PGA (Psidium Growers Association) - thread all about psidiums!

[nattyfroootz]

I have a cas Guava that actually didn't even defoliste this winter. Looks great and is pushing new growth. Pleasantly surprised

[Jaboticaba45]

It was just formed yesterday
What psidiums you grow, Epicatt?

Is the PGA going to have it's own website, Jabo?

Psidiums that I have (known/grown) are:

• Psidium x 'Ruby Supreme'
• Psidium goiaba 'Colombian Red'
• Psidium cattleyanuma 'Strawberry'
• Psidium cattleyanum var litttorale 'Lemon Guava'

Haven't got any of them to fruit yet as the P. cattleyanums as still small things.  The P. goiaba  I'm thinking kicked the bucket because I can't locate it.

The x'Ruby Supreme' is in the ground and reached 8 or 9 ft tall and was cut back last month to 4 ft in hopes of encouraging it to bloom and set some fruit.

OK — HTH

Paul M.
==

For now, no. I can’t do that yet. Don’t see a reason to. Appreciate you asking though.

[Jaboticaba45]

My real interest is in seeing if there are any Psidiums that can pose a bigger challenge for me here (maybe one of those species coming from Cerrado region).

Bellamy has a ton of psidium species in stock right now and I made a cart of them. Haven't pulled trigger yet but am tempted.

I've found that indeed, 9b has its limitations even for psidium and I've experienced some loss this year. Cas Guava is NOT frost tolerant is this year's lesson. Perhaps it will sprout from the roots again but I kind of doubt it. Know to cover it next year.

I’d love to see someone trial and  buy all those new ones and report on how they do!
The creepy little monster couldn’t take more than 3 years to fruit?!


Also anyone have pulcherrimum? I remember importing some and I know Bellamy did too at one point. I’d love to get some lol.

[nattyfroootz]

I have pulcherrimum. Lots of em didn't survive the frost. Definitely a very slow and sensitive species.

[SDPirate]

Bellamy has a ton of psidium species in stock right now and I made a cart of them. Haven't pulled trigger yet but am tempted.

Are you me? 

Yea that Cas guava never really went dormant it would put out new growth continually through winter only to be taken away with the next spell of cold, rain, and wind.  Now that we are just under 50F at night consistently the new growth is holding on. 

My favorite thing with Psidiums is their resilience in our conditions, plus they are rewarding in that they grow quite rapidly in the warm seasons.  Bonus that they are generally low maintenance.

[K-Rimes]

Bellamy has a ton of psidium species in stock right now and I made a cart of them. Haven't pulled trigger yet but am tempted.

My favorite thing with Psidiums is their resilience in our conditions, plus they are rewarding in that they grow quite rapidly in the warm seasons.  Bonus that they are generally low maintenance.

That's what keeps me interested as well. I really love these crazy new species but I have to be honest with where I live and it is not 10a+ - a guava limps along through winter and outgrows the frost burn. That's what also keeps me looped in with the campomanesias.

[Jack, Nipomo]

Sartre guava, the Arrayan fruit is botanically known as part of Psidium sartorianum and I have had it growing for around 12 years here in Nipomo.  Small tree, fruits abundantly, never bothered by frost.  From Guadalajara Mexico, it is used for "waters" or to flavor drinks. 

[shmojojojo]

Also anyone have pulcherrimum? I remember importing some and I know Bellamy did too at one point. I’d love to get some lol.

I ended up with a bunch of pulcherrimum seeds from that order but only a few germinated. I might have a couple seedlings. I have to check.

I haven't heard anything about that one before. When you say "non-tropical" what kind of temperatures can it handle? I assume not 8b lows, maybe it would be happy in my greenhouse though?

And does this taste test sound accurate to you? "If laffy taffy made a pear-banana-guava flavor" is how it's described in this:

https://youtu.be/7JHeeVFS79g

Non tropical is probably not the best way to describe them. It's a term I've heard used for the guavas with smaller fruit
and leaves and handle frost better than Psidium guajava. I guess sub tropical. I don't know about 8b. Maybe Jack knows.
That's a fair description of a ripe fruit. I like to pick them a little early so they're more crisp and tart.

