Main trunk of guava tree wiped out by a frost, new shoots coming up around it

[Skenny]

The tree "died" during last year's frost and now new shoots are coming up. Main trunk died, what should I do to keep it straight? I had to cut the main trunk because it was an 8 foot tall dead husk.  Don't worry about the dead grass around the tree, I am ripping it all up to turn the section by the fence into another planting area.

So expanding on this some more, a frost came through Florida last year and took out the tree. It was 8 or 10 feet tall and just completed succumbed to the frost. The trunk died and because a rotting husk. I tried for much too long to get it kick started again and nothing happened. I put fruit tree fertilizer spikes around where the previous canopy was and nothing happened. Eventually these new shoots started coming up. I ended up cutting the trunk at the base as it was just there rotting.

In the pics you can see where the old trunk was and now all the shoots are going up around it. There is no one main trunk like before and now just all of these little things going in different directions. What should I do to try to keep this thing in check and going in the right direction given how it looks now?

[Epicatt2]

If your guava was not grafted –unlikely– then these three new shoots are the same plant.  Now you have three times the growth / fruiting potential.  I would suggest just tying them together just closely enough to maintain an upward and more compact rather than diagonal outward growth habit.  Eventually they should 'set' into that position and be more urn- or vase-shaped.  But don't tie them so closely that there isn't good air movement between the three shoots.

Next year when there is an expected frost or freeze protect the bottoms of these new growths by mulching one to two feet deep with dry leaves and maybe a waterproof blanket of some sort.  That way you will have a live head start from those protected bottoms when the warmer weather arrives.

OK — HTH

Paul M.
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[Skenny]

If your guava was not grafted –unlikely– then these three new shoots are the same plant.

So if that's the unlikely scenario what situation am I most likely in and what am I growing now?  Should I just do what you said anyway and let it grow to see what develops?

I did find a picture of what it looked like last July when the main part was dead and the small shoots were starting to come up if that helps at all.

[Iceman716238]

If your guava was not grafted –unlikely– then these three new shoots are the same plant.

So if that's the unlikely scenario what situation am I most likely in and what am I growing now?  Should I just do what you said anyway and let it grow to see what develops?

I did find a picture of what it looked like last July when the main part was dead and the small shoots were starting to come up if that helps at all.

If it was grafted, then you now have an inferior tasting random guava seedling. Guava are usually not grafted though, so it's probably the original variety.

[Galatians522]

Let it grow. 90% of guavas in central florida end up with a multi trunk growth habbit because of freezes ant it does not harm a thing. No large scale nursety propagates guava by grafting--too many root suckers and cuttings/air layers are much easier. Plus, seed grown guavas do not vary as much as most other fruits. So, even if it is from seed it will still likely be very similar to the parent.