History of Guava

The early Spanish explorers of the 1500’s found Strawberry Guava, ‘Acca sellowiana O.,’ growing as a native tree in America, where they were firmly established from Mexico southward to Peru. History records that Seminole Indians were growing guava trees in Northern Florida in 1816.

Strawberry Guava, ‘Acca sellowiana O.,’ can grow into trees 25 feet tall and frequently they are planted by homeowners as a privacy hedge that is easily trimmed or grown as an untrimmed windbreak. The guava tree can be trained to single or multiple trunks by pruning and will grow into an excellent specimen plant that is covered with exotic flowers during late spring. The wood is gray in color, and the grain is very hard and dense. The leaves are small, distinctly colored flat green, making the plants easily recognized at a distance.

The guava tree or shrub is slow growing and requires the planting of two plants for cross-pollination. The tree is cold hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit and is salt water tolerant. Bees and hummingbirds visit the red and yellow flowers, and the pollination visits result in a heavy fruit set.

The guava fruit is classified as a berry by most botanists, and it occurs in clusters with individual berries in sizes just under one inch. Each guava berry is covered by a rough rind and the pulp inside occurs in colors of white, pink, or red.

The guava tree grows best in partial shade in acidic soils. The plants are virtually disease free, and the fruit is usually harvested by shaking off the mature guavas when the color change occurs, then, they are collected onto sheets or tarps. The fruit will keep well in a refrigerator up to a week and can be peeled and eaten as fresh fruit, as a dessert, or in salads. If the fruit is dipped into diluted lemon juice, the color of the pulp will remain bright.

The fruit is commercially made into puddings, pies, juices, and jellies, and is a rich source of Vitamin A and C, as well as many beneficial minerals. The guava is grown commercially in Florida and California, and in many southern forests the shrub has become naturalized and mistaken as a native historical plant
“Guavaween” is a traditional central Florida event and fund raiser that is held every year to celebrate the advent of the guava corresponding to parades and festivals that are scheduled near Halloween at holidays Ybor City, Florida, an outskirt of Tampa, Florida. This “Guavaween” event is celebrated during the last of October each year.

There are many kinds of guavas; one tropical guava, ‘Psidium guajava L.,’ is an important crop in Hawaii, with fruit production exceeding 15 million pounds per year.

These guava fruits are technically considered to be berries, and the trees grow in the wild on the island of Kuawai as a native plant. Before harvesting, the plants are vigorously pruned, fertilized, and irrigated. Fresh vigorous shoots grow in response to the pruning, and the delicious fruit forms within the flowers that mature on the new wood to form guavas and require about seven months to fully develop.

Most travelers to Florida last century will remember the many tourist stops on U.S. Highway #1 and U.S. 41 that have now been transformed into interstate highways I-1 and I-75. Tourist shops such as “Stuckeys” were loaded with souvenirs such as pecan logs. One of the most memorable items displayed for sale was guava jelly, jam, paste, or any other conceivable product that involved the use of the magical fruit of the guava tree. All these little jars of jelly and other guava products were visually stunning to the eye, revealing their contents in colors of mint green, red, yellow, and blue.

Apricot Trees

Apricot trees have a long history of cultivation. Apricots seemed to have originated in China and from there they were spread throughout central Asia. From there the Romans spread them into Europe. Apricot fruit is very tasty and they are now widely grown and consumed in the United States. Apricot trees flowers are white or pink and the trees produce a stone-fruit with soft flesh. It ripens to an orange-yellow color. Apricots contain good amounts of vitamin A and kalium. It is also an excellent source of minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iron and traces of sodium, sulphur. Manganese, cobalt and bromine. Apricots do not store well and so they are eaten fresh, dried, or frozen. Apricots are a staple of the jam industry.

 Apricot tree need well drained soils for optimum health and production. The soil should be moderately fertile. It is best to thin the fruit early in the season to maximize size and quality. Thin the fruits enough so each individual fruit has about 3 to 5 inches of room. Apricot trees are quite handsome trees in the summer displaying the furrowed bark and heart shaped glossy leaves. A number of apricot-plum hybrids, such as plum-cot, Pluot, and Aprium, have been developed and are gaining popularity.

