GrowSabzHow to grow guava in pots
Also called amrood, jamfal, goiaba, guayaba · Psidium guajava
امرود
- ☀️ Sunlight
- 6–8hours daily
- 💧 Water
- 7.5 Levery 3 days, 50 L pot
- 🌡️ Ideal temp
- 20–30°C
- 🪴 Min pot
- 50 L45 cm deep
- 🧺 Harvest
- 90–150days from sowing
- ⚖️ Yield
- 15 kgper 20 L pot
Guava is a long game. From seed it takes 3-8 years before you see a harvest, which is why most growers start from a nursery plant. Container growing is entirely possible, but the container has to be sized for a plant that will live in it for years.
Short answer
Grow guava in a 50 litre container at least 45 cm deep, watering about 1000 ml per 10 litres of soil every 3 days, and keep temperatures between 20 and 30 °C. First harvest comes 90–150 days after sowing.
Where to plant it
What size pot does guava need?
50 litres and 45 cm deep is the realistic minimum for a single plant. Pick a container below to see what changes.
| Container | Minimum size | Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pot | 50 L | 45 cm | Requires a very large pot with excellent drainage for long-term growth. |
| Grow bag | 50 L | 45 cm | Fabric bags promote air pruning and good drainage. |
| Open ground | — | 60 cm | Requires well-drained soil and ample space for root development. |
| Raised bed | 100 L | 60 cm | Ensure sufficient depth for taproot and good drainage. |
Watering
How often should you water guava?
Every 3 days through the growing season, at about 1000 ml per 10 litres of soil — daily in hot weather, every 5 days when it turns cool. Water in the early morning. Drip irrigation or deep root watering works best.
Too little water
- wilting leaves
- leaf drop
- fruit drop
- stunted growth
Too much water
- yellowing leaves
- leaf drop
- root rot
- stunted growth
Avoid: standing water; shallow frequent watering; waterlogging.
Climate
Can you grow guava where you live?
No hardiness zone needed — compare your actual temperatures against the plant's own limits.
| Ideal range | 20 – 30 °C |
|---|---|
| Survives | 0 – 40 °C |
| Germinates above | 20 °C — best at 25 °C, about 30 days |
| Flowers drop | above 38 °C, or below 5 °C |
| Sunlight | 6–12 hrs/day, best 8 |
| Frost | Medium High sensitivity |
The flower-drop thresholds matter more than the survival ones. A plant can be perfectly alive at 40 °C and still give you nothing.
How cold is too cold for guava? Check your temperaturesEnter your night low and day high — see if it survives, and if it will cropTimeline
Guava growing stages, day by day
Click any stage to see what's happening. Durations shift with temperature — a warm season runs roughly a quarter faster than a cool one.
Feeding
Fertiliser schedule for guava
Feed on the interval below, changing what you give as the plant shifts from making leaves to making fruit.
| Stage | What to use | Per 10 L | Every |
|---|
How to prepare each feed
Common mistakes
Why guava fails, and how to avoid it
- A container that is too small
Below 50 litres the root run is too shallow. The plant grows, flowers late, and drops whatever it sets because it cannot support the crop.
- Watering too lightly
A daily splash wets the top few centimetres and nothing else. Guava wants about 1000 ml per 10 litres of soil — one deep soak beats three shallow ones.
- Ignoring the flower-drop threshold
Above 38 °C, or below 5 °C, flowers fall before setting. The plant can look perfectly healthy and still give you nothing — shade it through the hottest hours.
- Harvesting too late
Left too long the colour changes, seeds harden and the flavour sharpens. Pick on the signs listed below, not on the calendar.
- Planting it beside Fennel
Produces substances from its roots that can inhibit the growth of many plants, including guava.
Companions
What to plant with guava
Good neighbours
Roots release compounds that deter nematodes, a common pest for guava roots, improving tree health.
Acts as a trap crop for aphids and other sap-sucking pests, diverting them from the guava tree.
