How to Grow Strawberry Guava

Strawberry guava is one of the common names for Psidium cattleianum, a guava tree with red fruit, which has a tart flavor similar to that of a strawberry. It originates from Brazil and is a commercial crop in California, Florida and Hawaii. The strawberry guava is hardy in warm climates and has the potential to become invasive. Gardeners propagate the strawberry guava readily from both seeds and cuttings.

Shovel

Ammonium sulfate

Pruning shears

Select a planting site in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 9 and higher, as a mature strawberry guava can tolerate winter temperatures down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. This tree grows best on the southern side of a wall, where it has protection from northern winds.

Dig a hole in the planting site that is twice the size of the strawberry guava's nursery container. Remove the plant from its nursery container and place in it the hole so that its soil line is even with the soil. Fill in the hole with soil and construct a mound of soil known as a water ring around the tree. The water ring should be 2 feet in diameter and several inches thick.

Water the strawberry guava trees with 2 inches of water once per week for several weeks until the water ring completely erodes. This tree generally does not require supplemental watering from this point except during periods of prolonged drought.

Apply 1/2 cup of ammonium sulfate around the strawberry guava each month during the second growing season. Increase the fertilizer to 1 cup per month in the third growing season and 2 cups per month during all growing seasons thereafter.

Keep the area under a young strawberry guava tree clear of weeds until it reaches its adult height of at least 20 feet. Prune any dead or damaged branches in the early spring before the tree begins to grow. Remove additional branches as needed to prevent them from overlapping.