Growing Pineapple Guava (Feijoa) Naturally!

I wanted to make this thread to help me keep track of and document growing my pineapple guava, also called feijoas, with hopefully minimal work and maximum harvests!

They won't be irrigated, fertilized, or sprayed with anything, not even organic fertilizers or sprays, just naturally healthy soil, rain and sunshine!

They will be minimally pruned, if pruned at all. With minimal care, they can be truly enjoyed to the fullest! Bring on the yummy harvests!

Hopefully it can be helpful to others also!

If you'd like to stay up to date with the latest videos of what I'm growing and see monthly food forest tours, you can subscribe to my Youtube channel HERE by clicking the red subscribe button! I'd love to have you join me for this journey!

These are some photos of my pineapple guava from last August. They were just a few months old here.

The soil wasn't great, but they were still thriving with healthy dark green leaves, growing up amongst a diverse group of wild plants!

I also love how they are evergreen. They have a great tropical look and I bet they would make a both beautiful and delicious privacy hedge!

Hi Steve,
Do you know whether Feijoa flower on older wood or new growth?  I'm growing mine in my polytunnel, since we're a bit cool in summer really for them. They are quite vigorous in growth so I'm having to prune them to keep them bushy, but is this going to stop them flowering?  They are several years old and no sign of flowers yet, I may have to evict them.
I have two plants since I gather they are self infertile.

I wish I had some personal experience to share, but from what I've heard they flower on newer growth, so yeah the pruning may be affecting the blooming.

I've heard that most are partially self fertile, but produce more fruit with a partner. I also heard that some can take a little longer than others to produce fruit, but when they start, they really produce!

Hope you get some tasty fruit soon! Would love to hear an update when they start producing!

I bought 4 different varieties in the fall.  They are plugs from Fruitwood Nursery.  
Since I am borderline 7A/7B I will plant them next to the house in hopes they will survive the micro-climate there.

Pineapple guava is my only fruiting plant that stays green throughout the entire winter.

This one was from late November last year.

Anyone sucessfully grown these outside in Zone 9...?

I'm growing them outside in 7b/8a, and they had zero cold damage this winter. I bet they'd do great for you in zone 9!

I've been growing them outside in zone 8b-9a for about 20 years. They produce well every year. The only thing I do is aid their pollination, because the bird who pollinates them lives in S. Brazil, not here.  I also eat their flowers, which are delicious, and the motivation for the bird to pollinate them.  The flowers are also beautiful and show themselves during mid summer, when there aren't as many flowers as during the spring.
John S
PDX OR

John Suavecito wrote:I've been growing them outside in zone 8b-9a for about 20 years. They produce well every year. The only thing I do is aid their pollination, because the bird who pollinates them lives in S. Brazil, not here.  I also eat their flowers, which are delicious, and the motivation for the bird to pollinate them.  The flowers are also beautiful and show themselves during mid summer, when there aren't as many flowers as during the spring.
John S
PDX OR

Do you have to protect them at all while they are young or are they hardy enough to just stick in the ground and let be? I'm north of you in zone 8.

I have never had to protect them here.  It's possible that if there had been a freakishly cold winter, they would have been damaged, but there were no damaging winters.
John S
PDX OR

My parents have them in zone 10a and they do great. I lost 3 of them here in southern Oregon but lack of water was the problem. I'm planning on planting 3 more in an irrigation area. Honestly almost nothing non-native grows here without supplemental water at least until established and even natives for every hundred seedlings at least 80% die. It is a harsh environment.