Guava, bay tree & mexican coriander
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Jennifer Fung
Posted on: April 6, 1998

I purchased a guava plant several years ago and am growing it indoors. It’s in a terracotta pot in the kitchen where it gets light from three windows. It’s about 2 ft tall and appears to be growing well. I was afraid to cut back the top two leaves like I do with basil, but I finally did it when the plant was about 1 ft. I am concerned about the size of the stem of the plant. It is very narrow--slightly smaller than a small drinking straw. I am currently staking it to support it. Does this plant have any chance of growing to maturity?

I am growing a bay tree and four mexican coriander plants in a large terracotta pot. It is currently in the kitchen along with the guava plant but I do bring it outside for the summer. I’ve noticed that in the last month or two, the tiny leaves at the base of the bay tree are turning brown from the tips. Also, the mexican coriander is also turning brown at the tips and some of the branches have also turned brown and shriveled up, causing the branch to die. I’ve already lost one mexican coriander, what is the problem and what can I do?

The guava should start new shoots and will eventually make a nice little shrub. But I would let it grow to 2-3 ft to let it get mature enough to bloom and then produce fruits.

The pot with the bay seems to be too salty. Repot and replace the soil. Make sure the pot has a hole in the bottom to allow water to drain away. Toss the water that comes out of the holes. If you let the pot soak it all up again the salts in the water plus any fertilizer will build up again ruining your soil again.

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