Feijoa: Indoor Sowing

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Feijoa fruits on sale are not a gimmick for a long time. But this exotic berry is not cheap, and very large fruits rarely hit the shelves. If you are a big fan of these healthy juicy bright green berries, consider planting feijoa indoors. When propagated by seeds, the tree will begin to bear fruit after at least 4 years. In this case, the fruits can reach 70-90 g

Features of the structure and fruiting of feijoa

Feijoa is an unusual evergreen plant. And besides the fruit, which is very useful for health, it has a high aesthetic value. On the tree, beautiful oval leaves of a rich green color are formed of the correct shape. And during the flowering period, the branches are strewn with a mass of flowers with petals of white, pink, purple hues. By the way, they are also edible. They can be eaten raw or used in cooking for recipes for original desserts, preserves, jams, drinks. The stamens of feijoa flowers are worthy of special mention with regard to decorative properties. Long, fluffy, of a coral shade with a contrasting light color with anthers, they protrude beyond the borders of the wreath of petals as a bright spot against the background of a dense mass of green foliage.

In nature, feijoa trees reach a height of 5-6 m. In indoor conditions, with careful pruning, the height is maintained within 2 m. The formation of buds occurs on young twigs of annual shoots.

Collecting and sowing feijoa seeds

There are a lot of ways to reproduce feijoa: vegetatively - by cuttings, layering, grafting, and also by seeds. The latter is the most convenient at home.

Seed material is easy to collect with your own hands from ripe fruits. They are taken out of the berries with pulp and left to ferment in the fresh air. The seeds are then washed and allowed to dry at room temperature. Excellent germination is maintained for two years.

Sowing is carried out in a nutritious soil mixture of equal parts of humus, sand and sod land. Feijoa seeds are miniature in size, therefore, for a more even distribution in the nursery, they are recommended to be mixed with sand. Sowing is done in grooves to a depth of approximately 0.5 cm. The row spacing is left about 5 cm.

Containers with crops are kept at a temperature of + 20 … + 25 degrees C. Care consists in daily moistening of the soil by spraying.

Feijoa care in the apartment

The emergence of seedlings can be expected in a month. The pick is started when the first four leaves are formed. A month after transplanting and rooting, they begin to feed the plants. Alternate solutions of mineral and organic compounds.

In the first 3 years, young plants are transplanted into a fresh substrate annually. To do this, use the following soil mixture:

• turf soil - 3 parts;

• greenhouse - 2 parts;

• hardwood - 1 part;

• sand - 1 part.

The transplant of a grown tree is done less often - once every 2-3 years. The following substrate is prepared for him:

• turf soil - 4 parts;

• greenhouse - 3 parts;

• deciduous - part 2.

Very little sand is added.

The flowering period lasts from May to June for about 4-5 weeks. To achieve this, it is necessary to maintain the temperature within + 20 … + 24 degrees C. In the summer, in addition to feeding (once every 10 days), it is useful to spray feijoa leaves from time to time. In winter, the temperature of the content should be reduced to + 10 … + 12 degrees C.

Formative pruning is carried out from late February to early March. Seedlings about 30 cm high are cut to a third of the length. From this point on, the plant will start branching. Pruning is done above the bud.

The place for the feijoa pot can be allocated both in a well-lit corner and in partial shade. According to experts, in the first case, the fruits are distinguished by higher taste. But you will also need to water the tree more often. Farther away from light, moisture evaporates more slowly from the soil.