You can’t beat the aroma and flavour of fresh feijoas! This hardy and robust fruit is easy to grow and provides you with an abundance of fruit from autumn to early winter. If you're keen to grow your own, find out everything you need to know from Waimea Nurseries fruit expert Kate Marshall.
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- Harvest in 2-3 years
PLANTING
Naturally forming a medium to large shaped bush, feijoas can be incorporated into garden beds, can be clipped into formal topiary standards, grown in large pots, trained into an espaliered fan shape against a wall or planted in a row as an edible hedge. For a hedge, plant a mix of varieties around a metre apart to spread the crop over a few months.
Feijoa trees grow well in almost all areas of the country, tolerating all but the very driest and very water-logged soils – though definitely thrive more in fertile, free draining soil. Despite their South American heritage and tropical appearance, the trees are hardy to around -12 degrees so can even be planted in regions with very cold winters like Canterbury, Otago and Southland.
Feijoas grow best in sites with full sun and can be planted at any time of year. Prepare the site by mixing Tui Super Sheep Pellets and gypsum with soil from the planting hole. Adding these products increases organic matter and nutrients in the soil, as well as improving drainage.
CHOOSING A VARIETY
Kiwi gardeners are the envy of overseas feijoa lovers, having such a wide range of varieties to choose from, ranging from early ripening varieties which are harvested in February/March (depending on the location) through to later season varieties that can be harvested into June or July in warmer regions. It’s best to plant at least two different varieties to cross pollinate, plus these varieties can be selected so that the harvest season is spread (i.e. one early, one mid and one late variety). The flowering times will overlap even though the fruiting times are different.
Feeding
Feijoa trees usually fruit 2-3 years after planting, and should be fed regularly from spring to late summer to ensure a healthy tree and bumper harvest. It’s important to provide a balance of Nitrogen (N, for leafy growth), Phosphorus (P, for root development) and Potassium (K, for flowering and fruit production). Use Tui Enrich Fruit, Citrus, Tree & Shrub controlled release fertiliser or Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser for best results.
Pruning & staking
Feijoa trees usually naturally form a bushy tree, and generally only need clipping to maintain a nice looking shape. Similar to citrus trees, the habit should be relatively open – so that a small bird could fly through it. If trees get too large, the branches can be pruned back hard. It’s best to prune in late Winter, as the flush of new growth in spring is where the flowers will form.
Stakes aren’t usually required for feijoa trees unless the site is particularly exposed to wind.
Mulching
Mulch with Tui Mulch & Feed in mid to late spring to keep the roots moist. The roots of feijoa trees are naturally shallow, dense and fibrous, so protection from evaporation will help the tree to thrive and crop more profusely.
Watering
Feijoa trees will struggle during long dry periods if not supplemented with watering. It is especially important to water deeply and regularly from mid to late summer when the fruit is developing and ripening. Don’t over water as it will plump up the fruit but lose the flavour.
COMMON ISSUES
Feijoa trees are one of the easiest fruits to grow in a home garden, as there are usually very few problems and the trees fruit prolifically without much intervention.
Harvest tips
- Feijoas will ripen a little once picked but are best left on the tree to ripen naturally. The fruit will fall from the tree when completely ripe, and can be picked up off the ground, though don’t leave them too long.
- For best results, ‘touch pick’ from the tree which means cupping the fruit with your hand, and pull very gently. If the fruit comes away from the stem easily, it’s ready. If the fruit remains attached to the tree, it’s not ready just yet. If ‘touch picked’ the fruit should last for a week in the fruit bowl. Fruit picked up off the ground might only last a few days.
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Fantastic Feijoas - All you need to Know Comments
Hi i love fejoas and would like to try growing my own.do they do well in a large container pot?i am in a townhouse and grow everything in containers in my sunny courtyard
kathleen grimward
Feijoas are not so easy to grow in the north where we have quava moth, Its takes a lot of work to keep them free of that so not so easy,
Coral Bailey
Hi Kathleen, good on you for growing your own in your townhouse courtyard. Yes feijoas can be grown in large pots and containers. Fill with Tui Garden Mix and feed with Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser. All the best, Tui Team
jenna
A rapidly increasing problem (particularly in Northland) is Guava Moth and it would have been very helpful if mention of this had been made in the article. My understanding is that there is no current 'cure' although I may be wrong but all suggestions from a company such as yourselves would be appreciated. Thank you.
Alison Stewart
Hi Alison, this is a great question as yes guava moths can unfortunately be a problem with feijoas. At present no completely effective treatments exist. Guava moths lay their eggs on the fruit and the larva burrows into the fruit. It is very hard to treat once the plant is affected and is a big problem in warmer regions. Prevention is the best method of control. Cover the feijoa trees with fine netting immediately after flowering (when the petals have fallen) to protect the fruit. Secure with tape to the supporting branch. Remove fallen and rotting fruit, and dead leaves and mulch from under the tree as often the moths lay eggs in these areas. Guava moth pheromone delta traps with sticky bases are available from garden centres and rural suppliers. Kind regards, Tui Team.
jenna
I hear you eat them when they fall but mine do not fall.
Averill
Hi Averill, you could 'touch pick' which means cupping the fruit on the tree with your hand, and pull very gently. If the fruit comes away from the stem easily, it’s ready. If the fruit remains attached to the tree, it’s not ready just yet. Enjoy, Tui Team
jenna
I have 2 trees that flower beautifully every year but I never get any fruit is it time to chop them down?
