WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Psidium littorale var. longipes (Psidium cattleianum), WUCOLS IV

How often to water strawberry guava in California

In July in the Central Valley, established strawberry guava in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 47 gallons a week. Strawberry guava is a dense evergreen shrub or small tree from Brazil and Uruguay, usually about 15 feet tall and wide. Its smooth bark runs gray to reddish brown, and leathery dark green leaves frame fragrant cream flowers in spring. Inch-wide dark red fruits with white flesh follow, sweet enough to eat fresh or cook into jam.

ShrubTreeRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water strawberry guava, month by month

Your city
Canopy width
10 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for strawberry guava and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area under the branches, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure canopy width

A tree with its canopy width marked across the widest branches and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the branches, from the tips of the outer leaves on one side to the tips on the other. A tape works, or pace it out.

Water the whole circle under the branches, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that circle.

A wider canopy means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While the tree is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • A finger pushed into the soil under the shrub finds it dry past the second knuckle in summer, so strawberry guava is ready for water
  • Leaves yellowing and falling inside the shrub after a long dry stretch can follow a dry root zone
  • Leaves curling and dulling in afternoon heat can indicate thirst
  • Yellowing leaves over soggy, poorly drained soil point to too much water

How to water it

  • Set two or three drip emitters near the outer branches
  • Give long, slow drinks that reach deep roots, then let the surface dry out
  • Plant in full sun in well-drained soil
  • Prune up the lower branches to show off the bark
  • Pick up fallen fruit to keep the ground clean

Through the seasons

Water a new plant regularly through its first summer while roots spread. Established plants need only occasional deep watering, given whenever the upper soil has dried. It stays evergreen, opens fragrant flowers in spring and ripens dark red fruit after. Frost below about 20 degrees F can damage it. Strawberry guava gets a moderate water rating from WUCOLS on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast, in South Inland and in the low desert. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert.

In pots

Strawberry guava grows well in a large container on a sunny patio, and it can fruit there. Use a well-drained mix. Water when the top couple of inches are dry, until it drains through. In summer, a fruiting plant may need water every few days. Empty the saucer. Move the pot to shelter if frost threatens, since it is hardy only to about 20 to 25 degrees F. In winter, water only when the mix dries.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
2.67gal per sq ft in JulyModerate water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
17.11 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.711.42.12.90.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.711.42.12.90.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Strawberry Guava: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.780.78–0.78
Feb0.530.650.810.87–0.93
Mar0.871.091.151.3–1.52
Apr1.181.521.41.61–1.95
May1.462.081.611.95–2.45
Jun1.612.481.742.29–2.79
Jul1.612.671.982.51–2.85
Aug1.492.391.862.33–2.6
Sep1.241.81.491.86–2.08
Oct0.871.181.151.33–1.49
Nov0.470.560.840.9–0.96
Dec0.310.340.650.68–0.68
Year1217.1115.518.41–21.08

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated moderate water in the Central Valley, like strawberry guava. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

RosesRosa hybrids..bushmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCitrus TreesCitrus spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAzaleasRhododendron spp. (CA native and non-native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCamelliasCamellia japonica (SHADE IN DESERT)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGardeniasGardenia spp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyJapanese MapleAcer palmatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAvocado TreesPersea americanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBird of ParadiseStrelitzia reginae (shade in desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHibiscusHibiscus rosa-sinensismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMagnolia TreesMagnolia grandiflora ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPalm TreesSyagrus romanzoffiana (Arecastrum romanzoffianum)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySago PalmCycas revolutamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyStar JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoides and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyApple TreesMalus spp. (edible) e.g, 'Anna' (low chill variety for low desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPeach TreesPrunus spp. ediblemoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPersimmon TreesDiospyros kakimoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than strawberry guava in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

LavenderLavandula spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRosemaryRosmarinus officinalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyOlive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFig TreesFicus carica ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPomegranate TreesPunica granatumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyEucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRussian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes strawberry guava, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water strawberry guava in summer?

In July, established strawberry guava in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 9 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does strawberry guava need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established strawberry guava needs about 6.8 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 27 gallons a day under a 20 foot canopy. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for strawberry guava change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates strawberry guava separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Is strawberry guava fruit edible?

Yes, the skin and pulp are sweet and good fresh or in jams and juices. The flowers are edible too. Pick fruit as it turns dark red.

Is strawberry guava invasive?

It has become a major weed in Hawaii, where dense stands crowd out native plants. It has not been reported as a problem in coastal Southern California gardens. Pick up fallen fruit to limit seedlings.

How cold hardy is strawberry guava?

It is hardy to about 20 to 25 degrees F. Protect young plants on frosty nights. Pots can move to shelter.

Can I grow strawberry guava as a tree?

Yes, prune up the lower branches to make a small tree. That shows off the smooth, reddish bark. It reaches about 15 feet.

Does strawberry guava need full sun?

Yes, plant it in full sun for the best fruit. It wants well-drained soil. Water occasionally once established.

More plant watering guides

CamelliasGardeniasJasmineJapanese MapleAvocado TreesBird of ParadiseDahliasHibiscus

Sources