Learn how to grow guava tree from cuttings from a branch quite easily. Growing an guava tree from cutting will produce the tree with identical properties to the parent tree, as I have done in Sydney, Australia. The method is good to propagate all types of guava cuttings including strawberry guava, cherry guava, pineapple guava, white guava and Hawaiian guava cuttings; and using only a natural rooting hormone like aloe vera gel.
You can grow guava tree from seeds also, for that you need a fully ripe guava fruit. how to grow guava from seed
 |
| Guava Tree |
Propagating Guava From Cuttings
So can you propagate a guava tree from a cutting? Yes, you can certainly grow guavas from stem cuttings quite easily. Following are the steps involved in rooting guava cuttings, the method is the same for propagation of all types of guavas from cuttings.
Step 1: Taking Guava Cuttings
Before taking cuttings, first disinfect your cutting shears or knife with alcohol or bleach solution.
When to take guava cuttings: Taking correct type of cuttings at the proper time is very important for the success of rooting the cuttings.
Take guava cuttings in spring to summer from a healthy guava tree. In Sydney, Australia, I started rooting guava stem in the month of November, but you can root them up to next February .
Only softwood guava cuttings will root, so take the cuttings from young branches that have grown in the same growing season.
Size Of Cuttings: The cuttings should be about 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches) long and 3-5 mm (1/4-inch) thick. They should have two to three nodes along the stem. The nodes contain the types of cells needed for root production.
Wrap the cuttings in a damp newspaper, while you prepare for other things or keep the cuttings dipped in water in shade, until you are ready for planting them.
 |
| Guava Cuttings for planting; |
Step 2: Pot Selection
Take a small pot having some holes at its bottoms to drain excess water. Too much water in soil for long time will rot the cuttings, resulting in failure.
Fill the pot with the following rooting soil.
Step 3: Rooting Medium For Rooting Guava Cuttings
Fill the pot with a mixture of peat moss or vermiculite and perlite. You can use a mixture of potting mix and river sand in equal parts, I have used it to propagate cuttings of many fruit and flower plants with high success.
Step 4: Watering
Water the pot thoroughly, ensure that the rooting medium is damp at all points. Keep the pot in shade for half an hour to drain excess water while you prepare for other things.
Step 5: Prepare Guava Cuttings For Planting
Remove all the lower leaves and cut the upper leaves into half. Scrape lightly the lower 1 inch of the cuttings, or you can make a slit at the middle of its lower 1 inch.
Rooting Guava Cuttings in Water
Can the guava cutting be rooted in water? I tried to root the prepared guava cutting in water, but it did not root.
Step 6: Planting Cuttings
Apply rooting hormone at the lower end of the guava stem cutting. You can either use a commercial chemical rooting hormone or a natural rooting hormone like aloe vera gel.
Make a hole in the soil by a stick and insert the cutting in the hole, at least 2 inch deep. Do not push the cutting. Press the soil around the cutting.
You can plant more cuttings in the same pot. Dn not water again.
You can use chemical rooting hormone or us aloe Vera gel which is a natural rooting hormone.
Step 7: Create a Mini Green House
The cutting needs high humidity and temperature to root it successfully. To keep the environment around the cuttings humid, keep the pot inside a greenhouse. You can create a mini greenhouse by enclosing the pot in a clear plastic bag. The bag will keep moisture within it.
Place the bag in shade at a warm place. If the outdoor temperature is below 20°C, then keep the pot indoors in a warm and bright room.
Step 8: Mist the Cuttings
Check the moisture levels inside the bag every week to ensure that the soil is moist. Mist on soil if tit is dry, and seal the bag again. Over-watering will rot the cuttings but if the soil dries out, the cuttings may die.
Step 9: Check if the Cuttings have Rooted
The guava cuttings will take 2 to 5 weeks to grow roots and new leaves depending on temperature and age of cuttings.
You will see the growth of new leaves and some roots coming out of the hole. If you tug gently on the cutting, and if it offers slight resistance, it means roots are forming.
Once the guava cuttings have rooted, open the bag for half an hour. If the leaf stays okay, then open the bag for 1 hour daily for 1 week, keeping the pot in shade.
For the next week, open the bag for half day and keep it in bright shade, away from direct sun light.
Now you can expose the new growth to the morning sun for two weeks.
Step 10: Transplanting the Cuttings
Next step is to transplant the rooted cuttings into new pots (growing guava faster in containers) or directly in the garden in free-draining nutrition rich soil. Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the root system of the guava cutting.
Place the cutting in the hole, backfill with soil, and water thoroughly.
Water the newly transplanted guava regularly, ensuring the soil remains consistently moist.
Guava plants propagated from cuttings may start bearing fruit within 1-2 years.