Guava : Treetales#3

Than it's english name, I like the sound of it's Tamil name the most - கொய்யா (pronounced as 'Koyya'). I always thought India to be the introducer of this fruit to the world but I was certainly astonished to discover that Guava is a native of Mexico.But anyways currently our country holds the record of highest exporter of this fruit to the world. 

We have two Koyya trees in our home garden.One is five years old which has started bearing fruits and completed three fruiting seasons so far. The other one is very young comparatively and was planted only two years back.

A new guava branch that is in its forming stage.

This tree that is five years old has at times hosted a nest to the local birds.Though the birds have migrated, we could see the remains of the unkempt nest.

A look at the older one

Unlike any other shop bought guavas, home grown ones are unique and incomparable in taste. Or maybe it is due to the freshness of plucking a fruit from the tree and eating it the next minute.

Our's is a green apple guava variety which forms white flowers

Caught in the act of forming fruits

When ripe this variety's inside flesh would be off-white in color.

Our home gorwn fruits are most of the times oval/round, glossy with hardly a blemish but sometimes we do have fruits like the below..

..but no matter what condition the outer skin is, the inside is always tasty. The specks are formed due to the effect of nearby branches rubbing against the young fruit.

Though it appears that the branches are directly coming from the roots, there is atleast a 3 feet stem/trunk that is buried underneath the ground. Its long story which I will say later..

Guava tree maintenance is very easy..  keep the tree watered regularly and feed fertilizers often atleast once before the fruiting season starts.

I am indeed proud that my parents had the instinct to plant a tree the moment they moved to this house. I never thought about it but certainly learned a nice lesson from their act.