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puglvr1

Feijoa...Pineapple guava

puglvr1
13 years ago

Hi, I'm hoping that someone can tell me how long it takes for feijoa(pineapple guava) to ripen...how many months(appx)? Finally something good came out of a very cold winter for us in Florida(broke 30 yr record lows)and my feijoa bush seems to be holding a few fruits for the very first time since I planted it almost four years ago...although my larger tree had tons of blooms...NOT one single fruit set on that one. Thanks for any help!

These fruits set around mid to late June...they're about the size of a large globe grapes right now.

{{gwi:122527}}
You can't hardly see them (not too many) but they hide very well...fruits being the same color as the leaves.

{{gwi:122528}}

This large tree had tons of blooms...not a single fruit set :o(...any ideas why this one didn't set any fruits?

{{gwi:122529}}

Comments (14)

  • pylot
    13 years ago

    I'm not a feijoa expert but I believe that lack of fruit and lots of flowers means pollination issues. Maybe the smaller tree is somewhat self fertile (some feijoas are). I think there is some controversy on whether bees or birds pollinate them. I suggest that next year you hand pollinate each tree with pollen from the other.

    Of course, it could be something else entirely, like not enough water. Most feijoas on the market are not bred for fruit, it is considered a landscape tree and somewhat drought tolerant at that.

    So yeah, next year I would make sure it has enough water and hand pollinate, and hope for the best.

  • girlbug2
    13 years ago

    Several feijoas grown around here as landscape trees, but nonetheless they all seem to set fruit. I noticed last year that they flowered in late May and ripened in November.

    You'll know when they're ripe as they fall from the trees and have a very strong aroma.

  • larry_gene
    13 years ago

    Hi puglvr1, I just looked up some pictures of your feijoa plant in your yard you sent me 4 years ago.

    Feijoas are highly variable as to self-fertilization and fruit set, it requires just the right climate to get fruit every year. I never have insects visit mine, I hand-pollinate the lower blossoms but it sets fruit up higher anyway. I have seen pollen fly through the air, so wind may be a factor also.

    I have seen isolated bushes with heavy crops and a cluster of bushes with no fruit. It could be that your large plant that was trained as a standard started out as a seedling. Is your fruiting plant a named variety?

    My feijoas do not produce an aroma, and are not aromatic even when ripe and warmed indoors. Once cut open, they do produce an odor.

    Your fruit set is about a month ahead of mine so yours should ripen by Halloween.

    Once fruit has set keep your bush watered weekly. This of course has not been needed recently in Florida!

  • puglvr1
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thank you all for your kind responses and advice! I truly appreciate it!

    Larry, its hard to believe these trees are almost four years old...where has the time gone,lol...thanks for remembering the trees. They have grown very nicely and very low maintenance! It's very possible that the standard was a seedling, there was no tag, maybe it will take a little longer for it to fruit than the named varities. Do seedling Feijoa's ever fruit or are they mostly known for flowering?

    Unfortunately, the bush also came w/out a name. I purchased them from two different nurseries hours away. By any chance can you tell by the shape of the fruits what variety it "might" be? I'm not as concerned about the name as much as I'm hoping it taste good...I've waited a long time to taste one. Thanks for the tip of watering weekly...we're about to come to our dry season (mid September) unless we get a tropical storm and I certainly hope we don't.

    BTW, I did try hand pollinating the "tree" but apparently either I didn't know what I was doing(which is probably the problem) or its something else...but I did try!

    I will update on this thread once I get to taste one to give a review,lol...

    Thanks again for everyone's help and advise!

  • larry_gene
    13 years ago

    Once a seedling, always a seedling. Your tree will likely never make much fruit.

    Can't tell your fruit varieity, shape is similar to mine but your fruit's skin is smoother and mine does not have the powdery appearance.

  • puglvr1
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Hello, I know that I was told that when they're ripe they normally fall off the tree and have a very strong aroma. But this morning I found these laying on the mulch and they don't have any smell and still feel quite hard. Will these ripen on the counter...or is there a better way to ripen them? Thanks for any help/suggestions.
    {{gwi:122530}}

  • puglvr1
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Anyone have experience ripening them off the tree?...Anyone?

  • calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
    13 years ago

    We had a tree at a rental that dropped the fruit when mature. We never used the fruit but gave it away to neighbors who did. Your fruit looks mature to me and I think it will ripen off the tree. When our fruit dropped it was not soft and had no odor. Al

  • puglvr1
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks so much Al...that's good news. Good to know that your fruits was also odorless and not soft. I'll try and ripen it in the pantry and hope for the best. Thanks again for your reply!

  • murkwell
    13 years ago

    Nice looking fruits. How big are they?

  • puglvr1
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks Murky, they're not very big at all...around 2" to 2 1/2". Hopefully they'll ripen and taste good.

  • larry_gene
    13 years ago

    They will ripen on the counter. I would think in Florida it is still warmer outside than inside. Perhaps bring them in but store in an un-air conditioned place. They do not have to become soft like a peach to eat. They should give slightly like rubber when ready to eat. They would eventually become soft when over-ripe. They will keep in the fridge for weeks once ripe.

  • puglvr1
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks Larry, yes it's definitely much warmer outside than inside...we're still in the upper 80's to mid 90's and be stay in the 80's for at least another 6 weeks or more. I don't keep my a/c set too low or I would have to sell the house to pay my electric bill,lol...

    I'll try a couple in a day or two...some of them feel like they're starting to give a little when I gently squeeze them, although I'm not smelling the strong odor I've read about. Will update on how they taste.

  • puglvr1
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Well, just an update...I tasted 3 of them today and they were quite good! Not the best I've ever had, but its been many years since I've tasted them when I lived in CA. All in all I'm very happy with this seedling/no name bush. I would be thrilled if my tree bears next year and its also this good.

    Thanks for all the help.