Deep roots draw up nutrients from the subsoil, making them available to the guava tree when used as a chop-and-drop mulch.
Its strong aroma can deter some common pests and attract beneficial pollinators to the area.
Fix nitrogen in the soil, enriching it and reducing the need for external nitrogen fertilizers for the guava tree.
Keep apart from
Produces substances from its roots that can inhibit the growth of many plants, including guava.
Releases juglone, a chemical toxic to many plants, potentially harming guava trees if planted too close.
Highly competitive for water and nutrients, and its allelopathic compounds can inhibit the growth of nearby plants.
Problems
Guava pests and diseases
Each lists the weather that brings it on, so you know when to start checking rather than reacting once it's established.
Guava Wilt humidity any · temp 25-30
Caused by Fusarium oxysporum, leads to yellowing of leaves, wilting, and eventual death of the tree. No effective chemical control, focus on resistant varieties and soil health.
Anthracnose humidity >80% · temp 20-28
Causes dark, sunken spots on fruits, leaves, and flowers. Can lead to fruit rot and significant yield loss, especially in humid conditions.
Fruit Flies humidity any · temp >25
Female flies lay eggs in developing fruits, leading to maggot infestation and fruit decay. Use traps, bagging fruits, and sanitation.
Mealybugs humidity any · temp 20-30
Small, white, cottony insects that cluster on stems, leaves, and fruits, sucking sap and weakening the plant. Can cause sooty mold.
Aphids humidity any · temp 15-25
Tiny, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new growth, sucking sap and causing distorted leaves. Secrete honeydew, leading to sooty mold.
Scale Insects humidity any · temp 20-30
Small, immobile insects that attach to stems and leaves, covered by a waxy shell. They suck sap, causing yellowing and leaf drop.
Powdery Mildew humidity 50-70% · temp 20-27
White, powdery patches appear on leaves and young shoots. Can stunt growth and reduce fruit quality.
Nematodes humidity any · temp 20-30
Microscopic roundworms that attack roots, causing galls or lesions, leading to stunted growth, yellowing, and reduced yield. Improve soil organic matter.
Harvest
When to harvest guava
First picking falls between day 90 and day 150, and the plant then keeps producing for about 60 days. Pick often — what you leave on the plant signals it to stop making more.
How to tell it's ready
- Skin color changes from green to yellow or pinkish-yellow
- Fruit softens slightly when gently squeezed
- Emits a strong, sweet, characteristic guava aroma
- Easily separates from the branch with a gentle twist
How much to expect
Storing it: Ripe guavas can be stored in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Unripe guavas can be left at room temperature to ripen.
Questions
Guava: common questions
How long does guava take to grow?
About 730 days from sowing to the first harvest, with picking usually starting between day 90 and day 150. It then keeps producing for roughly 60 more days. Warm weather pulls that forward; cool weather pushes it back.
What size pot does guava need?
At least 50 litres and 45 cm deep for one plant. A raised bed wants 100 litres of soil and 60 cm of depth.
How often should I water guava?
About 1000 ml per 10 litres of soil, every 3 days in normal weather — daily when it is hot and every 5 days when cool. Water in the early morning.
What temperature does guava need?
It does best between 20 °C and 30 °C and survives from 0 °C to 40 °C. Seed needs soil above 20 °C to germinate, ideally around 25 °C.
Can I grow guava in winter?
It tolerates cold better than most, down to about 0 °C, so a sheltered spot or a cold frame will often carry it through.
How do I know when guava is ready to harvest?
Skin color changes from green to yellow or pinkish-yellow; Fruit softens slightly when gently squeezed; Emits a strong, sweet, characteristic guava aroma; Easily separates from the branch with a gentle twist. Once picked: ripe guavas can be stored in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. unripe guavas can be left at room temperature to ripen.
How much does one guava plant produce?
Roughly 15 kg from a 20 litre container, or about 70 kg in open ground. Larger containers give proportionally more, up to a point.