Guava – Preparing For Freezing Nights

Q: I just planted two pineapple guava trees. Do you think they will make it through our winter?

A: During our current heat wave, it’s hard to remember the freezing nights that will surely test your plant in north Georgia. I recommend you prepare a guava freeze kit to use when the weather turns frigid. For each guava, collect several bamboo stakes tall enough to make a teepee over the shrub. Buy inexpensive bedsheets and some clear plastic large enough to drape over the guava. The sheets will go over the teepee first, followed by the plastic, which should be long enough to be anchored to the ground with logs or stones. Lastly, buy two sixty watt incandescent shop lights and an extension cord long enough to reach the plants. Store everything together. When cold weather is forecast you’ll quickly be able to put protection in place.