Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Guava (Psidium guajava)— schedule & NPK
Also called Guava, Common guava, Yellow guava.
More about guava
About Guava
Psidium guajava · also called Guava, Common guava · tropical
Common guava is a fast-growing, hardy tropical tree from the American tropics, now grown worldwide for its fragrant, vitamin-C-rich fruit. It tolerates a wide range of soils, fruits within two to four years, and shrugs off heat and brief drought. In cool climates it grows well in large containers moved indoors over winter.
Growth habit: A vigorous evergreen-to-semi-deciduous large shrub or small tree with smooth, mottled, peeling copper-coloured bark, spreading branches and a dense canopy; suckers freely and can be kept low by pruning.
What fertiliser guava actually wants — and why
Guava is a genuinely hungry tropical — in bright warmth it pushes growth fast and rewards a regular half-strength balanced feed all season.
A balanced liquid feed (even N-P-K) or a slightly nitrogen-leaning foliage feed — this is a big-leaved foliage plant putting on real size, so it wants steady nitrogen for lush leaves, not a bloom formula.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for guava: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed guava, and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For guava:
Feed every 1-2 months through the growing season with a balanced fertiliser higher in potassium during fruiting (e.g. 6-6-6 to 8-3-9); young trees benefit from lighter, more frequent feeds. Guava is a heavy feeder and responds strongly to nitrogen for vegetative flushes. For a fast grower like this that means feeding regularly — about every 1-2 months — right through spring through early autumn (roughly March to September), tapering off only as light drops in autumn.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when guava is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for guava
Half strength every feed is the sweet spot for guava: frequent enough to fuel fast growth, dilute enough that it never scorches even when you feed often.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water guava first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the guava watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding guava
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for guava:
- Brown, scorched leaf tips and margins despite correct watering.
- A white salt crust on the soil or around the pot edge.
- Sudden leaf yellowing and drop shortly after a strong feed.
- Soft, weak, over-stretched growth that cannot support itself.
Signs you are under-feeding guava
- New leaves coming in noticeably smaller than older ones.
- Pale, yellow-green older leaves and slow growth through peak summer.
- A general loss of vigour and gloss in a plant that should be racing away.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full guava care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Because you feed often, salts accumulate faster — flush the pot of guava with plain water until it drains freely roughly every month through the feeding season to keep the root zone clean.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for guava
Organic options
A diluted seaweed or fish-and-seaweed feed plus a yearly top-dress of worm castings supports fast growth without burn risk. UK: Westland seaweed or Baby Bio Organic; US: Neptune's Harvest or Espoma Indoor!.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A balanced houseplant liquid at half strength applied frequently — UK: Baby Bio, Phostrogen or Westland Houseplant Feed; US: Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food or Dyna-Gro Foliage-Pro for steady leafy growth.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising guava — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does guava need?
A balanced liquid feed (even N-P-K) or a slightly nitrogen-leaning foliage feed — this is a big-leaved foliage plant putting on real size, so it wants steady nitrogen for lush leaves, not a bloom formula. Guava is a genuinely hungry tropical — in bright warmth it pushes growth fast and rewards a regular half-strength balanced feed all season.
How often should I feed guava?
Feed every 1-2 months through the growing season with a balanced fertiliser higher in potassium during fruiting (e.g. 6-6-6 to 8-3-9); young trees benefit from lighter, more frequent feeds. Guava is a heavy feeder and responds strongly to nitrogen for vegetative flushes. Feed every 1-2 months through the growing season with a balanced fertiliser higher in potassium during fruiting (e.g. 6-6-6 to 8-3-9); young trees benefit from lighter, more frequent feeds. Guava is a heavy feeder and responds strongly to nitrogen for vegetative flushes. For a fast grower like this that means feeding regularly — about every 1-2 months — right through spring through early autumn (roughly March to September), tapering off only as light drops in autumn.
What strength of feed for guava?
Half strength every feed is the sweet spot for guava: frequent enough to fuel fast growth, dilute enough that it never scorches even when you feed often.
What does over-feeding guava look like?
Brown, scorched leaf tips and margins despite correct watering. A white salt crust on the soil or around the pot edge. Sudden leaf yellowing and drop shortly after a strong feed. Soft, weak, over-stretched growth that cannot support itself. The mistake here is the opposite of most houseplants: under-feeding a fast tropical in peak season starves it, leaving small, pale new leaves and slow growth — but full-strength doses still burn it, so feed often and weak, not occasionally and strong.
Should I flush the soil of guava?
Because you feed often, salts accumulate faster — flush the pot of guava with plain water until it drains freely roughly every month through the feeding season to keep the root zone clean.
Keep reading
- Guava care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water guava — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise monstera
- How to fertilise pothos
- How to fertilise fiddle leaf fig
- All 5561 fertilising guides in the Growli library