Olive Trees

The olive tree is native to the Mediterranean region and dates back to the beginning of mankind. The olive tree has played a role in human history, even mentioned in the Genesis story of Noah. The olive is an attractive evergreen tree that can grow 30 feet tall and 30 feet wide. However, it usually grows short and stubby (20' x 20'). The leaves are a grayish-green with a silvery underside that makes an interesting landscape accent. The tree is easy to grow and will tolerate many soil types, but prefers the soil to be well drained. It is cold tolerant to around 10*F. The olive fruit is green, on all varieties, and ripens to a blackish-purple color. The different varieties are harvested for different purposes, usually for oil or preparing for eating. Some varieties are harvested when green for one purpose or allowed to turn brown-black for another purpose. Olive trees have been in cultivation since 2,500 B.C. so there are hundreds of varieties.

Nectarine Trees

Nectarines were grown in China 2000 years ago and made their way to the United States via the Spanish in the 17th century. Nectarine trees produce sweet fruit that is not only delicious but it is a nutritious source of antioxidant vitamins such as A and C, and they are a good source for potassium. Nectarines can be used in the same way as peaches. Genetically, the only difference between peaches and nectarines is the lack of fuzz on the skin of nectarines. Nectarines are usually a littler smaller than peaches, have more aroma, and have more red color on the skin.

 Nectarines are mostly self-pollinating trees, which mean that a single nectarine tree can pollinate itself. Nectarine trees are fast growing and most will begin to produce fruit in 3 to 5 years after planting. The leaves and buds of nectarine trees look similar to peaches. The leaves are long, glossy, and bright green in color. The leaves reach a length of 4 to 9 inches and are lightly serrated. The trees are pretty enough to be very decorative in the landscape. The colorful spring flowers, the dangling fruits in the summer, and the red yellow foliage in the autumn are very pleasing to the eye.

 There are more than 100 varieties of nectarines, in freestone and clingstone varieties. Freestone describes the ease of pit separation from the fruit, while clingstone types cling to the fruit and are more difficult to separate. Nectarines will keep for 5 days if stored in a plastic bag in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Nectarines do not have to be peeled because they do not have the fuzz on the skin. Leave the skin on when making pies, cobblers and fruit salads.

Multi-Budded Fruit Trees

Multi-budded trees are the answer for space limitations. Multi-budded trees offer fruit variety of tree ripened fruit from a single fruit tree. Enjoy fruit combinations such as Fuji, Gala, Jonagold, and Mutsu all from one tree. Multi-budded trees are created by grafting several species of fruits on a single stem or rootstock. Some special considerations should be taken into account when planting. Multi-budded trees are grown close together in nursery rows and thus some of the budded selections do not get equal amounts of sunlight so always plant the smallest limb to the south/southwest to insure that it gests plenty of sun.

Pruning multi-budded trees is best done by following these instructions. Cut back the strongest growing varieties by 2/3rds. Cut back the smallest variety by ½ or not at all. During the summer, watch the growth-rate of the smaller limbs to determine if pruning is needed. If the smallest variety is ½ the size of the others, do not prune. Take care to not let one variety take over or some of the smaller varieties may fail. Prune back the more aggressive limbs. Equal amounts of sunlight needs to be received by all varieties in order to develop fruiting. After the third season, maintain the multi-budded tree so that each fruit type grows in balance with the others.

Lemon Tree

Lemon trees are the most acidic of all the citrus fruits. One of the lyrics of the lemon tree song refers to the acidic fruit. Peter, Paul, and Mary sang, “Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower so sweet, but the fruit of the poor lemon, is impossible to eat.” Those lyrics about the lemon citrus tree may not conjure up any memories except for folks over fifty years of age. Lemon trees were being grown in the world garden since at least 200 A. D. according to ancient sources mentioned the lemon plants.

