Having your very own guava tree is great. The fruits have a distinct and unmistakably tropical flavor that can brighten up any kitchen. But how do you start growing a guava tree? Keep reading to learn more about guava cutting propagation and growing guava trees from cuttings.
How to Propagate Guava Cuttings
When choosing guava cuttings, it’s best to select a healthy stem of new growth that has matured to the point of being relatively firm. Cut off the terminal 6 or 8 inches (15-20.5 cm.) of the stem. Ideally, it should have 2 to 3 nodes worth of leaves on it.
Immediately sink your cutting, cut end down, in a pot of rich, moist growing medium. For better chances of rooting, treat the tip with a rooting hormone before placing it in the growing medium.
Keep the cutting warm, ideally at 75 to 85 F. (24-29 C.), by heating the growing bed from beneath. Keep the cutting moist by frequently misting it.
After 6 to 8 weeks, the cutting should have started to develop roots. It will probably take an additional 4 to 6 months of growth before the new plant is strong enough to be transplanted out.
Guava Cutting Propagation from Roots
Root-cutting propagation is another popular method of producing new guava trees. The roots of guava trees that grow near the surface are very prone to putting up new shoots.
Dig up and cut off a 2- to 3-inch (5-7.5 cm.) tip from one of these roots and cover it with a fine layer of rich, very moist growing medium.
After several weeks, new shoots should emerge from the soil. Each new shoot can be separated and grown into its own guava tree.
This method should only be used if you know the parent tree was grown from a cutting and not grafted onto a different rootstock. Otherwise, you might get something very different from a guava tree.
Having your very own guava tree is great. The fruits have a distinct and unmistakably tropical flavor that can brighten up any kitchen. But how do you start growing a guava tree? Keep reading to learn more about guava cutting propagation and growing guava trees from cuttings.
How to Propagate Guava Cuttings
When choosing guava cuttings, it’s best to select a healthy stem of new growth that has matured to the point of being relatively firm. Cut off the terminal 6 or 8 inches (15-20.5 cm.) of the stem. Ideally, it should have 2 to 3 nodes worth of leaves on it.
Immediately sink your cutting, cut end down, in a pot of rich, moist growing medium. For better chances of rooting, treat the tip with a rooting hormone before placing it in the growing medium.
Keep the cutting warm, ideally at 75 to 85 F. (24-29 C.), by heating the growing bed from beneath. Keep the cutting moist by frequently misting it.
After 6 to 8 weeks, the cutting should have started to develop roots. It will probably take an additional 4 to 6 months of growth before the new plant is strong enough to be transplanted out.
Guava Cutting Propagation from Roots
Root-cutting propagation is another popular method of producing new guava trees. The roots of guava trees that grow near the surface are very prone to putting up new shoots.
Dig up and cut off a 2- to 3-inch (5-7.5 cm.) tip from one of these roots and cover it with a fine layer of rich, very moist growing medium.
After several weeks, new shoots should emerge from the soil. Each new shoot can be separated and grown into its own guava tree.
This method should only be used if you know the parent tree was grown from a cutting and not grafted onto a different rootstock. Otherwise, you might get something very different from a guava tree.