Wanting a good fruiting variety of feijoa (pineapple guava)

[Neilio]

I'd like to buy a good fruiting variety of feijoa ( not too thick-skinned and not too gritty flesh). The varieties of feijoa sold in Bunnings don't specify a variety, possibly because they're often just used as hedging. Does anyone know if they are a good fruiting variety? Can I put in orders for particular varieties?

[EricL]

Hello @Neilio 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about Feijoas. 

I had a quick look at the Bunnings website and saw a few varieties but only one of the 140mm Pineapple Guava - Feijoa sellowiana. I suspect that soil quality and environmental factors will play a part in the overall quality of the fruit that will get produced.

However, let me make a few inquiries from our supplier regarding Feijoa varieties. As soon as I have more information, I'll let you know.

Let me call on our experienced members @Noelle, @mich1972 and @HitOrMiss for their opinion on Feijoas.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[HitOrMiss]

i do not particularly eat guava, so as to what may be a good variety, i probably cant say, but there are some things to consider, how much space do you have ? do you have enough room for 2 to pollinate each other ? if not, you may need a self pollinating variety.
if you do not have space for 2 trees to pollinate each other, you could also consider having 1 full size tree and maybe buy the dwarfing variety as a pollinator for it.
you will get more fruit if you have 2 of them to pollinate each other even if they are self pollinating, so if you have the space for 2, you will have 2 varieties and each tree would produce more fruit than they would if they were alone, as well double the fruit from just having 2 trees.
maybe the dwarfing variety is possibly a better option over all for you, i have read they self pollinate and grow to about 1.5 - 2m, it looks like there is only one dwarf variety which is called 'bambina' from my brief research into them.

[Jason]

Let me also extend a very warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Neilio.

Could you please tell us where you are based? It might assist members to provide more helpful advice suitable for your region.

Thanks,

Jason

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Neilio,

As Jason mentioned, if you can let us know your location and closest store, I can call our suppliers in that area to verify if other varieties are available. We typically stock the variety Feijoa sellowiana, which is not only a great screening plant, but has a delicious pulpy fruit.

Mitchell

[Noelle]

Hi @Neilio 

To the best of my knowledge there are no named cultivars/varieties of Acca sellowiana (syn Feijoa sellowiana) available as the true species produces edible fruits.  However, as with all species there can be variations caused by climate, local conditions, etc - one particular tree may have slightly better fruit so the propagation nursery will use it as a source of cuttings rather than another which has smaller, perhaps less tasty fruit.  It is a process of natural selection rather than having names varieties.

I would think that most of the strains in cultivation these days would be reliable dual purpose plants - good for hedging as well as fruit production.

Pineapple guava is self-pollinating and you should get a good harvest from one mature tree - you should not need a second for cropping.

[Neilio]

I live in Urunga and my nearest store is Coffs Harbour. I checked yesterday and there were only unnamed varieties.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Neilio,

Bunnings Coffs Harbour has both the 200mm Pineapple Guava - Feijoa sellowiana and 140mm Pineapple Guava - Feijoa sellowiana in stock at the moment. It appears that these products do not have the Feijoa sellowiana name printed on their label, which is leading to confusion. If you speak with a helpful team member in the Nursery, they can identify them for you.

Mitchell

[Neilio]

It is not the common names (pineapple guava or feijoa) that I don't understand. I am after a named cultivar such as Apollo, Mammoth, Unique, etc. which can sometimes be bought go t at specialist nurseries. Most other types of fruit trees and flowering plants do have the variety labelled at Bunnings, so I suspect the feijoas you sell are random seedlings or cuttings that will not produce the qualities of the improved varieties.

[MitchellMc]

Understood, @Neilio, you are looking for specific cultivars of Feijoz sellowiana. 

I've spoken to our two suppliers in your area, and both have confirmed that although their Feijoz sellowianas produce delicious fruit, they are not named cultivars. 

Mitchell