Contents of the article:
Tropical apple has come to us from distant Mexico and America, moreover, it has taken root in other countries, especially in India and Africa. What is this miracle fruit guava? Let's take a closer look at it, because some lovers of the exotic have managed to grow a foreigner even at home, and for this it is worth knowing at least a little about what culture is and what demands it makes.
The scientific name of the plant is no less exotic and sounds like “psidium”.
The botanical characteristic of
Guava is a medium-sized fruit tree with a spreading crown, whose height is 4 m. Under natural conditions, it can reach 10 m, but in captivity it has more compact dimensions. Guava belongs to the myrtle family, where it is a representative of the class of dicotyledonous plants from the angiosperms department.
Guava leaves do not fall even for the winter. Five months after flowering( sometimes - after three) large fruits weighing up to 160 g ripen on the tree. By the way, a flowering shrub looks very impressive with its white inflorescences. Tree fructifies quite richly: from one crop you can collect up to 100 kg of fruit. There is also a second wave of fruiting, but in this case the size of the fruit and their number is two times smaller.
Taste quality of exotic
Guava looks like a cross between apple, lemon and pear. The fruits have a rounded shape, like an apple, or slightly elongated, like a pear. Dense, tuberous skin resembles citrus fruits, but for yellow fruits it looks more like a quince.
As fruits ripen, they turn yellow or burgundy, but some species remain green. Ripe fruit spreads a strong lemon scent.
The thicker the peel of a guava is, the more it tastes more, the sweetest fruits are those with a thin skin.
The flesh of the fruit is quite dense and juicy, hidden inside are small hard yellow seeds. There are a lot of them, more than 100 pieces in one fruit, covered with a hard shell from above, in connection with which there are some difficulties in growing guava by the seed method.
In order to have an idea of how the fruits look, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the photo of the guava fruit: 
It is very difficult to unequivocally answer what the guava taste looks like. It depends on the particular variety. Most species have white flesh, but there are varieties in which it is pinkish, yellow and even red. For example, varieties with red fruits more resemble raspberries, while their skin has a coniferous flavor. But strawberry guava, respectively, has the taste of strawberries with a slight pineapple aftertaste. But regardless of the variety, ripe psidium is very sweet. Immature fruit is sour, and it is not recommended to use them.
Green fruits are not only capable of causing indigestion, but also have a negative effect on kidney function.
How to eat guava? The answer is unequivocal - only fresh. Prolonged storage of fruits only impairs their taste, but they can still lie in the fridge for a day or two, but the freezer is another matter. The only condition: the presence of hermetic packaging, because the fruit is quickly absorbed odors.
Fresh fruits can be made from ripe fruits - it is also very tasty and sweet. Fresh or frozen fruits are added to various dishes, or jelly and syrups are made from them, and the original oriental cheese is made from dried fruits. You can marinate the juicy flesh, and you will get an original side dish for meat.
And a little more about eating whole fruits for food, namely, how to eat a guava correctly. This is best done by cutting it into slices. It is advisable to eat them together with the skin and seeds to get the maximum benefit. It should not be forgotten that the peel can be bitter or with coniferous taste( then it is better to cut it off), while the seeds have a hard shell. Therefore, we eat carefully, swallowing them whole, and you can gnaw if you are sure of the strength of the teeth.
Not a fruit, but a vitamin bomb
The fruits of guava, despite their sweetness, contain only 69 kCall, but vitamins and trace elements in them are more than enough. Among them:
- iron;
- Calcium;
- phosphorus;
- magnesium;
- sodium;
- potassium;
- Vitamin B, A, C and PP.
Like other fruits, guava contains the most water( 80.7 g per 100 g of pulp), but only 17.4 carbohydrates, while the share of dietary fiber is 5.4 g.
What is the use of a tropical apple?
Thanks to the rich complex of useful substances, psidium is recommended to be used for the prevention and treatment of many diseases, namely:
- for gastrointestinal problems;
- for the treatment of inflammatory processes in the throat;
- for lung disease;
- for relieving seizures and seizures;
- for heart disease.
The beneficial properties of guava fruit also apply to its skin: it contains antioxidants in an amount exceeding their composition in the pulp of the fruit itself. Eating whole guava, together with the skin, helps relieve pain and spasms, helps relieve inflammation and acts as an antitumor agent in combination with the main therapy.
