Sowing Feijoa At Home

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

Feijoa is mainly grown for the fruit of the plant - large juicy oval-shaped berries. The flowers are edible, though. And in the homeland of feijoa - in Brazil - various delicacies are even prepared from petals - jams and preserves, jellies and compotes, and infusions are made. The berries have a sweet and sour taste. This is no longer a gimmick, and is sold almost everywhere. However, it is quite possible to keep such a plant at home in order to harvest your own crop

Feijoa as indoor flower

Feijoa belongs to the myrtle family. An evergreen perennial is grown in the form of a shrub or a low tree.

In the open air, the plant reaches a height of 5-6 meters. In indoor conditions, of course, it is lower.

Feijoa blooms very beautifully. And just for the sake of this, it is already worthy of taking the place of a houseplant. The flowers are medium in size, about 4 cm in diameter and collected in small inflorescences. The petals are white on the outside. And the inner surface is painted with a raspberry tint. In the center of the flower there is a dense bristle of long carmine stamens. In tropical climates, feijoa blooms almost all year round. And in our area this period falls on May-June.

Feijoa is rather picky about growing at home. The plant tolerates dry room air and lack of lighting well. It will develop well both near the eastern and opposite the western windows. But on the north side, it is better not to install the pot, because in this case the feijoa will bloom badly, or even refuse to bear fruit at all.

Reproduction of feijoa at home

Reproduction can be carried out in different ways - and cuttings, and layering, and seeds. The seeds can be harvested directly from the fruit.

Feijoa seeds are very small. They are taken out with a spoon along with the pulp and left to ferment. After this procedure, the seed is easier to separate from the pulp. It needs to be rinsed and dried. This can be done indoors, at a room temperature of about + 20 ° C.

Seeds remain viable for up to two years. But it is recommended to store them at a temperature of no more than + 5 ° C.

Sowing seeds is carried out in late winter and early spring. Shallow bowls are suitable for this. The soil mixture is prepared from humus, sod land and sand in equal parts. The soil is equalized and parallel grooves are made in it with a depth of about 0.5 cm, measuring the distance between them at least 5 cm from each other. For even distribution during sowing, the seeds are mixed with sand. The grooves are filled with this mixture. And then crush them from above with a layer of soil mixture, also about 0.5 cm thick. Crops are moistened daily by spraying. And the bowls are kept at a temperature of about + 20 ° C … + 25 ° C. Seedlings will appear after about a month.

Feijoa seedling care

When the seedlings have 2-3 pairs of true leaves, they are seated in separate pots. The soil mixture will be needed the same as for sowing seeds.

In the first few days after transplanting, the senses must be protected from direct sunlight. Within 4-6 weeks, while the seedlings take root, caring for them consists only in watering. Then they begin feeding with mineral fertilizers. You can also use organic, but in room conditions it is not very convenient.

How often to transplant feijoa

The next transplantation of plants into larger pots will take place only in a year. But for this you need a soil mixture that is slightly different in composition. It includes:

• 3 parts of sod land;

• 2 - greenhouse;

• 1 - sheet;

• 1 - sand.

Until the age of three, feijoa requires an annual transplant. And already an adult plant can change the soil every three years. The proportion of sod, greenhouse and leafy land should be increased to a ratio of 4: 3: 2. And very little sand is added. By the way, it will be useful to add a little bone meal.