Zero set on Strawberry and Lemon Guava
The following thread was started by Merbert on November 06, 2009 at 5:27 pm PST
I have literally thousands of strawberry guavas. You can have some if you like. I plan on making jam.
The above followup was added by Axe3l on November 06, 2009 at 6:26 pm PST.
Someone once told me that they are a delicious addition to hard pear or apple cider. I've not tried it but you might consider tossing some in.
Have you dehydrated them? This is another tasty use for them.
The above followup was added by Merbert on November 06, 2009 at 6:36 pm PST.
If you're putting them in a super rich nitrogen environment/over-fertilizing, you'll get lots of new growth and little bloom. generally, they seem to set just about all blooms in my experience.
The above followup was added by Tom A. on November 06, 2009 at 10:12 pm PST.
The lemon guava is still blooming and there are more than 100 flowers on it. The strawberry guava completed blooming about 2 weeks ago. It was similarly covered in blossoms for an extended period of time. I can come up with no reason for the lack of fruit.
The above followup was added by Merbert on November 07, 2009 at 0:13 am PST.
The only exception to having fruit for me has been squirrel theft and lack of water.
The above followup was added by Gregory in Palo Alto on November 07, 2009 at 12:32 am PST.
Someone let me pick a bag of these off of one of their bushes today. I have to say based on how much fruit is on a single bush I need to force myself to learn to like these and find multiple uses.
I had one that was like a strawberry, a nasty sour one, and then one with a eucalyptus aftertaste all at the same ripeness from the same bush..
Mine is still small, but maybe make a hedge of these.
The above followup was added by Brian on November 08, 2009 at 0:29 am PST.
Brain they are not all a like in size, flavor and quality. I have one which tastes really good and is around a inch or plus in diameter; quite sweet, and a very nice sub acid tart flavor. No turpentine taste in the skins. I never realized that some could have a turpentine taste until I tasted one in Selma, the owner thought they were absolutely wonderful, but I almost barfed. The flesh was sweet and flavorful, but the skin.
The seedlings I have grown and tasted from, have never encountered a turpentine taste in the skin. And I have sensitive taste buds and enjoy that Turpentine taste in Altaulfo mango's grown in Mexico.
I acquired most of my seeds at different times, from the CRFG seed bank and a from a seed source in Hawaii.
I got a yellow from a local friend, it is great too, sweeter then the red strawberry form. I have seen some really small ones, which taste different and are fantastic too, with smaller seeds.
They are like many fruits, at their best, at dead drop ripe, though many tend to stay attached and dehydrate on the plant for awhile.
I would not accept any sour, not so sweet plants or seeds. I find that they tend to be like their parents, and there are some good and not so good strains lurking around out there.
They grow pretty fast, and plants a couple years old can produce a few fruits if cared for properly. Any thing that taste good or great and of decent size, will only be better and larger once in the ground and the plant is established.
If you were unsure strains taste and size, I would put it/them into a 5 gallon pot and see what happens. You will not really lose much growth time and will know for sure.
David
The above followup was added by David Johnson, Waterford CA, zone 14 on November 08, 2009 at 2:42 pm PST.
What was weird is that the same plant had a lot of variability in the fruit. I got a few yellow ones as well fromk a different bush. I will try them.
I suppose I will have extra seeds if anyone is interested.
The above followup was added by Brian on November 08, 2009 at 9:34 pm PST.