how to eat guava, then you can do it different ways. Its skin is edible, the fruit can be eaten like an apple, bit by bit, or peeled and cut into slices.

Contraindications for use

The fruit has no fundamental contraindications, but in some episodes it can harm the body. It should be used with caution by allergy sufferers and diabetics. If you eat 1 kg of fruit, then diarrhea will appear. Dangerous to eat green fruits, as they include arabinose and hexahydroxydiphenic acid ester, which are harmful to the kidneys.

Thus, this fruit is saturated with various minerals and vitamins that are beneficial for human health. The maximum dose of vitamin C contributes to an instant charge of freshness and strength for the whole day. Now Having full information about the benefits of guava for human body, you should definitely include this unique fruit in your diet.