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Grumichama fruiting problem (forum)

28 responses

Peter R starts with ...
I have a couple of grumichama trees - one has been in the ground for about 6 years and the other for about two years. Both are growing and flowering well, but don't set a single fruit. The entire flower drops off the stalk. They are supposed to be self-fertile - but I have had a similar experience with a strawberry guava in the past. A plant that had been grown in a pot for several years grew well after planting out, but took years before its flowers started setting fruit. Maybe lack of nutrients while growing in a pot induces these fruiting problems?
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Time: 4th November 2014 6:54pm

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About the Author Peter R
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srt says...
Grumichama don't fruit for 9 to 10 years as a rule ;there is nothing wrong PS I bet someone will write in and say their grumi. fruited while it was still being freighted from Daleys.

Time: 5th November 2014 9:11am

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MaryT1 says...
Peter R I have the same problem with my strawberry guava though all other guavas are fruiting in pots. I might have had two fruit in the years since I bought it whereas the yellow cherry have had hundreds of fruit.

The good thing about the strawberry guava is in its appearance; it's an attractive tree. The only reason it's still here.

Time: 5th November 2014 9:18am

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srt says...
Why do you call it a "strawberry guava' and then also use 'yellow cherry guava' . Isn't that needlessly confusing? Why not simply say yellow and red cherry guava (respectively)?

Time: 5th November 2014 6:39pm

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MaryT1 says...
Those were the names used by the nursery. They were bought (and known) as Yellow Cherry Guava and Strawberry Guava.

Time: 5th November 2014 6:46pm

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Ross says...
I also have the same problem with my grumichama which is 20 years old - beautiful healthy tree trimmed back to 3m height 3m diameter. This specimen flowers profusely every year and fruit sets then falls off. I

Time: 5th November 2014 9:09pm

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About the Author Ross
Balmoral, Brisbane
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Peter R says...
I don't think its a temperature issue - or pollination. I had a grumichama in a pot that fruited when small, and without any other grumichama to x-pollinate. I think it's more likely to be a micronutient or plant hormone issue. Would like to try a fruit-setting spray - if I could find one for sale.


Time: 5th November 2014 11:11pm

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srt says...
Oh, Ross! Grumichama equal to any cherry? Really! Does anyone else think so.? I have 3 trees which produce fruit that is mildly tasty, not worth crossing the road for.

Time: 6th November 2014 9:00am

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About the Author srt
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denise1 says...
A nearby tree has fruited well ever since about 1.8m tall. The taste is tangy and sweet. Worth crossing 3 or 4 streets to taste.

Time: 6th November 2014 9:50am

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About the Author denise1
auckland NZ
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The poster formerly known as... says...
Water is a big issue. in a wet year my tree has 4-5 crops over the warmer months in a decent to heavy clay loam over granite. In drier years two crops max and usually 1/2 the size and about 10% of the crops I would get in the wetter years. I had an old one in a pot but it was too thirsty. They have a decent mat of feeder roots which like to be kept happy. My grandfather also has a 6m tall tree and it barely sets a fruit without heavy rain.

A well ripened grumixama is better than many of the store bought cherries we get here (as with many supermarket fruit), but good fresh ones picked yesterday from the Downs are light years ahead of them in taste.

Time: 6th November 2014 9:53am

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About the Author Theposterformerlyknownas
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Tuxie says...
Hi probably stating the obvious but is the tree in full sun. My tree was under some sun but also dappled shade and never fruited. When the larger semi deciduous tree was 'removed' by a cyclone the tree now fruits beautifully. The fruit tastes beautiful better than a cherry I think but taste does vary from tree to tree.

Time: 10th November 2014 12:09am

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About the Author Tuxie
Wongaling Beach
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trikuslaptop1 says...
Massive 2nd crop for this year on now . But only on the afternoon sun side . Its in a slightly bad spot with massive palm fronds weighing down on it and a clump of heliconia shading morning sun .
Tree needs a bit of a prune but happy with it . approx 8 years old , seedling sent to me by Mum who has a seedling tree I planted from fruit collected up here in the tropics on 1 of my first visits .


Time: 10th November 2014 9:54am

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About the Author trikuslaptop1
wet tropics
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Ross says...
The tree is in morning sun shaded from 1pm by an avocado tree during summer with more light exposure during winter from north facing sun. Soil quality has been built up over the years with lots of compost and manures.
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Time: 14th November 2014 5:12pm

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About the Author Ross
Balmoral
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salsify says...
ah! Just asked the same question in another thread - I am wondering the same too....it's very odd...

"salsify says...
I am wondering of there are different strains of the black fruited grumichama getting around the place..?

I have two mature plants (about 7yrs old) and one flowers and fruits really well (from Birdwood nursery) and the other flowers, a little less, and never set's one single fruit (from Daleys)...?

These are the typical leaves from each tree - the small leaf one is the one that the flowers eventually fall off, every single year...?

I am wondering if the small-leaf one might be self-sterile...?
Thanks :)"


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Time: 17th November 2014 10:14am

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About the Author salsify
Leschenault
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salsify says...
Just a bit of history with these trees above - they behaved the same in the previously much hotter climate that we lived in (in ground) then they were bagged up and bought down here...when in tree sacks and in the shade house (up north) for 2yrs, same problem...

It's definitely nothing to do with water, feeding, temperature or position...
And it's much colder down here (down to 1 and 2oC)- if anything they are happier....
I also find this small leaf tree slower growing too....

I have since dug it up and moved it right next to the fruiting tree - just to see if cross-pollination makes any difference...