[nattyfroootz]

Is anybody else growing this?
I bought it in around 2017 as Psidium sp. "Green" from the cerrado of Brazil.  I bought it from a collector and am not entirely sure on the species. Maybe Psidium rufum or Psidium rufum var. widgrenianum based off of a post I saw somewhere on facebook, but ultimately don't know.
Getting first fruits this year. The tree is very drought and heat tolerant. I barely water it in the summer.

[Jaboticaba45]

Is anybody else growing this?
I bought it in around 2017 as Psidium sp. "Green" from the cerrado of Brazil.  I bought it from a collector and am not entirely sure on the species. Maybe Psidium rufum or Psidium rufum var. widgrenianum based off of a post I saw somewhere on facebook, but ultimately don't know.
Getting first fruits this year. The tree is very drought and heat tolerant. I barely water it in the summer.

If you have any spare fruits or seeds, I’d love to try some. Look forward to hearing taste report

[SDPirate]

I took the plunge on some of those uncommon Psidium species from Bellamy.  I got to set a reminder 3 years from now to dig up this thread to see where these are at. 

How's everyone doing with their Psidiums? My Malaysian red guava ready to take off the rest of this year.  Does anyone have one and know when they start bearing?  The one I have is about 3 feet tall or more so I may have a ways to go still.  Here is a pic from couple months ago:

[nattyfroootz]

Got you on seeds Jaboticaba45.

Found a surprise fruit on my other Psidium sp. 'Green' that's at my farm and is in more optimal conditions. It's super full, bushy and honestly great looking. Fruit pic attached. This fruit is more appealing looking than the one in my sidewalk strip.


Also got a fruit on this Psidium from Marcos. Maybe P. guinense x grandifolium. Flavor tones of banana. Really a good fruit. Left half of it on my tailgate when leaving my farm. Hope its on the ground waiting for my return so I can propagate some seeds. Regardless, I've got about 5 or so planted so should have many fruits soon.  This plant got goph'd about 2 years ago and finally is inching towards recovery after transplant.

[Jaboticaba45]

Got you on seeds Jaboticaba45.

Found a surprise fruit on my other Psidium sp. 'Green' that's at my farm and is in more optimal conditions. It's super full, bushy and honestly great looking. Fruit pic attached. This fruit is more appealing looking than the one in my sidewalk strip.


Also got a fruit on this Psidium from Marcos. Maybe P. guinense x grandifolium. Flavor tones of banana. Really a good fruit. Left half of it on my tailgate when leaving my farm. Hope its on the ground waiting for my return so I can propagate some seeds. Regardless, I've got about 5 or so planted so should have many fruits soon.  This plant got goph'd about 2 years ago and finally is inching towards recovery after transplant.

Thanks Nate!

I was going to bump this thread, but it seems like others beat me to it!
Check out the first flower opening on my eugeniafolia


(oops wrong picture, those buds haven't opened yet lol. I think there is at least 20 buds on the tree in total. Maybe it'll set fruit.

[elouicious]

Bellamy has a ton of psidium species in stock right now and I made a cart of them. Haven't pulled trigger yet but am tempted.

My favorite thing with Psidiums is their resilience in our conditions, plus they are rewarding in that they grow quite rapidly in the warm seasons.  Bonus that they are generally low maintenance.

That's what keeps me interested as well. I really love these crazy new species but I have to be honest with where I live and it is not 10a+ - a guava limps along through winter and outgrows the frost burn. That's what also keeps me looped in with the campomanesias.

I'm gonna have some good pics for you soon K-rimes,

I think lineatifolia and schechtendeliana survived the 18f in Houston this year-

Whacked back to the ground but coming back

[K-Rimes]

I think lineatifolia and schechtendeliana survived the 18f in Houston this year-

All my outdoor guavas got absolutely shmoked but are also coming back, even Cas guava appears to have a green trunk so I think it will be ok.

I have an unidentified guava that is massive, planted it as a 20g into the soil and it lost its crown of leaves and young shoots but looks to be coming back in full force... Now if it could actually be warm for more than 1-2 days in a row, that would be great!