Diane
Hi Diane, it is a good sign your trees are flowering, they are very much still alive. A possible problem is inadequate pollination - plant a cross pollinating variety and attract birds to your garden to help pollinate. Poor tree health is another possible problem - feed with Scotts Osmoctoe Fruit, Citrus, Trees & Shrubs or Tui NovaTec. Keep up with the watering, especially over the summer months and apply Seasol plant tonic regularly for a boost. All the best, Tui Team
jenna
how long does it take a new feijoa to start fruiting.i planted mine18 mths ago as a 40cm plant in a large pot.
john
Hi John, feijoa trees usually fruit two years after planting, and should be fed regularly from spring to after harvest to ensure a healthy tree and bumper harvest. Use Scotts Osmocote Fruit, Citrus, Trees & Shrubs or Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser for best results. Thanks, Tui Team
jenna
I have had my Feijoa for a year, I heard on a gardening show i needed two. I purchased another and shortly after planting in its pot it stopped drinking and the leaves went grey and fell off. My first one was doing fine grew well but then it stopped drinking and has grey leaves also, the soil is wet. I live at the South coast of Australia
Sandra
Can you put feijoa skins in the compost?
Sue Graziotti
Hi Sue, yes you can as long as they don't have any disease. Thanks, Tui Team
jenna
Hi Sandra, some feijoas are self fertile and others need a second plant to ensure cross pollination. They require a spot in full sun and a moist soil. They will defoliate and drop leaves if the soil dries out, or if the soil gets too wet. It is important the soil isn’t waterlogged, so you may have a drainage issue if you think your plant has stopped drinking. Try applying Seasol plant tonic (available in Australia also) to see if this will boost the plants back into life. Thanks, Tui Team
jenna
We have a feijoa that is about twenty years old. It produces heaps of fruit but all are very small, only about half the size of normal fruit. Is there any way I can fix this problem?
Paul Sintes
Hi Paul, small fruit can be caused by poor nutrition and lack of water (or sporadic irrigation). Feed feijoa trees with Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser and mulch with Tui Mulch & Feed to assist with moisture retention. Water deeply and regularly, ideally with a hose left dribbling for an hour or so once a week. Water is very important over the hotter months as fruit forms. All the best, Tui Team
jenna
Good evening We live in south island NZ and had great fruiting off mature ish trees although last year we had the fruit get start to rot, The skin developed large patchs of this. I wondered if it was frozen or frosted. I found another fruit this year the same, this fruit was in a very low are on the tree so doubted frost Any answers welcomed
Kat
I planted a KARAMEA feijoa 4 years ago. Big juicy fruits but this year a very short harvest time & the tiny fruits fell off quickly. Why?
linda nash
Hi Linda, small fruit can be caused by poor nutrition and lack of water (or sporadic irrigation). Feed feijoa trees with Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser and mulch with Tui Mulch & Feed to assist with moisture retention. Shedding fruit is generally caused by lack of water. Water deeply and regularly, ideally with a hose left dribbling for an hour or so once a week. Water is very important over the hotter months as fruit forms. All the best, Tui Team
jenna
Hi Kat, your fruit sounds like it is suffering from soft rot. To control it you need to remove all the affected fruit from the tree and the ground and spray the entire tree with a winter clean up spray to kill any over wintering spores - check at your local garden centre for a suitable spray. All the best, Tui Team
jenna
Must Feijoa trees be netted against birds and bats ruining the fruit
Susan
Hi Susan, birds aren't usually too much of an issue with feijoas, so they aren't usually netted, however you could if it became an issue. The birds help with pollination :) Thanks, Tui Team
jenna
Hey there! My husband and I love feijoa, we harvest this year but wondering why there are so many dry branches, we did watering a lot, could you tell us why’s that, hope hearing from you soon. We’ll be very appreciate.
nicole
Hi Nicole, dry branches indicate lack of moisture and your plant is shredding the branches it cannot maintain. Possibly your soil may not have the capacity to hold onto a lot of moisture, before the roots can take it up, so enable this to happen, add in some compost to the soil or mulch the soil around the base of your tree. All the best, Tui Team.
jenna
Leaves on the the top half of 1 of our fejoia trees (planted 18months ago, so approx 160cm high) appear to have small holes, are being eaten by something and are curling and bubbling? The fejoia tree 60cm beside it (different type) appears completely unaffected. Any assistance with how to get the sad tree to look like it’s mate next door, most appreciated!
Kate
Hi Kate, thanks for getting in touch. The soft new growth of feijoas is a welcome target for many insects unfortunately. Look carefully at the plant to see if you can spot what the insect is, however now the damage is done it is likely the predator has moved on. Spray with an insect spray, and apply Seasol plant tonic every couple of weeks. And if you haven’t done so already, apply some fruit tree fertiliser to give the plant a boost. All the best, Tui Team
jenna
I have 4 fejoa trees. None with fruit. And no flowers. Do flowers mean it's pollinated? Is it best to plant different varieties of fejoa to ensure pollination? What is one thing u recommend feeding them and when?
