Tasty, tropical guava is a farmer’s market favorite in warm climate zones. Learn how to grow this treat of a tree with Florida gardener Melissa Strauss. If you want a tropical fruit tree that matures quickly and produces lots of sweet, juicy fruit, ‘Barbie Pink’ guava fits the bill. Maturing in as few as eight years, this fruit tree can live for 40 years or more. These long-lived trees are great for growing in the ground in warm climates, but they also thrive in containers. Let’s learn how to grow these attractive, tasty fruits. What Is It? Legend has it that guavas were once considered an inedible fruit. A kind young boy who wanted to feed a beggar prayed to the gods to make the fruit edible. The gods, impressed by his kindness, transformed the fruit into the sweet, tart, and tangy delicacy we know and love today. ‘Barbie Pink’ is a beautiful, evergreen variety of guava tree that produces sweet and tangy fruits with vibrant, pink flesh. It grows beautifully in warm climate gardens. In cooler climates, you can also keep this tree in a large container as a patio tree. It’s a low-maintenance, sturdy tree that will bear fruit early, and plentifully. Cultivated for as long as 5,000 years, guavas were first domesticated in Peru. Impressed with the delicious fruits, explorers from Spain and Portugal brought the tree to the West Indies and Florida. They traveled across the ocean with their tropical treasure, which led to its introduction in Asia and India. Growing up in South Florida, I can scarcely remember a trip to Miami that didn’t include a Cuban coffee and a guava and cream cheese pastry. If you’ve never tasted one, they are as delicious as they sound and worth every calorie. Characteristics This evergreen tree is popular in tropical climates as an attractive member of ornamental landscapes. However, delicious fruits are the main reason for planting them. Guava trees can grow up to 20 feet tall, but generally, we prune them to keep them compact and easier to harvest from. Prune them to 10-15 feet, and they will spread nearly as wide as they are tall. Light brown, mottled bark covers the sturdy trunk of this shrubby evergreen. The leaves are large, ovate, and deep, glossy green. In spring, attractive white blossoms have a scent similar to the fruits. The guavas mature from green to yellow when ripe, and have a strong, wonderful aroma. Inside is the prettiest pink flesh dotted with tender, edible seeds. The fruit is a rich source of nutrients, including fiber, potassium, folate, and B vitamins, but packs the greatest punch of vitamin C. The seeds are also fiber-rich and full of antioxidants, making them a digestive powerhouse. Native Area Pink and red guavas are native predominantly to Mexico and tropical America. ‘Barbie Pink’ is a variety bred in Florida. These plants make the invasive list in South Florida but are perfectly fine to grow in Central Florida. Elsewhere, they are not invasive. Grow in Florida with care, and make sure to harvest the fruit. Do not allow it to re-seed. Planting The ideal time to plant your guava is in summer. June or July are the best months. To grow it in a container, timing is not important, just make sure to bring it indoors for the winter. Guava trees like loose soil in which to establish their roots. To plant this tree, dig a hole that is three to four times the diameter of the root ball and three times as deep. This may seem excessive, but it will pay off. Loosening the soil this way will allow for fast and healthy root development. Backfill the hole so that when you position your plant, the root ball is level with the surrounding earth. Position the plant in the hole and backfill around it. No need to amend the soil in most cases. Tap down the soil and water your tree thoroughly. Guava trees have roots that can be aggressive and extend beyond the drip line. They can send up shoots farther than you might expect when planted in loose soil. Make sure to plant far enough away from any buildings or structures, and give them space from other trees, as well.

