I love fruits and I am growing plenty of fruit plants in my garden. But last month I noticed guava leaves are drying and curling (wrinkled leaves). But the leaves are not turning yellow.
When I first noticed it, I thought the plant was dying. But I did not give up. In this article, I will share what I did to recover my Guava plant from this horrible symptom of leaf dry.
What to do if you notice dry leaves on guava before getting yellow (drying green leaves)
If your plant is in a pot, then you must know that pots dry out faster, so check the soil first.
If you notice soil with no moisture in it then keep the plant in a shady place first. Then water it thoroughly.
Note: If it is dry now you need to soak the pot in a bucket of water ( I say overnight) so it rehydrates. If dried out, the water will just run through the holes and not water roots.
If the issue is not with the water or dehydration, then your next step is to check for any sign of aphids or white flies. A few years ago, a guava plant of mine was attacked with both when young and looked similar to this. Check the photo below:
I cleared out weeds, kept consistently watered, added compost, and sprayed with neem oil (but not during the heat of the day). They all seemed to outgrow the pests, and are thriving with loads of fruit this year for the first time ever. They have been in the ground for about 5 years.
If you notice all the leaves or most of the plants are like this, then it's a serious issue, although watering can fix it overnight. If you find only a few leaves like this or leaves of a particular branch then it's infected by bugs inside the stem.
In that case, just cut the specific branch.
Do not repot it until your plant gets in stable condition.
If your plant has faced any heavy storms recently, this guide will help you: Post Hurricane Wind Burn - What to do