The Spaniards are credited with introducing the lemon to the United States. Because lemons are evergreens and seem to be in a constant state of growth in the garden and lemon tree orchard, they are quite sensitive to cold. A warm climate garden may easily support lemon fruits, but the Midwest and northern winter confines this lovely, sweet smelling citrus tree to a container. The contianer needs to be moved inside in winter and freezing conditions. An excellent candidate for an indoor lemon trees is the juicy, popular Meyer lemon tree. The Meyer lemon is compact enough for urban balconies and limited garden spaces. The Meyer lemon will begin bearing large, juicy, thick peel fruits at an early age.

 Garden grown lemon tree fruits are so very versatile. The lemon is used in restaurants as a garnish and placed on water glass and tea glasses for flavor. It is used in pies, fillings for pastries, and of course the cool flavored lemonade drink. Lemons are utilized daily, regardless of season, winter through summer. Squeeze a garden grown Meyer lemon, and enjoy the tangy taste of lemonade all year round.

Lemon juice is valued as a stain remover in the household. Lemon peel oil is used in furniture polish, soaps, and shampoos, and is a major ingredient for perfumes and colognes. Put lemon peels in the garbage disposal to deodorize the sink and drain area. The lemony smell will delight the olfactory senses.

The juicy lemon also is a reservoir for health benefits. The high vitamin C content of the lemon was used by sailors to prevent scurvy. Winter time travel in the Christopher Columbus era was very likely to have included the juicy lemon as part of the daily rations. Lemons also contain significant amounts of vitamin B, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and carbohydrates. Lemon oil, derived in part from the lemon peel, is purported to contain properties that are stimulating, anti-infection, astringent, antiseptic, disinfectant and anti-fungal.

 Caring for lemon trees is very similar to other citrus trees. Pruning is required every year or every other year to keep them looking good. Citrus plants, other than lemon, can be pruned every other year and should be fine. Lemon trees, such as the Meyer lemon, grow fast and need to be pruned more frequently. Citrus trees should be inspected yearly for diseased and dead branches. Remove dead and diseased branches when they appear.

Growing a lemon tree is also similar to other citrus trees. If planted in the garden, place the tree in a warm, sunny, location with well drained soil. Water the tree deeply once every 7 to 10 days during the summer. Water the lemon tree less frequently during cooler weather or rainy weather. Fertilize every four to six weeks from early spring to late summer.
Lemon trees make excellent house plants where they can be enjoyed winter through summer. Provide a large enough container and use a potting soil that drains well. The soil needs to be kept moist and slightly acidic for best results. Lemon trees should be placed outside during warm weather to assist with pollination from insects.

Blueberries

The Blueberry is a flowering plant of the genus (Vaccinium). There are blueberries that are native to South America, Asia, and Europe. Blueberries are native to North America and they produce fruit that matures to a blue color. Blueberry bushes typically bear fruit from late spring to summer. Commercially grown blueberries are generally divided into 3 types; lowbush or wild blueberries, highbush, and evergreen blueberries. There are approximately 30 species throughout various regions. The highbush is mainly found on the east coast, the lowbush in the Northeast and Canada, and the evergreen in the Pacific Northwest.

 The blueberry is acknowledged to have a high leveler of anti-oxidants than any other fruit. They also contain very high levels of vitamins C and A. Fully ripened blueberries contain the most anti-oxidants. Various studies have show that blueberries are beneficial in anti-aging, disease prevention, eyesight, cholesterol levels, arteries, memory, and weight control.

 Blueberries will perform well in a number of soil types as long as they are acidic and high in organic matter. Blueberries have shallow roots that are sensitive to soil compaction and poor drainage. Blueberries require acid soil with a pH below 5.5 and they do best when the pH is between 4.5 and 5.0. Blueberries should be pruned regularly after they reach 3 years of age. Remove damaged branches and less vigorous, spindly growth around the base of the plant. Blueberry bushes are best pruned when they are dormant and early spring pruning can help eliminate any winter damage to the plants.