Kirsty
Hi Kirsty, your tree will need to have flowers to be pollinated and then to fruit. The first step would be to feed regularly from spring to autumn to ensure a healthy tree and flowering and fruiting. It’s important to provide a balance of Nitrogen (N, for leafy growth), Phosphorus (P, for root development) and Potassium (K, for flowering and fruit production). Use Scotts Osmocote Fruit, Citrus, Trees & Shrubs or Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser for best results. Some varieties are self fertile, but even self-fertile varieties will produce heavier and more regular crops if they are pollinated by other varieties. Plant at least two varieties to extend your season and ensure a better harvest. Thanks, Tui Team
jenna
I have a mature hedge of feijoas it's probably about 15 years old. We have never been successful with fruit. Some years we get one or two other years nothing. So this year I gave a bit of a trim over last winter have fed the plants with appropriate granules and watered religiously (by hand) through the hot dry summer. There were a few more flowers but they have almost all fallen off. Really frustrated. Not sure what else to do. Chopping them all down and replacing them will leave the bottom garden very exposed as well as being VERY expensive. Is there a limit to how old a feijoa tree will last? The treas seem very healthy, lots of nice grean foliage. So at a loss to know what to do. Any other ideas?
Mel
you can pickle the skins- they are yummy! go to https://feijoafeijoa.wordpress.com/category/chutneys-relish/ there are a few other feijoa recipes there too. i just have one trre- unique- and have great midwinter crps in mosgiel, near dunedin
Sarah Gamble
Hi Mel, it sounds like you are doing all the right things. It is very hard to diagnose your problem without seeing the plants or the ground in which they grow. We suggest you take a sample of your plants and a photo of where they are planted into a garden centre. The lack of flowers indicates the plants are not thriving, and the problem may be in the soil. They enjoy a sunny spot with a free draining soil. Thanks ^Tui Team
jenna
Knowing that birds pollinate feijoa flowers, we started putting bird feeders up near to our feijoa trees. The birds hop happily around in the trees, and they don't touch the fruit at all. And best of all, we have a bumper crop of lovely feijoas.
Pat &Jack McAllister
My original fejoa tree is planted on a slope facing north east. The fruit almost always have very thick skins, making them not so nice to get flesh out of. Any suggestions?
Kathy
We have moved into a house with a huge feijoa tree in the back yard (as tall as the house). No ripe fruit yet and I can't see that many on it. The birds went crazy in it when the flowers opened and were eating the petals and feeding the petals to their babies. I had never seen that before. The noise was deafening.Could that be why there aren't many fruit?
Judy Thomas
There are lots of flowers on my two feijoa trees that I planted 2-3 years ago. Got my first small crop last year and looks like a good crop coming up but birds are also eating the petals so I am concerned.
Kathy
Hi Kathy, feijoas are pollinated mostly by birds, they strip off the red filaments of the flower and in doing this pollinate the stigma with pollen from their heads. There's no need to worry, they are not doing any damage but are doing good!
Tui Team
Not so with my feijoas. The mynahs pluck the flowers from the branches and drop them on the ground. I have strung old CD's in an attempt to dissuade the birds, but know that the feijoas will be less exposed to bird pollination....
Graham
Hi Pat and Jack, that is a wonderful idea. Thank you for sharing it with us, we know others would find this information useful too. We hope you are enjoying your feijoa harvests! Happy gardening from the Tui Team.
jenna
We live on the Kapiti Coast, and SO many people have feijoa trees up here that we couldn't even give them away. Feijoa chutney, feijoa jam, feijoa jelly, ---- I was running out of ideas. So about 4 years ago, I decided to try making Feijoa wine. it was so successful (and popular with friends and relatives) that I have continued making it. We only have 4 Feijoa trees, and they are not overly large, but each year they seem to produce more and more fruit. I peel them, chop them up, bag them and put them in the freezer until I have enough feijoas to make a batch of wine.
Patricia (Pat) McAllister
I over watered one year and got a great crop of large but flavourless feijoas. So be careful not
Brian
Hi... we planted a hedge of feijoa under our kitchen windows 4 years ago. We cut them back quite definitely each year. They've grown fantastically, we got a small and sparse crop last year and conscientiously watered this year. Had loads of lovely flowers this year in December/January and got excited,... and now no fruit. There is some scale, we sprayed for the leaf hoppers (with the clear but black lined wings) as their larvae were everywhere, still had some adults make it through. We now have a huge hedge, almost covering the kitchen windows, which is frustrating my family as they're desperate for the fruit. We're thinking to relocate as they cover the windows too much and we do have a small orchard with two different varieties of feijoa about 500m away. As the hedge were all the same variety, perhaps this is part of the problem? Am I jumping the gun? Could we still expect fruit even though the flowers are long gone (at least 2 months ago)? Is it safe to relocate the hedges? Thanks in advance
Jennifer
Hi,why the fruit on my feijoa tree are dry why the fall off the tree and tasteless,it has lits of fruit now but the fruit that fall off the grown still not ripe and still hard,I let it sit on the window will till it's soft to eat and has no taste (not sweet at all.Kind Regards Manny
Manny De Vera
We have 2 Feijoa trees in large pots, never had fruit in years and only and very very rarely flowers (and only a few flowers at that) . Will wind prevent flowers and therefore fruit ?
robert
We have the same (or very similar as no frosts here yet) issue. Good crop and a lot are spotting and rotting. What spray would you recommend and when do we apply? Thanks heaps.
