My guava refuses to bloom . . . .

[Epicatt2]

I bought a 'Ruby Supreme' guava about five years ago.  Four years ago it went into the ground.

It has grown like gangbusters and two years ago in June it was cut back to fence high (4 ft.). 
It rapidly grew back to 8 ft tall. in about four months' time.

This following year it was trimmed back again to 4 ft tall in June.  Again no flowers or fruit.

So far this year (2024) I did not cut it back and it's at least 8 ft tall again but again no flowers
or fruit.  Plant seems perfectly healthy and robust but refuses to make any fruit.

It has been fertilized occsasionally each year and has gotten plenty of water both from rain and
city water (when there's not enough rain).

Does it sound like I'm doing something wrong with this guava?  (Maybe it's too happy to bother
with blooming or setting fruit!)

Help, please . . . !

Paul M.
==

[TnTrobbie]

How about direct sunlight? How many hours it gets per day?

[tropical_rag_g-fruitforum]

Hi- I have the same issue with my Kilo Guava as well. I heard they are heavy feeders.

I bought a 'Ruby Supreme' guava about five years ago.  Four years ago it went into the ground.

It has grown like gangbusters and two years ago in June it was cut back to fence high (4 ft.). 
It rapidly grew back to 8 ft tall. in about four months' time.

This following year it was trimmed back again to 4 ft tall in June.  Again no flowers or fruit.

So far this year (2024) I did not cut it back and it's at least 8 ft tall again but again no flowers
or fruit.  Plant seems perfectly healthy and robust but refuses to make any fruit.

It has been fertilized occsasionally each year and has gotten plenty of water both from rain and
city water (when there's not enough rain).

Does it sound like I'm doing something wrong with this guava?  (Maybe it's too happy to bother
with blooming or setting fruit!)

Help, please . . . !

Paul M.
==

[Lumi-Ukko]

Same problem with my guava. Grows like crazy, nice green leaves, no blooms yet. Is about 10ft tall and went in ground 2+ years ago, maybe 3 years tops at about 3 feet high. Have trimmed it back twice to 6 feet.

My feeling is that it doesn't get enough sun hours as it is somewhat shaded by at different times of day by a huge ceiba, a large lime tree, and some bamboo too. I'd estimate it gets 3-4hrs complete sunlight this time of year, and a somewhat more in winter and spring. Unfortunately, it can't be moved, so it will just have to remain as an ornamental unless it changes its mind on flowers.

[RS]

I have a 5 yr old guava in full sun that just began setting fruit...I wouldn't have noticed except I trimmed it this morning and found a baby fruitlet at the very bottom under the dense growth. Hope the fruit is worth the wait!

[Epicatt2]

How about direct sunlight? How many hours it gets per day?

It's in full Florida sun for at least 6 to 8 hours, most of which are strong midday sun!

Paul M.
==

[Epicatt2]

Hi- I have the same issue with my Kilo Guava as well. I heard they are heavy feeders.

My 'Ruby Supreme' gets a big handful of citrus fert. at least twice a season. 

This guava is HUGE already and giving it more fert., I fear that it may take over that side or my yard!

What kind of fert. for guavas is recommended in Florida?

Paul M.
==

[Epicatt2]

I have a 5 yr old guava in full sun that just began setting fruit...I wouldn't have noticed except
I trimmed it this morning and found a baby fruitlet at the very bottom under the dense growth.
Hope the fruit is worth the wait!

RS, your reply sounds promising cuz mine is about 5 years old now, too.

I'm thinking that it's too late in the season this year for a flush of flowers,
so maybe next season mine will get going.

Fingers X-ed!

Paul M.
==

[seng]

Usually, if a tree is pruned very hard, it responds in growth. Pinching on the other hand, encourage flowering.

[Epicatt2]

Usually, if a tree is pruned very hard, it responds in growth. Pinching on the other hand, encourage flowering.

Prolly a wise idea but when one's guava is about 10 ft tall that makes it a bit difficult to pinch!

Oh, well . . . .

Paul M.
==

[Coconut Cream]

Usually, if a tree is pruned very hard, it responds in growth. Pinching on the other hand, encourage flowering.

This sounds like a good idea. Maybe tip a fraction of the terminal branches and see what happens.

[Galatians522]

My guess is that you got a seedling tree somehow. It should start fruiting once it ends its juvenile phase. Guava seedlings from named varieties typically produce good fruit.

[Epicatt2]

My guess is that you got a seedling tree somehow. It should start fruiting once it ends its juvenile
phase. Guava seedlings from named varieties typically produce good fruit.

You may be on-target, about this Galatians, so if that's the case and it's a seedling, it'll prolly
be another year before I see any fruit.

It's discouraging that so often local nurseries buy to resell and then choose creative labelling
to boost their sales.  I've noticed that the big-box stores often take this labellng tactic, too.
(C'mon youz guys; give us a break!)

Paul M.
==

[tropical_rag_g-fruitforum]

Hi- I added a cup of Sunniland bloom special fertilizer (2-10-10) to my guava, star fruit and jujube today. I am hoping it would trigger blooms. I will report back next week.

[seng]

Even fruiting age trees sometime won't fruit because of too much growing.  Sometime, girdle will induce flowering as well.

[Epicatt2]

Even fruiting age trees sometime won't fruit because of too much growing.  Sometime, girdle will induce flowering as well.

Useful suggestion, that (girdling), Seng, Thanx!

How wide and /or deep a cut to make for girdling my guava? 

And how far up or down the stem should this be done?

It is now September so is it too late to girdle a guava at this point?

Paul M.
==

[seng]

I'm not expert at girdling.  Please, research on youtube.  I did once on my java plum. It is the same process as air laying a tree, without  the medium or wrapping to try  rooting it. The cut was made about 1 foot above the base.  I did in spring after the new flush reaching a foot.  Java plum has no issue of sucker from the root.

[Altrexy]

Cut it back to where you can reach the tips. I’ve read in a bunch of places that the way to maximize harvests and get multiple crops is to continuously tip/prune them. As someone else said, big cuts will produce leafy growth. I’ve been tipping mine constantly and even in a poor spot with a horrible shape it’s almost always holding fruits or flowering.

[drymifolia]

I've been tipping this one for over a year now, this photo is right before tipping again. Still no flowers! It's a seedling, about 5 years old, in a 15 gal ceramic pot.

[Altrexy]

That’s a gorgeous plant. Hopefully it’s worth the wait

[sc4001992]

I have a seedling Gushiken (orange flesh) and it is over 5 yrs old and hasn't gotten as fat as your tree. Mine is skinny, maybe 6 ft tall, I did see a few flowers, but they fell off so maybe next year will be the year it has first fruits.

[sc4001992]

If my seedling guava tree doesn't fruit next year, I will help accelerate it by grafting it on an older fruiting guava tree.

[drymifolia]

I have a seedling Gushiken (orange flesh) and it is over 5 yrs old and hasn't gotten as fat as your tree. Mine is skinny, maybe 6 ft tall, I did see a few flowers, but they fell off so maybe next year will be the year it has first fruits.

I was trying to figure out if my 5 year estimate was wrong, and found this photo from March 2021 when it was less than a year old.. it's one of these three, not sure which:



So actually it's only 4 years old! I have been impressed with the growth in our cool Seattle climate. It spent the winter in our house last time instead of the greenhouse, though, so it grew a bit through the winter even.