Harvest Guava Before It Turns Overripe on Trees

Guava from winter flowering reaches maturity between late February and March. This stage needs attention because delayed harvest reduces firmness and affects storage life. Many growers wait for full yellow fruit, assuming it brings better returns. In reality, fully ripe fruit softens quickly and gets damaged during transport.

Picking at the right stage maintains structure and improves shelf life.

Harvest fruit when:

• skin shifts from dark green to light green

• a mild yellow shade appears

Do not wait for deep yellow colour.

Fruit should feel slightly soft but not loose.

Harvest carefully by twisting.

Pulling causes:

• skin tears

• internal bruising

Sorting right after harvest improves quality.

Separate:

• large uniform fruit

• pest-affected fruit

• damaged fruit

Uniform grading attracts better buyers.

Use ventilated crates to avoid pressure damage.

Do not pack tightly.

Keep harvested fruit under shade.

Sun exposure reduces freshness.

Limit irrigation close to harvest.

Excess moisture affects taste and firmness.

Monitor pests such as fruit flies.

Remove affected fruit early to stop spread.

Stagger harvesting across blocks.

Do not clear all trees in one round.

This helps:

• maintain supply

• avoid market glut

Are you checking maturity instead of relying on colour alone?