Noeline Oldridge
Hi Jennifer, it sounds like you have put in a lot of effort with your hedge. There will be a reason your plants are not fruiting, the most common issues are food – fertiliser, lack of pollination, sun or water or your choice of variety. Some seedling varieties can take longer to fruit. The fact your plants are flowering and not holding fruit indicates either the flowers are not being pollinated or the plant is stressed by something. Cross pollination between two (or more) different varieties will ensure good fruit set and fruit quality. You have mentioned you do have two trees that are a different variety nearby. Your plants can be relocated, and now is a good time of year to do it. Once transplanted, allow two seasons for them to settle in and potentially fruit. Apply Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic regularly and feed with Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser. All the best, Tui Team
jenna
Hi Manny, lack of flavour normally indicates the plant is lacking in something, it may have been water over the summer or fertiliser nutrients over the season. Suggest applying Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic now and applying a side dressing of fruit fertiliser. Then add a layer of mulch around the base of the tree and hopefully this will remedy the problem for next season. All the best ^Tui Team
jenna
Hi Kathy, this is more than likely just a variety characteristic and not able to be corrected. However it could be worth applying Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser at flowering time which could help with making more flesh and less skin. All the best ^Tui Team
jenna
Hi Judy, the birds feast on the petals, and pick up the pollen on their chests and beaks which helps to move the pollen between flowers for cross pollination – which is necessary to get fruit. So you don’t want to discourage the bird activity! It can often be hard to see feijoa fruitlets until just before the fruit is ready. It’s not unusual to think a tree has a poor crop, but then have a lot of fruit – it seems to hide well among the leaves. However if a decent crop doesn’t eventuate, we would suggest you apply Tui Sulphate of Potash, mulch and water well around flowering time and during those early stages of fruit development. Regular applications of Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic will also help. If a tree is stressed around this time, it can affect it’s ability to sustain a crop. Happy gardening ^Tui Team
jenna
Hi Noeline, we suggest taking a sample of your fruit into your local garden centre for a definitive diagnosis on the issue. They will be able to recommend the most suitable spray and when to apply based on that product. Thanks ^Tui Team
jenna
Hi Robert, yes wind is a factor in feijoas not being able to hold onto fruit. As your plants are in pots can you move them? Do give your plants a side dressing of Tui NovaTec fertiliser in spring and autumn, plus regularly apply Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic to give the root zone a boost. Thanks, Jenna ^Tui Team
jenna
I’m wanting to buy 2 feijoa trees that have large fruit, what’s the best 2 to plant together ?
Madi
Hi Madi, great idea to plant feijoas now :) Kaiteri, Wiki Tu, Kakariki and Mammoth all produce large fruit. Cross pollination between two (or more) different varieties will ensure good fruit set and fruit quality. Happy growing ^Tui Team
jenna
Hi, my feijoa tree have a lot of fruit but inside of the fruit are hollow and the flesh is very hard . Any suggestions?
Loan
Hi Loan, it sounds like the soil your tree is growing in is either lacking in nutrients or has gone through a prolonged period of dryness. Nothing can be done now to remedy the problem however to fix it for next year, apply fruit fertiliser to the soil, and add a layer of mulch around the base of the tree. Also ensure that the plant has plenty of water from December until April next season. All the best ^Tui Team
jenna
We have emigrated from the Uk and on the property we bought there is a hedging of feijoas that has had a massive crop. Is it safe to leave the rotting ones on the ground under the hedge to break down as compost or should we take them up?
Sally
Hi Sally, it is fine to leave the fruit on the ground, they will naturally compost over time. However, if the fruit had any blemishes or disease, it would be wise to remove them from under the hedge to help eliminate any problem from reappearing next season. ^Tui Team
gemma
Hi, as with Loan, one of my feijoas had lovely big fruit - but the segments/lobes of the flesh were hollow - though I wouldn't call them hard - could see no evidence of larvae in the fruit - the seeds inside were sort of shrivelled up but the flesh that was there tasted fine. What is with hollow fruit?
Jess
Hi Jess, the flesh of feijoas develops over the summer and autumn months, and if over this period the plant experiences any prolonged dry periods the moisture evaporates out of the fruit. This could be the problem. Another reason could be that the root zone is restricted in some way or that the soil is lacking in nutrients. Feed regularly from spring to after harvest Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser to give your trees the nutrients they need. Happy gardening ^Tui Team
jenna
Hi We planted two feijoa trees last August and managed to get one feijoa but most the flowers just fell off the tree. The one feijoa we got tasted delicious! This year I've noticed lots of the leaves, on both trees have grey and black (and shades in between) spots on the underside of lots of leaves. I've been ripping them off and throwing them out but I've had to do this a few times. Will the trees recover from this and what do you think caused the spots? Is it a disease?
Christine
Hi Christine, feijoa trees take a few seasons to become established. The essentials to get the best out of them are plenty of water, fertilising them with fruit tree fertiliser such as Tui Enrich Fruit, Citrus, Tree & Shrub in early spring and late summer. They require full sun and protection from strong winds. Your black spots could be a fungal problem, suggest you take a leaf into the garden centre for a identification then choose a relevant product to control the problem. Regular applications of Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic will also help keep your trees healthy.
Tui Team
I would like to thank you for the article on fejoas tree.We live in Perth Western Australia. We purchased two fejoa trees 18 months ago and got a few fruit .This year they are loaded with fruit,but keep dropping fruit.In Perth we don't have soil its all sand,problem being I never put wettasoil around fejoas .After reading your article I will now use wettasoil. Thanks very much. David.
David Cockshott
Hi David, you're very welcome. We are pleased to hear our information has been useful and hope it helps you to grow successful fejioas where you live in Australia. Happy gardening from the Tui Team
Tui Team
Hi! Any tips for growing indoors? I live in cold and gloomy Vancouver, Canada. I have my fejoia away from direct heat, with its own grow light. I water him often and lightly, measuring with a water meter, and misting daily. At first the tree grew quickly, but the new growth is weak and floppy, unlike the hardy green old growth. The leaves of the new growth seem to curl and fall away before toughening up. What can I do? The fertilizer you mentioned is not available where I live :( Thanks!
