Strawberry Guava

[PaulW]

Pictures of strawberry guava:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2008/...093339.jpg
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/gar...hicket.JPG

I think it starts as tall, thin trees but can thicken out, I've seen it thicker than my arm.
I may be mixing up two species though - I have some that drop red berries, and some that drop big yellow guavas. The wood is orangey and the leaves very green and about thumb size. Quite a handsome plant, when you're not trying to kill it.

[Wao nahele kane]

Here's some of the less dense stuff down in a crack on a hill at our place... I still have to climb down into this giant crack and cut this crap out too. What joy, get in there with centipedes etc, I've already been stung once by some bees atop the hill.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2541/3864...a8a8_b.jpg

Here's the hill with the crack we're clearing and all these Hala were choked by Strawberry Guava.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3865...0f97_b.jpg

The leaves differ from the standard Guava. Regular Guava has a broader/larger leaf that is thinner and more delicate. The Strawberry Guava has a smaller leaf that is thicker, stiffer and darker green.

E ho'a'o no i pau kuhihewa.

[Rob Tucker]

It looks like you have a doable situation. Sweaty work but doable. There is actually sunshine hitting the ground in your photo.

I have sections of guava so thick it is nearly impenetrable. I curse the stuff most every day. Syd Singer is an idiot.

[Wao nahele kane]

Do either of the two proposed Biological Control methods kill the stuff or are they just going to slow down its propegation?
I havent read any about them aside from very superficial descriptions. One was some sort of scale? THe other a wasp of some sort as I recall.

E ho'a'o no i pau kuhihewa.

[PaulW]

http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/programs/ipif/s...l#anchor.2

Proposed Strawberry Guava Biocontrol Plan
In 2005--following 15 years of research in Hawaii and Brazil--researchers with the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry submitted a proposal to release a scale insect in Hawaii to control the growth and spread of strawberry guava.

The insect, a Brazilian scale (Tectococcus ovatus), was selected as a candidate after many years of research showed that it could safely and effectively control the invasive tree in Hawaii without posing a threat to other plant species. Studies demonstrated that the scale is adapted to feed only on strawberry guava, ultimately causing reduced growth and seed production.

The Brazilian scale is a member of a group of insects known as "gall formers." Their young settle and feed on newly sprouted strawberry guava leaves and cause them to form growths, known as "galls." Because the plant expends energy on forming the galls, fewer resources are available for producing new stems and fruit. As a natural predator of strawberry guava, the Brazilian scale can slow the tree's growth and spread, making it less competitive against native plants. The scale is not capable of killing strawberry guava trees, only acting as a check on their growth and spread.

The young scale insects can move about by crawling or by floating with wind currents and, if released, would gradually spread over a period of decades. At the points of introduction of the scale, reduced strawberry guava growth and seed production should be noticeable within a few years. Because scale insects are entirely dependent on their plant hosts, if strawberry guava populations were to gradually decline, so, too, would the scale population.

[PaulW]

Could the defenders of strawberry guava (there must be some out there) please give their reasons?

[Bullwinkle]

Even released the scale insect will not control current infestation. The target being the slowing of the weeds advancement.

the con arguments have hinged on two issues:

1) stakeholders are looking for assurance the new bug wont jump to other guava types

2) reduction in food stocks (fruit) in the forest, the subsistence / pig hunter have groups a beef with that

In my case pulling it out by hand... I carry a pocket compass... get 20 feet in - it is easy to become disoriented....

[Dave Smith]

Wao, have you positively identified those as katydids? I always thought those were crickets I was hearing (which can be loud, but to me are still preferable to coqui).

[Wao nahele kane]

The photo link I provided are after initial clearing and yes light became available after clearing and the photos taken because we could reach these areas after clearing.
Here's an example of a cleared area but notice the upper left of these photos and the s guava not yet cleared, the remaining seen S guava is relatively sparse compared to what we initially battled around the base of the hill. This hill was not visible until we cleared it, we had no idea it was there until we got near it and then we cleared it and found more Hala and Ohia we didn't know was there. The hill wasn't even noticable from the road until after clearing the s guava.
The light here is because we cleared the area behind the image and to the right and beyond.
Look up to left corner...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2658/3865...1e36_b.jpg
Here is all cleared but not to the upper left.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3441/3865...cfbc_b.jpg

We'll get it killed because I have waterscaping and landscaping plans for this hill and it will be a main front entry drive feature. The S Guava will be fully evicted from our place. "Die Scum!" comes to mind regarding this crap.



E ho'a'o no i pau kuhihewa.

[Bullwinkle]

Good luck ... every time I battle this stuff ... Conrads' heart of darkness comes to mind

a good read if one is planning to take on the jungle - grin