I'm thinking about growing this plant as a single-stem, standard, "patio-tree". 

I would like to know sources for small, rooted cuttings of NAMED varieties.  I know about 'Edible Landscaping', 'Willis', and, the smarmy, 'Ty-Ty'.  I think they sell seedlings, which are inferior plants.  I would prefer rooted-cuttings as opposed to grafted stock.  There is a cultivar called: "UNIQUE" which is supposed to be self-fruitful, but I cannot find a USA source for this plant.

I bought some guavas in a local market.  They sucked out loud!  Hard flesh, loaded with boney pits, no flavor.  Then I watched some You-Tube videos and learned more about what is probably a delicious fruit.  Now, I want some.

Help me find plants.  Very important...do you think I even have a shot at growing this as a containerized, tree, successfully, in NYC?  It will be over-wintered in my house for the colder months.  Anybody selling some rooted cuttings?

Just asking those with more experiences with this tropical tree/fruit.

Thanks for the help.


Frank

It's a bit of a challenge to get it through the winters in cold zones, but it is doable. I had one that flowered for me but did not set fruit. It was supposed to be a self fruitful variety but I guess not. Unfortunately I left it outside too long last year and it died from the cold. Another source for you to try is One Green World. They have a great variety of odd and unusual fruiting plants, however, not so great on backing up their plants should somehing happen and it die quickly on you. 

I had some that fruited in a pot. It is partially self fertile. It needs chill hours to flower, so can't be kept indoors all winter. If he have a cold garage that would be better.

I have a couple growing in my "orchard", but I don't know what variety. I was going to try to root some this summer from cuttings. There were about a dozen blooms on one but it did not set fruit. I hear it is best to have two plants. I have also read that when they do bloom, it is best to take a very small water color brush and help polinate the blooms. I don't know about the chill hours. We had a fairly cold winter (in central Florida, what does that mean?)last year and it did not seem to help or hurt the plants.

Nothing's ever easy when you try, or, attempt to grow plants where they would never live.  That's the challenge for us all. 

Thanks for the provisos.  I may want to rethink the whole idea.  I need to move down South.  Maybe, one day....

Frank

Come on down Frank.    I grow 3 of them but not sure where you can get named varieties.   Seedlings are a lot easier to find.

I got to taste a few fruit from my plants for the 1st time this fall and I loved it. It really does have a pineapple taste, and very similar to Hardy Kiwi to me in texture and taste. They are pretty tart  but I like that. Mine are not named cultivars and surprised they have survived for me. The blooms are very tasty as well, like cotton candy melting in your mouth. I think some chefs use them in fresh salad.

Frank
I am currently growing an unknown Guava from seed, don't know how it will work.  Guava is very prevalent in the Hispanic communities and, as a suggestion, I would contact Ruben (go4broek) as he lives down in the San Antonio area and would know what may be available there.  I grew up with Guavas and love them.

Danny,
A word of caution about growing guava from seed. The catley guava and strawberry guava can be grown from seed successfully. However, the larger guavas (ie, Homestead variety, etc) will not be true from seed and it takes a very long time (5 years) to get any fruit at all. Your best bet is to find someone with a plant and airlayer a couple of limbs. I have done that this year and it was fairly easy. I have also propagated guava using stem cuttings and a misting system.

If you want to know more about my misting system, drop me a PM and will tell you about mine.

WillsC....

Today it feels like about 5 degrees out, and I can't get warm.  My house feels chilly all the time... and, I am paying the salary for one of Con-Ed's executives this year!  I've about had it with NYC, and the lousy weather.  It's time to move South.  I'd rather be hot, then go to cool off, than freezing, driving around in ice and snow, and shoveling.  Add, that I can't grow plants that I want to grow in my cool climate....so...I need to pack, and pull up stakes.  I need a little Zone-9A in my future.  : )

Thanks, all.

Frank

Hi Frank,
As a fellow Bronxite, I feel your pain.. I also pay the execs at ConEd.
Anyway for your guava you can try http://www.wellspringgardens.org.  I purchased a pomegranate and banana tree from them.  I killed the banana tree but the pomegranate lives and needs to be repotted.  Maybe you will have luck with them. 
Stay warm..