Jillian
Hi Jillian, feijoas are not natural indoor plants, they are hardy to long dry periods and cold temperatures. Avoid watering the foliage of the plant and focus on the watering the soil deeply once a week. Don't leave the plant sitting in a saucer of water. Wilting leaves may be the symptom of too much water. Your local garden centre will be able to help advise on a suitable fruit tree fertiliser :)
Tui Team
Hi, i planted 2 feijoa trees 2 1/2 years ago, they flower but never fruit. What am i doing wrong?
Jenny Yates
Hi Jenny, thanks for getting in touch. The article above provides some great tips on common issues including this one. It is a good sign that your tree is flowering and it is still reasonably young. Lack of fruiting is often caused by inadequate pollination or poor tree health. If your tree is not self fertile it is recommended to plant a cross pollinating variety. Even self-fertile varieties will produce heavier and more regular crops if they are pollinated by other varieties. Plant at least two different varieties to extend your season and ensure a better harvest. All fruit trees benefit from a regular feeding regime to provide the right nutrients for maximum tree health and top crops. Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser is suitable for your feijoa trees planted in the garden or in pots and containers. Feed in spring and summer to provide your fruit trees a balanced and even spread of all essential nutrients for maximum fruiting and flowering. Happy growing!
Tui Team
Hello, We moved into our home in North Canterbury a year ago. The property has two Feijoa plants. They appear healthy and though they flowered well there was no fruit. I have no idea which variety of Feijoa they are, Can you please suggest a suitable variety I can purchase in case they are not self-pollinating (which I suspect). The trees are about a metre high and I would guess not more than about two years old. Thank you in advance.
Lynn Evans
Hi Lynn, thanks for getting in touch. It is hard to advise on a variety without knowing the variety/varieties you already have - it would just need to be a different variety to the one you have planted (if they are actually the same variety). Lack of fruiting is often caused by inadequate pollination or poor tree health. Your trees are also still reasonably young. If the varieties are different then the lack of fruiting could be due to poor health and lack of nutrients. All fruit trees benefit from a regular feeding regime to provide the right nutrients for maximum tree health and top crops. Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser is suitable for your feijoa trees planted in the garden or in pots and containers. Feed in spring and summer to provide your fruit trees a balanced and even spread of all essential nutrients for maximum fruiting and flowering. Happy growing!
Tui Team
I have 5 feijoas the oldest is at least 6 years old. It fruited for the first time this summer but lost a lot of the flowers. There were 3 nicely plumping fruit a few days ago and none now I think maybe a possum.. Not even a flower on any of the others. I have a half acre section and have planted them in different parts from each other. I have created a bird haven so its not lack of birds, Getting desperate here. Can you help?
Anne Young
Hi Anne, were the feijoas seedling grown or grafted varieties? Seedling grown varieties take 6-7 years to fruit, grafted varieties take 2-3. Flowers and fruit can drop if the tree becomes stressed, especially over summer if you experienced drought conditions. Mulch around the tree with Tui Mulch & Feed or an alternative suitable mulch, this will help conserve soil moisture. Now is a good time to mulch around your trees. Feed them with Tui NovaTec Premium now that fruiting has finished and again as they start to flower. Regular applications of Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic will also help your trees.
Tui Team
We have an old large feijoa tree that had lots of fruit however for the last two years about half the fruit doesn't have the jelly like substance in the middle. Why is this? I'm assuming we not to water the tree more over summer, is this the reason? Thanks
Rachael
Hi Rachael, feijoas are pretty hardy trees but they still need water and this may be why the fruit hasn’t developed as it should. Summer was pretty hot and dry. Feeding is also important. Use a citrus fertiliser or Tui NovaTec Premium in spring when the tree flowers and apply again once fruiting has finished to help improve fruit size and flavour. The tree also could be a seedling grown variety and not a grafted named variety so the fruit may be smaller than other varieties. Prune the tree back by about one third, you can go harder if desired. This will stimulate new growth. It will reduce fruiting for the first season but the fruit will be bigger. Mulch around the tree in spring as this will also help keep moisture in the soil and adds organic matter back into the soil.
Tui Team
I have come to like feijoas only in the last three years. My wife pruned our Apolo Feijoa tree hard last year and with the hot summer in Canterbury last year, I mulched under tree with pea straw and had a bumper crop. I have planted a Golden Goose variety last years to try another variety. Great advice Kate.
Alister Scott
Is it correct that removing the flowers from 1 & 2 year old Feijoa trees will help strengthen root growth?
Brian Millen
Yes, although you won’t cause too much damage if you leave one or two fruit on just to taste. Plants energies go into producing fruit rather than establishing good strong root growth, let the plant flower but remove any fruit that form.
Tui Team
Hi, we have had 2 feijoa trees fruiting every year around June time. For the last week (end Jan and beginning Feb we have had some fruit falling - ripe and delicious. Maybe half a dozen. Can only see a couple of big ripe feijoas now on the tree. Rest is flowers finishing. Is this weird?
J S Clifford
Hi there, at some stage a couple of late rogue flowers have been pollinated and fruited. Nature can get confused by the weather sometimes and fruit out of season. Nothing to be alarmed about if the new seasons fruit is developing nicely.
