Guava Feijoa

The Feijoa guava tree is not a member of the citrus family.
However, its resistance to the cold is combined with an abundant harvest of delicious fruit in autumn.
Native to southern Brazil (“goiava serrana”, mountain guava), the Feijoa is the least known of the guavas in its country of origin.
The exotic taste of the fruit and its easy cultivation have, on the other hand, enthralled the New Zealanders, who have made it their second national fruit.

Flowering in June is abundant and spectacular, and Feijoa is also planted as a decorative hedge.
Harvesting takes place under the tree from mid-October to mid-November. The fruits fall when they are almost ripe, so there’s no need to pick.They don’t rot quickly on the ground and are not attacked by birds or insects. You can therefore pick every 3 or 4 days.
A 10-year-old tree can produce up to 50 kilos, if it has found the right conditions.
The foliage is permanent and the tree can withstand temperatures as low as -12°C without damage.
Beware, however, of snow that accumulates on the leaves, then bends and breaks the branches: shake off as soon as there is 5 centimetres of snow.

No known diseases or pests, so no treatment required.
No pruning except for low branches to facilitate harvesting.
Plant in the sun, fertilize and water moderately.

Feijoa is available in 2 variants:
– Common Feijoa, ungrafted, plants from seed, to ensure genetic diversity.
– Selected Feijoa (New Zealand, Sicily), cuttings or grafted onto common Feijoa, to optimize fruit yield.
Varieties are only partially self-fertile, so it is advisable to plant at least two different varieties to increase fruit yield.

Selected varieties:

Gemini: early (October), small to medium fruit, sweet flavor, good shelf life.
Coolidge: précoce, fruit gros vert sombre, sucré et acide, bonne conservation.
Apollo: mi-saison (fin octobre, mi-novembre), fruit gros allongé, sucré et acide, délicat.
Mario: mi-saison, fruit moyen à gros, saveur douce, bonne conservation.
Sicilia: mi-saison, fruit moyen à gros, allongé, saveur sucré et acide, bonne conservation.
Mammuth: medium-late (mid to late November), large, sweet fruit, good shelf life.
Triumph: late (end of November), medium fruit, sweet and acidic, good shelf life.