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Feijoa

Started by peanuts, July 22, 2013, 13:38:42

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peanuts

I started off a feijoa from seed four years ago, and it has slowly grown bigger, although damaged last year with high winds and storms.  However last year it did have a few flowers which came to nothing.  But this year there have been lots of flowers.  I'd read that they are difficult to pollinate, needing   birds or big insects.  But  I'm looking at the bits that are left every day (don't know the correct botanical term!) and they are still there, green and looking as if they might just stay and grow.  I just love the fruit, extraordinary and exotic flavour.
And the flower is so beautiful:

peanuts


Squash64

That looks beautiful!  Did you grow it from a seed saved from a fruit you bought?

I've never heard of Feijoa before so I googled it and found a very interesting blog
http://feijoafeijoa.wordpress.com/about/

I'll look out for them in the shops here.
Betty
Walsall Road Allotments
Birmingham



allotment website:-
www.growit.btck.co.uk

caroline7758

They were everywhere when we were in New Zealand last year. Tasted a bit like a fig, I thought.

peanuts

Yes I grew it from a seed from a fruit grown here in SW France.  Someone who runs a local market stall has a bush in their garden, and sells them on the stall when there is a good year.  We first came across them in NZ, and  I just loved their flavour which is complex and interesting, although nothing like a fresh fig in my view!!
I haven't seen them for sale in UK though.

Vinlander

You really must try eating the petals when they lose their toughness and before they go limp.

At this point they have a flavour and texture exactly like marshmallow!

This is how the birds pollinate them - when the first commercial growers scared off the birds they got no fruit - so even more reason to do it yourself or tempt the local kids to do it for you.

You are very lucky to get prolific fruiting from a seedling - they are notorious for being shy - in fact nearly all the 'florist' versions you buy in the garden centre are useless.

You would have to be even luckier to get a self-fertile bush - they are very very rare - so you will need another non-shy bush nearby.

The best strategy (quicker than trying another seed and much better than risking someone else's seedling at an inflated price) is to buy a named grafted clone from a specialist fruit supplier - there is absolutely no point buying a seedling from ebay or any site that is trying to get you to "buy this pretty flower".

Bear in mind that the more professional suppliers may call it Acca (Feijoa has been overruled by the picky police).

There are also self-fertile clones that are well worth having and do even better next to each other - I have two called 'Unique' and 'Appollo' (sic). I can't remember any of the self-sterile ones (that have other advantages) but I remember 'Coolidge' is supposed to have huge fruit.

Unfortunately a quick search didn't reveal any suppliers offering grafted plants but have a go yourself. 'Reads of Norwich' used to do them and I think 'Agroforestry Research' - they might be able to help.

One last thing - be aware that in this climate there is a bit less sugar in the fruits and a bit more of the flavour of 'hospital corridor' (iodine?).

Good Luck.

Cheers.

With a microholding you always get too much or bugger-all. (I'm fed up calling it an allotment garden - it just encourages the tidy-police).

The simple/complex split is more & more important: Simple fertilisers Poor, complex ones Good. Simple (old) poisons predictable, others (new) the opposite.

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