If you dream of growing a pomegranate but live in a cold climate, you can still grow these juicy fruits at home. All you have to do is plant them in a container! Join farmer Briana Yablonski to learn how to successfully grow pomegranates in pots. Have you ever thought of growing a pomegranate at home? While these unique, aril-filled fruits may seem impossible to produce at home, they’re actually quite easy to grow. However, gardeners in cold climates often remove pomegranates from their plant wish list when they realize they can’t survive cold temperatures. However, before you assume below-zero temperatures mean you can’t grow these plants at home, note that you can grow them in containers! Planting the trees in pots allows you to move them indoors during the winter to protect them from cold. Plus, containers make moving your pomegranate from one home to the next easy. Much of the care for potted plants is similar to in-ground pomegranates. However, you also need to be aware of factors like the ideal container size and potting soil, as well as differences in water requirements. Following these steps will help you grow a healthy pomegranate tree in a container. Select a Large Container Although pomegranate trees can happily grow in pots, they won’t grow well in small containers. The plants may survive for a year or two, but they’ll experience stunted growth and a lack of flowers. Therefore, it’s important to select a pot that gives the roots room to expand and flourish. While you may be tempted to choose a smaller container and repot your plant as it grows, it’s better to start with a big container. Repotting is an inherently stressful process, so it’s best to avoid it if you can. Plus, why purchase three different sizes of pots when you can get away with buying just one? Look for a container that’s at least 10 gallons. The container material isn’t too important, and plastic, terra cotta, and glazed ceramic can all work well. However, before you select a container, make sure the bottom contains drainage holes. If you live in hardiness zone 7 and below, you should plan on moving your pomegranate to a protected area during the winter. However, this is often easier than it sounds! When you start with a 50-pound ceramic container and fill it with potting mix, your potted pomegranate can easily weigh over a hundred pounds! Choosing a lighter container or placing the pot on wheels can make moving your plant more manageable. Fill With a Well-Draining Potting Mix After you’ve found a suitable container, it’s time to fill it with soil. You shouldn’t use native soil since this can lead to issues with drainage. However, you should also stay away from seed-starting mixes and those designed for vegetative houseplants. Instead, look for a specially formulated potting mix designed for trees and shrubs. These mixes are similar to those that work well for raised beds. Good mixes often contain nutrient-rich compost, peat moss or coco coir, and drainage materials like perlite, sand, or pine bark fines. Once you have a suitable mix, I recommend pouring it out into a large container and thoroughly mixing it with a shovel or your hands. Store-bought mixes often contain large clumps of peat moss or compost, and a good stir ensures a homogeneous mixture. Slowly add water as you mix until it is slightly moist but not damp. Add Your Plant to the Container Fill your container about two-thirds of the way with the potting mix. Remove your pomegranate tree from its current container and gently shake off any loose soil from the plant’s roots. You should also inspect the roots and remove any rotten or discolored portions. Place the plant in the new container so the top of the plant’s root ball is even with the soil line. Avoid burying it too deep since this can lead to problems with rot and growth. Once the plant is in the right place, add more fresh potting soil to fill in the remaining empty spaces. Gently compact the soil with your hands to remove any air pockets. Finally, slowly add water until it is moist. If the soil lowers after you add water, add more to ensure there’s an even layer in the container. Place in a Suitable Location After your pomegranate tree is tucked into its container, it’s time to place it in a location where it receives the proper amount of light. These plants require at least six hours of daily light, but they prefer much more. If they don’t receive enough light, they may become weak and stunted and/or fail to produce flowers and fruit. If your plant is outdoors, choose an open area with full sun. Alternatively, you can place the container on the south-facing side of a building, hedge, or fence. Indoor plants should also receive at least six hours of light, so choose a bright area. Typically, the area next to a south-facing window works well. However, you can also place the potted plant in a sunroom or other room with lots of windows. If you don’t have a bright enough area, use a grow light to provide supplemental lighting. Water Regularly You may have heard that pomegranates trees are drought-tolerant, and while this is true, they can’t survive long periods in a container without water. The best way to keep these plants happy is to allow the soil to dry out slightly, but not all the way, between waterings. When irrigating, it’s important to remember the difference in water needs between potted and in-ground plants. Since the sides of the container are exposed to the air, the soil heats up quicker, and water evaporates faster. Therefore, you’ll need to water your potted plants more often than those growing in the ground. The frequency you need to water your plants depends on factors including sun exposure, temperature, soil type, and container material. However, a good starting point is to water your potted pomegranate one to two times per week. Checking the soil with your fingers is a good way to determine whether or not you should water your plant more often. When the top three to four inches of soil is dry, you should water again. When you irrigate, water slowly to thoroughly soak all of the soil. You can water by hand with a hose or watering can, or you can set up drippers on a timer. Try to keep the foliage dry to prevent fungal diseases. Fertilize Regularly But Sparingly Pomegranate trees aren’t heavy feeders, so you don’t have to supply them with a large dose of fertilizer to keep them happy in a container. However, if you skip fertilizing entirely, the plants will begin to show signs of nutrient deficiencies. This is especially true with potted plants. If you use a nutrient-rich potting mix, you shouldn’t have to fertilize your plant in the first year. However, plan to start adding a balanced fertilizer in year two. An appropriate fertilizer will have an equal amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, so look for a product with an NPK ratio like 8-8-8 or 10-10-10. Add the fertilizer to your plant once per year in the late spring or early summer. Most organic fertilizers slowly release their nutrients over time, so a single annual application is enough to keep your plant happy. Avoid applying too much fertilizer since excess nutrients can be just as big of an issue as too few nutrients. Keep An Eye on the Temperature Pomegranate plants are more cold-hardy than many people think, but they still can’t tolerate extreme cold. Most pomegranate varieties grow best in zones 8-11 and will become damaged if exposed to temperatures below 10°F (-12°C). Therefore, you should aim to move your plant to a protected area once the temperature begins to drop below freezing. Fortunately, most pomegranates don’t require many chilling hours to produce fruit. That means you can bring the plants indoors during the fall without worrying about a lack of cold interfering with their fruit production. If you bring your plants indoors, you can place them in either a cool area like a covered porch or garage or a warm area like your living room. However, unless you’re dealing with a snap freeze, you should avoid moving them from a cold area immediately to a warm area. Instead, let them slowly acclimate to their new home by gradually increasing the time they spend in a warm place. When the danger of frost has disappeared in the spring, you can move the plants back outdoors. Aim to move them outdoors for a few hours one day, then a few more hours the next day. This slow introduction will help the plants adapt to the cooler air and brighter light.

