I recently purchased Pineapple Guava tree. I understand it is cold hardy to 15F. Who has experience with this tree, and what are your suggestions about the need to protect it during very cold weather?
I have a pineapple guava. I live in Alabama in zone 8. I have had my pinappble guava's for about 10 years. Last year was the first time I noticed a few pineapple guava's on the bush. This year we had more fruit on the bush. I gave some of the fruit to friends to taste and they liked the taste of the fruit. I thought the fruit tasted like pears and strawberries mixed. I have never protected my bushes. I have never experienced a winter that was below 15F in our area. This site may be helpful to you. http://crfg.org/pubs/ff/feijoa.html I am a snowbird so what rain we have in the summer is the only water the bush gets in the summer. I have never fertilized my bush. I read on this site about the fertilizer for the bush. It may help produce more fruit. The bush or tree (mine looks more like a bush) is slow growing. The flowers on the pineapple guava are pretty. I prune my pineapple guava bushes. I have two pineapple guava's bushes. Have a nice day
Your chances of harvesting fruit are improved if you have two overlapping cultivars to cross pollinate each other.
To protect from severe weather, especially this first winter that 'they' are promising will be a cold one, make sure that your shrub is well mulched. You might even use more mulch than you ordinarily would, just to give those roots some protection. When severe weather is forecasted, cover your shrub with a sheet or any other organic material. By 'organic' I mean something that is a natural fiber or material, NEVER use plastic (which increases the chance of tissue damage).
Oh, and make sure that your plant is deeply watered prior to that extra cold spell. A day or two in advance will give it time to get water to all of the cells, and extra precaution for those plants that are able to make what I call 'plant anti-freeze'. They can't do it without water in the cells.
veronica191
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
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