No sprouts out of the new bellamy psidiums I think I screwed up trying coco as a soil medium and should have sowed in just regular ol soil.It's hard to keep up with how fast it dries out.

[SDPirate]

I have a few Campomanesias but those are new to me and still babies.  Schechtendeliana barely has 1st set of leaves and have 1 more emerging from the soil.  My Reitziana is a bit further along but have little info on it.  It has some really neat leaves IMO.  Check it out from my pic last month:



Personally I like the idea of Psidiums better because I can have them get blasted with full sun and not be too bothered by our cold.  But if Campomanesias have a worthy taste then I would consider exploring adding more to the collection.

[K-Rimes]

I have a few Campomanesias but those are new to me and still babies.  Schechtendeliana barely has 1st set of leaves and have 1 more emerging from the soil.  My Reitziana is a bit further along but have little info on it.  It has some really neat leaves IMO.  Check it out from my pic last month:



Personally I like the idea of Psidiums better because I can have them get blasted with full sun and not be too bothered by our cold.  But if Campomanesias have a worthy taste then I would consider exploring adding more to the collection.

Campomanesias are even more cold hardy for me than guava. I am still waiting to get a good quality fruit to taste off guazumifolia (it recently was snapped at the base of the trunk by a falling dragonfruit) but I did have one fruit last year. Xanthocarpa is blasting off. Macrobracteolata is also looking great right now but too small for fruit.

[SDPirate]

K-Rimes how do your Campomanesias hold up in full sun? I stuck my little Reitziana in a small pot and got it outdoors in dappled shade inland about 7 miles from coast in 10A zone.

It was under a grow light this whole time so I just don't want to risk roasting it, it will be mid 80s there this weekend.

[K-Rimes]

I blast them, but have always done so. They take it like a champ. I even have a very small macro that I put full sun recently and didn’t skip a beat.

Going from grow tent to outdoors is very challenging. I wouldn’t even chance dappled. Go full shade, then 20 min, 1hr, 2hr and so on.

[SDPirate]

It's extremely dappled, basically right up on the trunk under a peach tree canopy so it just gets a kiss of light.  I'll monitor it closely but since I basically do the same process to garcinias and jabos with no issue I think it will be okay.

I should go about it more properly but I literally have a bunch community pots with tons of guava seedlings that go straight from indoor and barely acclimate them and let them fight it out under the sun gladiator style.

[nattyfroootz]

Who is gonna start the campomanesia growers association? Kevin? Haha

[K-Rimes]

It's extremely dappled, basically right up on the trunk under a peach tree canopy so it just gets a kiss of light.  I'll monitor it closely but since I basically do the same process to garcinias and jabos with no issue I think it will be okay.

I should go about it more properly but I literally have a bunch community pots with tons of guava seedlings that go straight from indoor and barely acclimate them and let them fight it out under the sun gladiator style.

I was reading quickly and didn't see you had it in deeply dappled, but should be ok. For real, mine are just full blast sun from a young age. Don't stress to much. I do have a massive hirsuta from Wildlands that I am babying in the greenhouse but it never sets fruit... Legitimately got into beekeeping just for this one fruit. :|

[nattyfroootz]

First fruit off my Psidium sp. 'Green Cerrado'!!!




It came off without any force, but was pretty green on the inside. Completely insipid and unpalatable, lol!! Pretty resinous and astringent. Not many other flavor notes to include unfortunately. Hopefully will get some fruit that is potentially riper on the next plant?

[drymifolia]

My P. longipetiolatum seedlings are both still scratching green (or at least greenish) low on their trunks (dead above), but no signs of buds yet. It's been a cold winter and cold spring, hopefully it warms up enough for them to wake before they die!



As an update to my earlier post with temperature charts, here's the outside temperature in my yard since these trees were killed back by a late December freeze of -8.3°C (17°F):

[K-Rimes]

First fruit off my Psidium sp. 'Green Cerrado'!!!

Dang Nate! Hopefully it improves. Any guavas I get during cold winter months are terrible compared to summer, so I am hopeful for you.