Guava, lime and lemon are forgiving trees that fit a small plot and produce for many years. A few habits make the difference between scattered fruit and a reliable crop.
Spacing and pruning
Give each tree room, roughly five to six metres, so sun reaches the inside of the canopy. Prune after the main harvest to remove dead wood and crossing branches and to keep the tree at a height you can pick from the ground.
Feeding and mulch
Spread a compost or mulch ring under the canopy, keeping it off the trunk. Feed in small doses through the season. Citrus often shows yellow leaves with green veins on alkaline soils, which usually points to missing zinc or iron rather than a lack of general fertilizer.
Two problems to watch
Fruit flies sting ripe guava; pick promptly and clear fallen fruit. Waterlogging rots citrus roots, so keep irrigation light and drain heavy ground.
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