Besides juicy healthy flesh, leaves are also used for medicinal purposes. In folk medicine, decoctions of guava leaves are recommended to be taken when coughing, diseases of the oral cavity, dysentery. Herbal tea from fresh leaves will help with frequent vertigo and will serve as an excellent tonic.
Can guavas bring harm to the body?
There are no direct contraindications to the use of an exotic fruit, but precautions should be observed even in spite of the beneficial properties of the guava. First of all, it concerns persons exposed to allergic reactions.
With caution and in limited quantities, it is necessary to include in your diet guava for people with diabetes mellitus, because the consumption of sugary fruits, especially those with peel, causes a sharp jump in blood glucose.
Do not lean on juicy fruits, even absolutely healthy people - as you know, the excess is not the norm, and eaten in large quantities of fruits can cause upset, especially if the body tries them for the first time. A similar effect will be after eating green fruit.
Is it possible to grow guava on your own plot?
Recently, many exotic fruits are found in local gardens, especially in the southern regions, where the warm climate most closely matches their natural cultivation environment. However, cultivation of guava at home in the open field is practically impossible in our country, since the tree cannot bear the Russian winter.3 degrees of frost are already critical for him. This is enough for even an adult tree to die.
But do not despair, because there is another option - to grow a guava as a pot plant, especially if there is a winter garden where it will be warm and light. Of course, it will hardly please the tree with a bountiful harvest of 100 kg, as well as large sizes, but it is still possible to eat ecologically clean fruits using self-pollinated varieties.
Unlike most plants, often suffering from various diseases, guava has a natural immunity and more rarely. This is a definite plus in its favor, as it reduces the use of chemicals for treating the tree to a minimum and provides a safe and tasty harvest.
As a houseplant, this type of guava, as psitium of Littorale, or coastal, is most suitable. Among the advantages of the variety, it is worth noting that it:
- does not require pollination;
- resistant to diseases and pests;
- blooms beautifully with large white buds;
- fruits small( 4 cm in diameter), but tasty, fruits of yellow color with a strong aroma;
- reproduces well in both seed and vegetative ways.
The Catley variety is slightly smaller( only 2 cm), but it has the taste of strawberries. This species is also suitable for growing guava as a houseplant.
Peculiarities of growing
Some gardeners believe that seeds from fruits bought for human consumption in the domestic market or in a store are suitable material for its reproduction. In some ways they are right, because lemons and tangerines are grown this way. But it is necessary to take into account the fact that not all types of guava are self-pollinating, among them there are varieties that do not bear fruit without additional pollination, but this may already be a problem. It is best to buy seed in a special store - so it will be accurate confidence that your tree will bear fruit, or use proven varieties.
When planting, do not forget that the seeds have a hard shell. To speed up and facilitate germination, they need to soak for 2-3 hours in the growth regulator. In addition, it does not hurt to slightly scratch the seeds with sandpaper - it will make it easier to sprout.
For growing seedlings is better to use a greenhouse or hotbed, because they need a high enough temperature, at least 24 degrees of heat. It is not necessary to deepen the seeds, just sow them on top of the loose earth and lightly dust it with sand. When the seedlings grow and reach a height of about 5 cm, they must be pinched and transplanted into separate pots.
How to care for your homemade guava?
Further care for the indoor fruit guava is simple and includes:
- annual spring transplant of young plants with a change of the pot to a larger one;
- moderate watering, preventing full drying of the soil and not bringing it to the state of the swamp;
- regular bathing in the shower or abundant spraying;
- complex mineral supplements once a month during the growing season.
Psidium, although unpretentious, requires two things: light and heat. In the room he should take the lighted place, and put it in the open air for the summer. The winter maintenance of the plant is somewhat different: for this period, the frequency of watering is reduced and the temperature is reduced to 20-16 degrees Celsius.
With the arrival of spring, you can begin to form a beautiful crown near the bush, but you should take into account that it bears fruit on young shoots. But the root processes should be removed in time to prevent thickening. One of the forming methods is the pinching of the tops of the twigs - this stimulates branching and prevents the trunk from being pulled out.
As you can see, guava fruit is not only very tasty and healthy. Its simple and undemanding nature turns exotic into a home plant, which will not be difficult to grow. Plant a few bushes to pamper your loved ones with juicy fruits. And in conclusion, I would like to add that this decorative evergreen plant can also purify the air in the house, taking care of your health.