Tui Team
My daughter in Sydney has Feijoas trees but the fruit are brown inside and taste horrible when they fall off the tree. What can she do to rectify this?
Pauline
Hi Pauline, sounds like they have bruised falling on the ground. Place mulch around the tree to soften the fall or pick them from the tree when they are just ripe they should fall into your hands. Maybe they have sat on the ground for too long before collecting? Australia has a guava moth, and while not a pest in Australia, it is in NZ and feijoa is one of the hosts (from the myrtle family). Is there a small caterpillar in the fruit? If so, it is likely to be guava moth. There are pheromone traps available in NZ to control guava moth, however we are not sure what controls are available in Australia. Pick up any fallen fruit and dispose of in the rubbish, don’t compost.
Tui Team
A way to help keep Codling Moth and other insects at bay is to take 2 litre Milk containers cut a hole 50mm in the side off,the bottom, and put in a mixture of water,apple cider vinegar, squirt of Ammonia,and squirt of washing liquid. Hang from the branches of the tree and check frequently.
Ron Blair
My three five-year old Feijoa trees look healthy but with this dry summer (and no water to give them), the fruit has not developed. It is currently the size of a pea!! I'm wondering what I have to do about this. I'm assuming the fruit will not mature - will it fall off the tree? Will I have to snip them off? What will happen if I just leave them? Thank you for your response.
Jean
Hi Jean, this has been a common problem this season. While feijoas are drought tolerant, they have a very fiborous root system that is close to the soil surface and they do require regular watering, especially in the dry season. To prevent this happening next season, try and mulch around the top of the tree in early spring and again in late summer. This will conserve soil moisture over the summer months. The fruit will eventually fall off the tree.
Tui Team
How often does "feed regularly" mean? Once a month, twice a month?
Heather Evans
Hi Heather, it does depend what you are feeding with. If you are using a blended fertiliser such as Tui Citrus Food, a slow release fertiliser such as Tui NovaTec Premium or a controlled release fertiliser such as Tui Enrich Fruit, Citrus, Tree Shrub, then twice a year. Feed in early spring as they start to flower and again in late summer - early autumn. If you are using a soluble fertiliser (mixed with water) such as Tui Seaweed & Fish, then you can feed your fruit trees every four to six weeks. Feijoa are subtropical fruits and are frost tender, so care must be taken when applying fertiliser late in the season going into winter as this could push soft new growth that could get frosted. Once trees are established they are more frost hardy.
Tui Team
Thank you for your reply, the information is for my son who is living in Louisiana and has planted two Feijoa trees. They did not do too well the first season, so last summer (July) when I was over we fed them citrus fertilizer and a good mulch. They were fed again in February, (spring) and are looking really great with lots of buds and new growth which we are all very excited about. I hope they have the right birds and insects over there to fertilize the flowers! I will pass on the feeding regime to them. Thanks.
Heather Evans
Hi Tui, how do I make a feijoa standard?
Kathy
Hi Kathy, to standardise a feijoa you will need to find a tree that is reasonably straight and upright growing with its terminal growing tip still in tact. Do not remove the top terminal tip of the tree until it reaches the desired height as you want the tree to continue growing upright, it could take 2-3 growing seasons before it reaches the desired height. It is important that the tree is staked as it will need support to grow upright and straight. While the tree is being trained remove side shoots that form up the stem, leaving the top third of growth on the tree. Once the tree reaches the desired height, which could be anywhere from 1 metre to 1.5 metres, then you can pinch the terminal growing tip out to encourage the tree to branch out and form side shoots, which will flower in early spring. For the first couple of years you will need to sacrifice flowering and fruiting until the tree gets to the desired height you want it to be standardised at. Over time the stem will become more sturdy and will support the tree without needing a stake.
Tui Team
Hi 🙂 Last year birds took a bucket load of flowers. I still had a good crop of fruit though. This year I have put bird netting over the tree as soon as I saw the tree flowering. Is the ok to do this or do the bees need to get in to pollinate? The flowers are huge! Thank you 🙂
Mary Francis
Hi Mary, birds are the main pollinators of feijoas, not so much bees and insects. The birds strip the red filaments off the flowers and in doing so, pollinate the flowers with their heads, leaving the single stigma. I would suggest you remove the bird netting as you want the birds to visit your feijoa trees so that you get another good crop this season. The Tui Team.
Tui Team
Hi, I have started to grow nine Feijoas plants from seed and right now the tallest one is about 5cm tall and some people say I should pull of the bottom smallest leaves so that the plants don’t turn into bushes, so all I need to know is are they correct?
Brooke
Hi Brooke, leave your seedlings to grow a lot taller, don't remove the bottom leaves from such small seedlings as the plant needs all the help it can get at this stage to grow bigger. Wait until the tree grows to at least a 50cm to 1 metre high before trimming, you will have an upright growing tree as long as you don't pinch out the growing tip. Pinching the tip will encourage growth to branch. Feijoas can be easily pruned so if side shoots do appear in time when the tree is bigger, you can cut them off. The Tui Team.
The Tui Team
My feijoa has been planted for over 8 years and has only just started flowering.What is wrong?
Nikau
Hi Nikau, it is likely to have only just started flowering and fruiting this year because it is a tree grown from seed. Feijoa can be grown several ways, from seed, cutting from an already fruiting tree, or grafted - fruiting wood is grafted onto seedling rootstock. Cutting grown and grafted fruit trees will fruit in 3-4 years, seedling grown trees can take 7-8 years to fruit.
