Interesting comments, thanks everyone. My guava were dinky little 2.5\" pots from Logees, maybe 6\" tall when I got them last fall. I grew them in containers from November to about March and they have been in the raised beds since March.

Variable growth habits...the Lemon (P. littorale 'Lemon') is tall and lanky, perhaps about 24\" after cutting back. If I get fruit I'm afraid I will have to stake it temporarily. I should have cut it back a little more than I did.

The 'Nana' (P. guajava 'Nana') is about 12\" tall and about 18\" wide, with a habit perpendicular to the Lemon. The branches are horizontal, if not somewhat down turning. It is my favorite, because it is texturally the most interesting, with deep leaf veination and peeling bark.

The strawberry (P. littorale 'Strawberry') is my turtle guava...slow and steady growth, 12\" x 12\", nothing fantastic, but a good looking plant with clean foliage, better leaf retention.

I had the purple one, too, but I killed it. (My plants never just die, I always kill them ) I will try another purple sometime, as it is really a gorgeous plant. After reading Millet's comments, I may have to turn up the fert on the guavas!

Stress, I picked up on an interesting statement you made in your above post concerning guavas, and that was - \"better leaf retention.\" I have also noticed that guava leaves are not as securely attached to the limbs as firmly as most plants. They seem to fall from the tree at quite easily when working with the plant, at least mine do. - Millet

Yes, the guava leaves seem to fall to some extent year-round. As I said, the Strawberry seems better in this regard.

I should not guess as to the measurements like I did earlier. Here you go: Lemon 28\" after cutting back. Nana 12\" high x 28\" wide. Strawberry 16\" high x 24\" wide.

I carefully examined the Lemon guava and I wonder if it is a little nutrient deficient. The leaves have a little pallor, they could be a little darker. Thanks for bringing the fert issue to my attention, Millet.

I'm glad we got on the subject of guava's too. Here's a pic of my Ruby red (same as you Millet) with 2 lem guava's aside it. I took them out of milk crate which I spray painted while they were in there so that's why they look goofy --spray painted. Here's all three:

Those are all new leaves on the (big) ruby guava...skimpy looking. It never grew much taller than when I got it last Sept-Oct & no sign of buds.
From soil up it's 3 1/2 ft tall -- not much, if any taller growth than when I bought it. Here's a pic of lem. guava's affter I got them...7 inches tall. I thought there was something wrong with them

Those were taken after I got them last Sept-Oct. Here they are now. Not a good pic as they were taken from top, but they are growing bushier now except for one which i think I'll prune the long skanky branch now that Robert mentioned it.

Here is my Strawberry

Here is Nana.

Robert, yours look much better than mine. Can you show a pic of your lemon guava?

Thanks, Patty. Maybe I can post Lemon guava pics week after next...today I'm off to Boy Scout Camp for a week with my 12 year old.

Too bad I don't like the taste for Figs, we have fig trees down here the size of houses. I've tried them, but just don't have a taste for them & every tree has a ton of rotten fruit on the ground full of bee's.

aw! can I come pick up the unwanteds?

I had fresh figs for the first time in CA last year, but i think I prefer them dried.

This will be my best year for figs. My biggest tree (BT) has 65 figs that I can count! All 8 trees have figs (last yr. some had none or few that didn't ripen) so I can taste all 5 varieties & compare. I won't let any fall on ground to rot, ... and my pellet gun is loaded for squirrels

Patty:
Here's how my fig look like as of 7 22 06



See the fruits coming along fine. I think it should get big and ripen this time.

YEAY Benny! You will eat figs this year. I think you said that last year you didn't get any(?) My Negronne is just starting to turn a darker color -- ripening. The rest are at a stand -still. Figs do that sometimes...they grow fast & then just sit & do nothing for awhile.

Yesterday I ate my first 2 big juicy brown turkey figs! They came from the small 18 inch tree that is loaded with 24 figs (22 now). My biggest BT tree is taller than me & has many figs on but they are so small. Maybe cuz I root pruned in spring.

Wow, those are lots of figs Patty