Would you like to grow your own fig tree but don’t know where to start? ‘Brown Turkey’ figs are easy to grow and incredibly prolific. Within a few years after planting a young edible fig tree, you’ll be harvesting a tantalizingly tasty crop of sweet, delicious fruits. In this article, gardening expert Liessa Bowen introduces the ‘Brown Turkey’ fig and how to grow your own. The ‘Brown Turkey’ fig (Ficus carica ‘Brown Turkey’) is a member of the mulberry family (Moraceae). There are hundreds of different edible fig cultivars and ‘Brown Turkey’ is one of the most readily available for gardeners. As long as you can provide the right growing conditions, these are remarkably easy fruit trees to grow! Figs are fast-growing deciduous trees originating in the Mediterranean region. Edible fig trees prefer warmer climates and are well-adapted to survive mild winter weather. If you live in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6-9, you should have no problem growing fig trees! They will, however, require some extra winter protection in cooler zones. Perhaps the best reason to grow a fig tree is because you like to eat figs, although there are many other benefits to growing edible figs. Fig trees are beautiful and make a very appealing addition to your landscape. They have a compact, rounded form, and the thick, smooth, bare branches remain attractive in the winter months. These trees also provide food and shelter for wildlife, making them a good choice for a bird-friendly garden. Let’s dig right in so you’ll know what a ‘Brown Turkey’ fig tree needs to thrive and how you can start growing your own harvest of tasty fruits. Plant Natural History Edible figs (Ficus carica), also known as common figs, are members of the mulberry family (Moraceae). This family has over one thousand different, naturally occurring species from around the world. The genus Ficus encompasses a very diverse group of fig trees, including a wide assortment of vines, trees, and shrubs, most of which grow in tropical and temperate climates. Edible figs are known for their sweet, tender, juicy fruits. Edible figs are native to the Mediterranean region of Europe and parts of Asia. In their natural habitat, edible figs live in mild and warm climates. They enjoy fully exposed, sunny locations with well-drained soil. They grow in open grasslands and rugged, rocky exposures. These plants have a fascinating history. Ancient civilizations cultivated and enjoyed them as a staple food source. The fruits are tasty, easy to grow, and prolific, making them quite desirable for cultivation. Breeders have introduced hundreds of different edible fig cultivars for commercial, private, and ornamental uses. The ‘Brown Turkey’ fig is one of the most popular cultivars. Wild figs evolved a special relationship with the fig wasp, a uniquely adapted pollinator. Fortunately for fig-growing enthusiasts, most commercially available fig varieties are self-fertile and will produce plenty of fruits without a need for cross-pollination or any specific pollinator. Characteristics The ‘Brown Turkey’ fig is a woody, deciduous shrub or small tree. It has smooth, light gray bark, a thick main trunk, and many smaller branches. These fast-growing trees can reach a total of 10-30 feet tall. ‘Brown Turkey’ figs have large, broad, palmate leaves that typically measure around six inches across. Each leaf has three to five large lobes with tiny, rough hairs. These leaf hairs can cause minor skin irritation for some people. The leaves and stems contain a milky white sap, which can cause contact dermatitis in some people. Wear long sleeves and garden gloves when working with these trees, especially when harvesting fruits and pruning. Wash your hands after harvesting your figs to rinse any remaining residues from your skin. Edible fig flowers are very unusual. They are inverted and form inside a hollow fruit-like form. So don’t be surprised if you never see your fig tree in bloom. The flowers simply look like tiny firm green fruits. The fruits start small, dark green, and very hard. As they mature, they grow larger but stay green and firm. Just before maturity, they suddenly grow a little larger and blush into their mature skin coloration. Ripe ‘Brown Turkey’ figs turn dark maroon-brown on the outside. The skin of a mature fig is extremely soft and doesn’t need peeling before eating. The inner flesh is amber-maroon in color with a soft, juicy texture. The sweet flavor is sugary or berry-like. ‘Brown Turkey’ fig trees produce two crops of fruits each year. The early crop is known as the breba crop and is typically less prolific than the later main crop. The early breba crop ripens in late spring or early summer, and the main crop ripens in late summer. Propagation Many trees are a bit tricky to propagate but you can easily propagate a fig tree with a stem cutting. There are other methods to propagate figs, such as grafting and root suckers, but cuttings are the quickest and easiest, especially if you already have a mature fig tree.