What triggers flowering in tropical guava?

[drymifolia]

Does anyone know what induces flowering for guavas? I have a couple small guavas that I've grown in containers for a few years now, and they are pretty little shrubs but haven't ever flowered. They spend most of the summer outdoors and most of the winter in my greenhouse (which is pretty cold, but stays above freezing). I recently moved one of them into the house and it's starting to grow, but don't see any hint of flowers. Here it is now:





My understanding is they usually fruit within a couple years when grown outdoors in the tropics, but I'm not clear on what triggers that transition to flowering. I.e., should I give special nutrients, temperatures, or watering patterns? Any insights?

[pinkturtle]

Guava flower on new grow, I prune back my tree every year around beginning of March and add a little bone meal, and the tree start flowering early summer.  Good luck....

[brian]

Is yours a seedling or clone?

Is it getting enough light?

Mine flowers with every other flush of growth it seems, a couple times a year.  I have mine in a container, it is a clone grown from cutting and in a greenhouse in winter, outdoors in summer

[drymifolia]

Is yours a seedling or clone?
Is it getting enough light?

This is a seedling, it'll be 3 years old this summer.

It gets plenty of light in summer (direct sun most of the day), but nothing gets much light in the winter here, it will sometimes be a week or more without any sun, and even then it'll be at a low angle and diffused by the greenhouse.

It's only been a houseplant for a couple weeks now, I was testing whether that might cause it to flower sooner than the other seedling in the greenhouse. In the house now it gets direct morning sun on any mornings that are sunny, and is under a 32w spiral fluorescent grow light the rest of the day.

Guava flower on new grow, I prune back my tree every year around beginning of March and add a little bone meal, and the tree start flowering early summer.  Good luck....

Thanks for the tips! Last winter they got frost-pruned because I was seeing how much cold they could take, but this year I wasn't planning any pruning. I'll make sure that I give them a little haircut when they go outside in spring.

[vnomonee]

Mine is flowering now on new growth. Inside a grow tent in my attic.

[SaltwaterTx]

I had been told to top the higher branches and pop back (instead of cut stems) some of the bigger leaves leaves and it helps trigger flowering. I also add a more phosphorus/bloom type fertilizer, as well as micros and soil acidifier. So far have been able to fruit in both spring and fall. Not sure how much is coincidence, only had a few years of trial with these, but seems to work. I also use low pH water, not sure if that has any bearing or not

[K-Rimes]

Heavy pruning and fertilizing always works for my guavas.

[Plantinyum]

My seedling guavas flowered for the first time at almost 2 years of age. I get flower buds at some or all of the new growths at times, other times they dont make any. I usually dont prune them i let the growth make 2-3 sets of leaves and then pinch the top. That said they are getting out of hand sizewise so this spring i will be pruning them back a bit.
For me it seems like a plant that has a chance to flower almost every time you prune.

I am interested in the idea of plucking the leaves, reminds me of the procedure i do on my cherimoya, will probably try that.

[nana7b]

Similar to you I have my guavas in an unheated garage for 5 months out of the year. The rest of the time they enjoy the Texas heat outside. Under these conditions what I have noticed is that some varieties do better than others. I have a crunchy white guava that has been producing yearly for over 15 years. Others have come stayed for a while till I realized the effort was not worth it.
Once they flower it takes about 5 months to get ripe fruit, so it is critical that they flower by June or so. Fruit ripened without sun are bland.

Yours is still young so I would give it a couple more years. Pruning a month or so ahead of taking them outside works for me. I have heard branch bending helps as well. That is a beautiful plant you have there.