I did have a batch of 5 plants that I had sent over from Daleys not long after I got the first tree...
They all had a chimaera (Ag dept diagnosed) and eventually died over the next two years...
I am wondering if there was a problem with the stock/parent plants they had back then perhaps..?

Here is the chimaera affected plants



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Time: 17th November 2014 10:26am

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About the Author salsify
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salsify says...
So after moving this smaller leaved non-fruiting grumichama to a spot right next to the fruiting longer leaf one - it settled beautifully and flowered a month later (plenty of flowers too)
I watched the bees working the flowers - no problems there...
But still not one single fruit has set...

So it must therefore be self sterile..?

Will see what happens when the two types flower at the same time and if cross pollination works.
I guess it's not really a selection that I would want to seed save from tho...

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Time: 25th January 2015 10:39am

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sternus1 says...
its just a coincidence. They are indeed self fertile. Either there was something it didn't like in the conditions it was moved from or it had not developed the hormones to produce fruit before you moved it and now it has.

Time: 25th January 2015 11:58am

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About the Author sternus1
Australia
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JohnMc1 says...
I don't know if this is exceptional, but this little baby is barely 2yo from seed and has already produced several fruit with zero pollinators nearby.
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Time: 25th January 2015 12:30pm

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Correy says...
Yes they shouldn't need pollination. Interesting that you are getting fruit this late in the season. That is a quick turn around from seed very impressive. You must have some good soil, climate or just green thumbs JohnMc1 :)

Time: 25th January 2015 12:48pm

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About the Author Correy
WOOLLOONGABBA,4102,QLD
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The poster formerly known as... says...
Some grums are just duds. My grad feather has a 7m tall tree that barely sets a fruit despite setting tons of flowers and bees working them constantly. The soil is good too. I can get 4 crops a year if I can be bothered watering it.

Time: 25th January 2015 1:35pm

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John says...
Mine seems to go alright in Gingin and sets flowers about twice a year, but I usally only get really one crop. I think its the weather that affects it. On a side note I planted a few of the seeds to see if any would come up and its been about a month also and most of them seem to be sprouting. I thought I read once that they can take up to a year to germinate.


Time: 25th January 2015 3:29pm

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About the Author John
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salsify says...
I am with you ?BJ - this plant has lived in 4 different locations and has been treated the same as my long leaf tree that flourishes and fruits well.
I reckon it's a dud too.


Time: 28th January 2015 10:47am

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About the Author salsify
Leschenault
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JohnMc1 says...
Welcome back Amanda ;)

Time: 28th January 2015 1:05pm

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Warnervale NSW
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Juneli says...
My grumichama must be around five years old and nearly two metres high. It flowered for the first time in August very sparingly and then they all disappeared over night. The leaves now are going pale green and some have a reddish brown spot in the centre. Two much or too little fertilser or a chimera? Probably a dud as well.


Time: 28th January 2015 4:43pm

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About the Author Juneli
Mackay
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salsify says...
Dunno Juneli - a pic might help...?
Mine occasionally get a bacterial or fungal spotting - but nothing to worry about...is it sort of like this pic..?

Pale green leaves could just be a lack of nitrogen..? They have really shallow roots that are fibrous and don't seem to go all that deep..? Maybe a little bit of feeding but more often would help...and if u have sandy soil then regular watering helps too...
If I water mine enough I can get 2 fruitings in one summer (it's warm temperate here - so cooler..)

Lol JohnMc - shhhhh!! ;-)


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Time: 1st February 2015 1:07pm

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About the Author salsify
Leschenault
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Juneli says...
Hi Salsify! Yes it is similar to your leaves but the spots are quite large.You are right about probably being a lack of nitrogen as I gave up on fertilising it when the brown/red spots appeared. The weather here in Mackay has been very humid but not much rain this year so far and thanks for the reminder about the shallow root system. It is really disappointing when others trees are fruiting two or more times a year when still small and mine is struggling to push out a few flowers.
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Time: 1st February 2015 5:29pm

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About the Author Juneli
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salsify says...
That looks like a bit of sunburning maybe Juneli..? Nothing that needs treating with anything - other than more water - then some feeding once the soil nice and wet again..?
Give a good drink every 2 or 3 days for a week or so and I reckon you will start to get new growth - and maybe even more flowering again..
It might just still be a little young yet - and it might increase it's flowering in the next few years..?

That's awesome that plant of yours JohnMc...!
It has much longer calyx bits than mine do..(this is a pic of my fruiting "long leaf" plant and it's fruit..)




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Time: 1st February 2015 7:17pm

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About the Author salsify
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Juneli says...
Thank you so much for your advice and will do as you suggest. A bit of an alarmist, I always think the worst when I see brown bits on leaves.

Time: 3rd February 2015 10:26am

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About the Author Juneli
Mackay
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Clissa says...
My grumi fruits like crazy usually twice a year. One dry year it never set fruit although there were a few flowers.
I have to compete with the birds also!
I plan to set seeds I kept from this recent crop & was happy to read they may sprout in a month.
Not knowing the history of my tree I can't say how long it took to fruit initially but I think the tree was probably only a few years old when I came here 8yrs ago. Even then, it was fruiting heavily.
Deep mulch seems to help keep even moisture around the tree. I use horse manure & add a new barrow load every so often as I remember. Then I also apply Kaytek organic fruit tree fertilizer 4 times a year. My soil is not very good.

Time: 11th February 2015 6:36am

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About the Author Clissa
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