The Tui Team
Hi there from the UK. I have a small feijoa - bought for me by my daughter who has just returned from living in wonderful NZ. The feijoa has been growing really well - until now. Some of the leaves have turned dry and crinkly and a few have brownish bits on them. most of the other leaves are fine (so far). Note that we've had a really cold spell here -,around -5C overnight. I've read though that feijoas are fine with a bit of cold. it's been growing in a pot, generally out the wind, although it was really windy last night and maybe that has affected it? Anyway, any advice would be most welcome.
Josephine
Hi Josephine, feijoas are subtropical fruit trees, they are frost tender, but once established will tolerate cooler temperatures. The good thing about growing the plant in a pot is that it can be moved to a more sheltered position when temperatures drop below 0 degrees, try to avoid the root ball freezing if you do experience hard frosts. The brown leaves could be caused by wind, but more likely watering, too much or not enough, the plant will need some water in winter. Ensure the tree is planted in a free-draining mix, garden soil is not the best medium to use for growing in pots and containers as it compacts down. Feijoas need good drainage, use a quality potting mix specially formulated for fruiting trees, use a citrus mix or similar. The other thing that can cause the foliage to brown-off is over or under feeding, make sure fertiliser applications are as per pack instructions and relative to pot size, once you hit spring, start feeding with a fruit tree fertiliser or citrus fertiliser. The tree should acclimatise gradually, when it eventually flower make sure the pot is in a place where birds can pollinate the flowers, feijoa flowers are pollinated by thrush and black birds.
The Tui Team
Good morning, we have two feijoa trees, one Apollo and the other Mammoth. The Apollo seems to have really long slender branches and so does not handle the weight of the fruit too well. I was wondering how I can get the trunk to get bigger to help support branches. Cheers, Pat.
patrick McKoy
Hi Pat, regular pruning after your trees have finished fruiting will create sturdier branches that are closer to the main stem of the tree. The first season after pruning your fruit yields will not be as high, but the fruit will be larger, feijoas fruit on current seasons growth, so by pruning you are not removing the fruiting wood for the next season. Pruning is good practice every couple of years to keep the tree compact and to promote flowering and ultimately fruiting. If you are in a frost prone area, wait until late winter, when the risk of frost has passed, before pruning. If you prune in late autumn the new growth won't have had time to harden off before the frosts arrive and this will knock back the new growth.
The Tui Team
My Fejioa Tree is groaning under the weight of the abundant fruit yielding on her boughs. Merilyn Collins In Applecross, Perth WA 6153
Merilyn Collins
More feijoa recipes and preserve ideas please!
Lynn Carter
Hi, how often do I feed feijoas between spring to late summer. Every 2 weeks? Thanks.
april helleur
Hi April, feed feijoas with Tui Citrus Food or Tui Novatec Premium fertiliser in early spring when they are flowering and again when fruiting has finished in autumn. The only exception would be the fertiliser application after fruiting has finished, do this in mid-late summer if you live in a frost prone area. If you fertilise too late into autumn soft new growth that develops won't have had time to harden-off and so would be damaged by frost.
The Tui Team
Hi, I have a feijoa 'Unique' that I planted in my yard 6 months ago. There are a few small buds but they haven’t opened yet. Is this normal? Also some of the leaves have brown spots around the edges. I’m in south Canterbury. Thanks.
Louise
Hi Louise, it is quite normal for the flowers to sit there until temperatures warm up in early spring before opening. Because the tree has only been in the ground for six months, it would be advisable to remove the buds this season so that the tree gets established. If flowers and fruit are left on a recently planted tree, the plants energies go into producing fruit at the expense of establishing a good root system that will sustain fruiting in years to come. You may decide to leave one or two fruit on the tree to see what they taste like, most people are tempted to do this. Without a photo it is hard to know exactly what the brown spots are. It could be frost damage, hail damage, or it could be a leaf spot. If you suspect a leaf spot, you can pick off those leaves and spray the tree with a copper based spray, avoid wetting the foliage when you water, water at soil level, feed your tree with a balanced fertiliser such as Tui Citrus food or Tui Novatec in spring and again in late summer (or once fruiting has finished), and mulch around the tree in spring to help conserve soil moisture in the growing season.
Lianne, Tui Team
Hi, I have planted two dwarf plants and presently flowering well. Since they are still young plants should we let them fruit for their first year?
Graham
Hi Graham, it is always best practice to pick fruit off young newly planted fruit trees in the first season so that they establish a good root system to sustain future growth. It is always tempting to leave fruit on the tree, and it probably won't harm the tree if you leave one or two fruit so you can get a taste of what is to come, but don't let the tree get heavily laden with fruit, fruit trees will often do their own thinning.
Lianne
Hi. We have moved to a new house in the Waikato. Big Feijoa tree. Have missed pruning this year. The tree needs a huge prune to get branches off the ground, thin out all the cross growth, and a general reshape. How much will the tree tolerate?
Robert Highsted
Hi Robert, feijoas respond well to hard pruning, timing is everything as feijoas fruit on the previous seasons growth. If you hard prune now in December you are going to cut away all of this seasons fruit. A general tidy up will be okay, you can remove the lower branches so that you can mow underneath, cut back any dead wood, crisscrossing branches to open up the canopy, birds are the main pollinators and so this will help the birds get to the flowers in the middle of the tree. You will be able to see which branches are flowering and fruiting now, so can leave them intact although you may need to sacrifice a few branches laden with fruit pruning at this time of the year. Once fruiting has finished in autumn you can give the tree a harder prune, taking it back to main branches with no foliage if required. Flowering and fruiting will be reduced next season. If you are in a frost prone region and wanting to do a hard prune, do it once the risk of frost has passed, if it is done in autumn the foliage won't have had time to harden off before the first frosts and will knock the tree back.
