Feijoa is a hardy tree that produces an unusual tasting fruit at a time when few other fruit bearing trees have ripe fruit on them. It is resistant to wind damage so makes an excellent wind break.
Feijoa sellowiana is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It is a slow growing evergreen tree that can grow two to five metres high and almost as wide. The leaves are thick and leathery with a shiny green colour on top and silvery underneath. It produces bright red flowers in early Summer and the fruit ripen from late Autumn to early Winter. The fruit is about the size of a small chicken egg. It has a sweet, aromatic flavour, which tastes like fruit salad. The flesh is juicy and is divided into a clear, gelatinous seed pulp and a firmer, slightly granular, opaque flesh nearer the skin. The seeds are small and soft, making them easy to digest.
It is native to the highlands of southern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina, and Colombia.
Plant information summary
- CLIMATE SUITABILITY
Grows best in warm temperate to sub-tropical climates but can tolerate cold temperate climates with protection. Grows well in Ballarat’s climate. - HEIGHT WHEN ESTABLISHED
2 to 5 metres. But can be contained by pruning. - FROST TOLERANCE
Hardy. - POLLINATION
Some varieties are self-pollinating but others are not. Best to grow at least two trees to ensure proper pollination. Grafted varieties are more likely to bear a good crop than non-grafted varieties. - LEAF GROWTH
Evergreen. - SUITABILITY FOR POTS
Yes. 35 litre + pots. - SUNLIGHT REQUIREMENT
Full (80%-100%). - TIME TO FRUIT AND FLOWER
4 to 5 years. - HARVEST MONTHS
April to June. - WATER REQUIREMENTS
Moderate. - PREFERRED SOIL TYPE
Good Drainage. Soil pH: Neutral (6.6 to 7.3).
Feijoas will grow in a wide variety of soils but will do better if the ground is well drained. Plant as you would for citrus trees though they do not need to be placed on a mound for extra drainage. See PLANTING CITRUS TREES for details.
Pruning is generally not required, though a light prune just after harvesting will encourage new growth for the next season. When planted close together Feijoas can be pruned into a hedge or used as a wind break.
While Feijoas will tolerate quite dry conditions crop yields will be improved with irrigation. They don’t need fertiliser to produce a good crop but adding some well-rotted down manure or slow release fertiliser will improve the yield.
- FEED ANNUALLY IN SPRING
Feed a controlled-release fertiliser or well rotted animal manure. - APPLY LIQUID FERTILISER
Liquid organic or seaweed-based liquid products can also be used but only applied at the root zone. Avoid applying liquid fertilser through the foliage as they can react badly to this.
- THE BEST TIME TO PRUNE IS AFTER THE FRUITING HAS FINISHED
- REGULAR TIP PRUNING WILL KEEP THE PLANT DENSE AND BUSHY
Feijoas can be pruned to form a hedge. OLDER TREES BENEFIT FROM ANNUALLY REMOVING OLDER WOOD
Feijoa trees are very resistant to pests and diseases. Birds do sometimes eat the fruit, but usually covering the tree with bird netting is not required.
They are sometimes troubled by wax scales, but not to the extent that wax scales can infest citrus trees. Queensland fruit fly will infest the fruit of feijoa trees,
My two feijoa trees have done extremely well in Ballarat’s climate (Cool mountainous zone). I give them minimal water, yet they consistently produce a heavy crop of good sized feijoas. One of my Feijoas is regularly pruned to a bush shape but the one left as a tree gets very little pruning. I usually do not water or fertilise my feijoa trees yet they still produce well.
Some harvested ripe fruit showing how big they can get. The fruit falls to the ground when ripe, but it may be picked from the tree prior to falling to prevent bruising.
A feijoa that has been halved and quartered to show the interior of the fruit. The flesh is juicy and is divided into a clear, gelatinous seed pulp and a firmer, slightly granular, opaque flesh nearer the skin.
One problem with feijoa trees is that the harvest is short and intense. Our two trees produce way more fruit than can be eaten or preserved. While we use as much of the fruit as we can and give away a lot more there is usually a large unharvested windfall each season, as seen in this photo.
ADVANTAGES SUMMARY
ADVANTAGES
- Very hardy.
- Produces fruit when no other ripe fruit is available.
- Resilient to pest attack and diseases.
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Makes an excellent hedge row.
DISADVANTAGES SUMMARY
DISADVANTAGES
- The harvest season is short and the crop heavy, often resulting in an excess of fruit.
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The excessive fruit windfall has the potential to attract rats.
