Planting Feijoa Trees.

Posted by Arianan Osborne on January 18, 2011 at 3:05am

I'm currently rediscovering my love of gardening, and while i was digging up the old plot i realised that our feijoa tree looked quite miserable. 

I've heard that feijoa trees cross-pollinate, and that you need both male and female trees. Is this true? And if it is, how can you tell whether your existing tree is a male or a female?

Thanks :)

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Replies

  • David Bell January 21, 2011 at 1:57am

    If you do not mind a wait, feijoas grow very easily from seed. It takes about 6 years to start bearing fruit.  There is a massive variation in fruit in size, flavour, even texture, but there are sufficient good ones to be worth it in a hedge. Plant out at about 1.5 meters (5 feet apart).

     

    I wanted to grow, so went to the supermarket in season, bought the biggest on the shelf, kept and planted the seeds, ate the fruit, got 72 plants.

     

    And, yes, they like another (preferably different) tree for pollination, although some varieties do not need it.

  • Kali January 18, 2011 at 3:15am
    I don't think the trees are male and female, it is just that they are not self-fertile so need another tree around to successfully pollinate. (birds do the honours I believe) if you get it a mate I recommend buying a named variety which is grafted, not a seedling, they fruit more reliably.
    • Richard Watson > Kali January 18, 2011 at 10:05am
      You are mostly right Kali, but some are in fact self fertile, its best to get a range of different types that all flower at the same time,also Its a matter of knowing what the climate is like to whether you need early or late maturing varieties 
    • Arianan Osborne > Kali January 18, 2011 at 3:24am

      Thanks!

      Another question, how do you know whether it is grafted and not a seedling? Should the people at the shop tell me?

      :)

       

    • Nicholas Kiely > Arianan Osborne January 18, 2011 at 6:25am
      If its a named variety its usually a grafted plant, also grafts are rarely clean joins so you should be able to see a join of some sort close to the base.
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