Air layering guava tree

[HonoluluGirl]

I have a "weed" that's been growing right next to my house outside my bedroom window. This morning I went out and noticed strange globular yellowish mushrooms around the base of the weed. Upon closer look, they were guava! Now I want to keep that "weed" but it's growing right next to the house so I want to air layer some branches and plant them further away. I watched some YouTube videos, and I'm not clear on how deep to scrape. Am I supposed to expose the cambium layer or remove the cambium layer completely before I stuff and bag?

[thanrose]

Since the cambium is from whence all life flows, you need to interrupt it. Not sever it, but definitely gash it. You do not want to remove it entirely, but make sure it will hurry to reconnect. If you have a lateral branch, you could carefully cut down from above on the branch, leaving at least the lower third of the circumference still attached to the main trunk. That way it is still getting sustenance from the root end that will keep the branch alive but wounded. Don't try this with all the leaves and fruit on though. You need to minimize the drain on that branch by leaving only a few leaves, or half-leaves and no fruit or flowers or new leaves.

[imafan26]

Guava will grow from cuttings as well. take a cutting about 12inches long and up to 1/2 inch thick.

[ElizabethB]

I have tried air layering. Too much work when cuttings do just as well or better.

8" cutting. Bottom cut just above a leaf node. Cut on a 45 degree angle. Remove all but the top most leaves. Plant in a 3/4 to 1 gallon nursery pot in all purpose soil. Not fertilized. Keep evenly moist - not wet or soggy. Depending on your climate you will see new growth in 1 to 2 months. You have roots and can transplant to a larger pot.

Good luck.

[HonoluluGirl]

Thanks Everybody. I'll try the cuttings method. When I did cuttings for my hibiscus, I kept the cuttings in a big plastic bag so they would not dry out. Do I have to do that with the guava cuttings?

[imafan26]

All I really do is use rooting hormone on a cutting with at least 3 nodes and stick it in a pot of moist perlite under my bench. I water it once a day. You can use a humidity bag, but in Hawaii we have plenty of humidity. I have problem with mold when I use the bags. Mist benches are ideal for cuttings but not always necessary. They do speed up the rooting process but also the rot. If you have access to a mist bench then I would try some cutting there. You can make a mist system with a microsprinkler with a mist head and a tiimer. It should mist for a 30 seconds every 10-15 minutes.

Depending on the type of cutting and the time of year rooting varies. I like to take cuttings when the plants are actively growing. If the guava branch is flexible enough to reach the ground, ground layering has a better chance of success than air layering.
https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/F_N-49.pdf
https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/fb/guava/guava.html