Growing Guava in Australia: The Complete Guide
Guava is an easy subtropical fruit tree to grow, needing full sun with moderate, drought-tolerant once established watering.
We get asked about guava often enough that it's worth setting out the full picture here, beyond what fits on our printable card.
Vigorous and forgiving
Guava is one of the easier subtropical fruit trees for a homestead — fast-growing, fairly drought-tolerant once established, and productive with minimal input.
Getting Guava Into the Ground
Method — plant with the root flare at soil level. Soil — tolerant of a wide range of soils. Timing — plant in spring, warm zones ideally frost-free.
Ongoing Care
Keep these points in mind:
- Water regularly while young, then ease off once established.
- Prune to control size — guava can grow quite large if left unchecked.
- Feed lightly a couple of times a year.
- Protect from hard frost while young.
What Can Go Wrong
Worth paying attention to:
- Fruit fly — net or bag developing fruit.
- Guava moth — larvae in fruit, a significant pest in some regions; bag fruit if it's an issue locally.
- Frost damage — mainly affects young plants.
- Vigorous, invasive suckering — remove unwanted suckers to keep the tree in bounds.
Harvest and Storage
Signs — fruit yields slightly to gentle pressure and becomes fragrant. Method — cut or twist from the stem. Curing — ripen at room temperature for a few days if picked slightly firm. Storage — fridge, about a week once ripe.
For the condensed, printable version of everything above, head to the main guava guide page.