Frank, Bay Flora carries them.  I have about 8 of them in my yard, unknown varieites, and they are very good.  We make Guavaritas with them :-)   They make very lovely ornamental shrubs in my area.  They prefer to grow as a bush, but you could certainly prune to a tree if you prefer.

http://www.bayflora.com/pineappleguava.html

I discussed feijoa with Bass recently and suggested that he give some seedlings a try.  All named varieties originated as seedlings.  But the seedling source is very important.  Mark Albert of Ukian, California has planted maybe about 100 seedlings and the fruit from nearly all of them is very good and he's named many of these and I've purchased grafted plants of a few of these and am also growing a seedling tree I purchased from him.  They are all good while fruit from my Nazemetz is larger but inferior in taste.  One thing I've noticed is that I generally find the fruit of smoothed-skin varieties to be tastier than the ones with rough skin.  Mark's top selections are propagated by a small nursery via grafting but they don't ship feijoa, unfortunately.  I know of a junior college which has propagated some feijoa, perhaps some of Mark's, via rooted cuttings.  The instructor and I have chatted and I might work with them one of these days to propagate some of my collection via this method but that is a ways off.  Oh yeah, a nursery down in the San Diego area, Bonita Creek Nursery is where I purchased a seedling of a feijoa they have named 'Genesis'.  It is a nice seedling variety.  I believe they ship.  I have 10 or so varieties.

Frank
Zone 9???, LOL the humidity would soon make you wish for zone 7.  Come on down, I would bet that Dallas would provide any amount extra piano income you would ever want, No state income taxes and a hell of a lot better on rights of property owners, especially in the home defense area.

I've grown pineapple and strawberry guavas and they taste great off the bush.  I leave them in a S window.  I had to leave them behind in a move.  I liked the strawberry better.  Smaller fruit but better taste, more prolific, fewer rocks (seeds).

Bob, pineapple guava or feijoa, have seeds that are very tiny and I don't even notice them.  Certainly less so than figs.  Are you possibly thinking of tropical guavas?

I don't know how critical chill hours (hours below 45F) actually are for feijoa.  CRFG President Magaret Frane grows about 30 varieties in Santa Monica, CA which had 54-71 chill hours in 3 of 5 years (over 100 in the other 2 years) and she had good cropping.  In the book Fruits & Nuts by Susanna Lyle I read that 75 hours are needed for good production.

I was going to post the same. Sounds like Frank ate true Guavas at the market (hard seeds) and then looked up pineapple guavas on the internet. Two different fruit. Pineapple Guava have no hard seeds. True Guavas, Strawberry/Yellow Guavas, and Pineapple Guavas all do well in containers though... and that is the order of least to most hardy as I've listed them (not that it matters in NYC, but here in San Jose my true guavas got some damage on them this year, the other kinds are fine.)

Guava (Psidium) is not the same as Pineapple guava (Feijoa).  Sometimes common name will get people confused.  

Here are some good selection for Pineapple guava: http://www.onegreenworld.com/Pineapple%20Guava/363/

Thanks everyone for walking me through the ins, and, outs of my Feijoa quest.  You have given me some "fruitful" leads.  I will be contacting some of the nurseries that you suggest.  By the way, I contacted "ONE GREEN WORLD" and they told me that all their named varieties are grown from rooted cuttings, and not from grafts.  Thanks good to know.  I like plants that are grown on their own roots.

Nice to know that if I relocate my prodigious butt down South to the warmer climes, I will have some partners-in-crime to look up, and maybe visit.  I like chewin' the fat about figs and other "exotic" vegetation.

So long for now....I got some research to do.


Frank

I love pineapple guavas. They are often used as landscaping ornamentals around here. Some have lots of fruits and others do not seem to, even the same year and environment. Probably genetic variability.

I love to get the just ripe ones - you can tell by feel and fragrance - slice them in half, and eat them with a spoon. Exceptional good taste. And no seeds of notice.

We had the smaller red strawberry guavas growing up. Nice taste, but the hard seeds were a b****. These made good jelly however.

They are very ornamental, the flower petals are edible, probably the best edible flower I have tried (very sweet). They are ripe when the fall from the bush/tree

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/feijoa.html

Just a additional note: 

Now, more than before, I would like to try growing these Pineapple Guavas.  I must have bought some crappy fruit labeled "Guava".  The fruit was hard, greenish-yellow, about the size of an egg, and had zero taste.  The pits were ridiculous, and reminded me of aquarium grit.  Truly disgusting...and, food for swine.  The 'Real McCoy' (Pineapple Guava) sounds much better.  A possible rival for the beloved figs??  Probably not.

I may just take the next step and order a treelet.  Too cold to ship now.  Boo-Hoo.  Is it Spring yet?

Frank

Frank,

I will allow you to move to Florida but it will cost you a few fig cuttings:)   You can't go wrong with the pineapple guavas they are very good.  

Well, all I know is what the tag said. I bought it from Guerney's or a similar outfit. Someday I will again have some kind of 'guava' but I'll get it from a reliable place :)

Frank, you want to get the NAZEMETZ variety of feijoa if you can get your hand on it.  Definitely superior in taste.  I have a hedgerow of them.  PM me if you want some cuttings.