Lianne
When you say "feijoas should be fed regularly from spring to summer", what exactly do you mean? Could you please be more specific. Thank you
Alice Odean
Hi Alice, feed feijoas with a all purpose fertiliser or specialty citrus fertiliser when they start flowering in early spring and again in late summer, early autumn, fertiliser can be applied up to when they finish fruiting. As feijoas are a sub tropical fruit tree they can be frost tender in cooler regions. If fertiliser is applied too late in autumn (in cooler regions) it can push new growth which is at risk of being frosted, burning the soft growth which can give rise to disease entering the plant. How regularly you feed your citrus and when will depend upon which type of fertiliser used and soil type. A blended fertiliser such as Tui Citrus Food will feed for 8-10 weeks, a slow release fertiliser such as Tui Novatec will feed for 10-12 weeks, and a controlled release fertiliser such as Tui Enrich Fruit, Citrus, Tree & Shrub fertiliser feeds for up to 6 months.
Lianne
Hi, I have been feeding my feijoa every 2 weeks for about 2 months. I have got heap of fruit but they are only about 3cm in size and fall off the tree. Have I overfed the tree. Thanks.
April Helleur
Hi April, has the tree been regularly watered throughout the growing season, if not, then it is likely to be a lack of water, especially if the fruit are dropping off the tree prematurely. Even though feijoas are pretty drought tolerant plants they have a fibrous shallow root system and need water to develop large juicy fruit. The other thing that may help to increase fruit size is to thin out the inner branches, to open up the canopy, remove thin weak growth, damaged crisscrossing branches. This way there will be better access for birds to pollinate the flowers and with less foliage the plants energies will go into producing flowers and fruit. Feed your tree twice a year with a balanced fertiliser such as Tui Citrus Food or Tui General Garden fertiliser in early spring and again when it has finished fruiting. Every two weeks isn't necessary, the tree will take what it needs and the rest of the fertiliser will leach out of the soil, also, there is the potential for fertiliser to accumulate and overfeed the tree which can cause burning to the roots.
Lianne
My feijoa is 3 years old. I had loads of fruit last year but not much this year. The ones I had, had very little juice inside, more of the white flesh. It looks healthy, so what could it be?
Dominique
Hi Dominique, it is likely that your tree did not have enough water through the hot dry summer months and so the fruit hasn't developed, three years is still a young tree to be bearing fruit. If you are in a frost-free area give the tree a light prune back by approximately one third, feijoas fruit on new seasons growth so this will help increase flowering and fruiting. If you are in a frost prone area wait until early spring before pruning, do this before the tree flowers. Mulch around the tree with a suitable mulch, Tui Mulch & Feed is good to help conserve soil moisture, feed the soil, as well as keeping weeds down, consistently water the tree throughout the growing season. Feed the tree in early spring and again after fruiting has finished with a suitable fertiliser, Tui Citrus food is a good fertiliser for fruit trees.
Lianne
Hi, I have two trees that have guava moth infestation for a few years and nothing I have tried has worked. I end up with lots of inedible fruit as it has lots of the worms in them. Should I just cut my losses and cut the trees down and give up? My neighbours have feijoa trees as well so unless they can get rid of the moths from their trees I feel we are destined to keep going in circles. It can be back breaking work picking up all the falling fruit but not being able to eat it. Do you suggest we cut them down if there is no cure once you have the moth?
Karen
Hi Karen, it is heart breaking that you don’t get to enjoy your guava, sometimes it is easier to quit your losses, especially as you say, your neighbours have feijoas and if they aren’t doing anything about guava moth you end up chasing your tail! The problem with guava moth is that it has a continuous life cycle, there is no dormant period, it moves from host to host, not only feijoas and guava, but citrus and monkey apple trees too. Collecting up infected fruit is the right thing to do, the other thing people do is place mesh bags over the fruit once it has set, the light still gets through but the moths don’t, these are available from hardware stores and garden centres, alternatively insect mesh over the whole tree could work. Have you tried lure traps, these are available from hardware stores and garden centres, they trap the male moth which doesn’t get to mate with the female. You can make your own lure, search online for guava moth lure, there is one made from Vegemite, vanilla essence, sugar and ammonia. Place it in the tree in early spring approximately 1.5-2 metres high where the moth flies, the flap in the milk bottle is to stop water getting in if it rains. Replace the lure monthly, keep doing this until harvest. I have tried this lure, it catches all types of insects and works for codling moth in apples as well, it did seem to be effective. Talk to your local garden centre or hardware store about any suitable controls that you may be able to use as well.
Lianne
Should I pluck off flowers in the first year of flowering?
Rob
Hi Rob, the advice for newly planted fruit trees is to remove any fruit that sets in the first year so that the plants energies go into producing a strong root system and framework that can sustain fruiting in future years, rather than producing fruit. Enjoy the flowers, but if any fruit set remove them. Keep your tree well watered, every 2-3 days in the summer, mulch around it with a suitable mulch to conserve soil moisture and feed in late summer, early autumn with Citrus Food to promote flowering and fruiting next season.
Lianne