I don't know much about gardening so any help appreciated. I planted a Feijoa January last year and is now in fruit flower for the first time. I was told it was self polinating but would do well if other feijoas nearby. My neighbour has a couple of trees over the fence and about 15 metres from mine. The question is I have not seen any bees apart from the very occasional bumble bee but they are very few and far between and have not seen any honey bees at all. Should I get out with a small brush and try and self pollinate the flowers from other flowers on the tree. If so how do I do this? Many thanks.
maclad,
Nov 18, 10:15pm
x1
Feijoas are pollinated by birds.
franny8,
Nov 19, 2:00am
So are you saying I don't need to do anything?
maclad,
Nov 19, 2:31am
You should not have too but it is a young tree and not every flower sets fruit you may have to wait a bit longer for it to fruit well.
gph1961,
Nov 19, 6:20am
do nothing birds do it those little wax eyes
franny8,
Nov 19, 7:46am
Oh dear, I haven't seen any wax eyes in my garden, just loads of black birds, thrushes and sparrows.
trad,
Nov 19, 7:52pm
I have seen black birds in my feijoa flowers
oh_hunnihunni,
Nov 19, 8:04pm
x1
The flowers are sweet to eat and black birds love them. As they bash around in the bush they scatter pollen - the more flower the more fruit, so you don't need wax eyes. As the bush matures they'll come if they're in the vicinity, but blackbirds can do a good job too.
venna2,
Nov 19, 9:19pm
x1
Yes, blackbirds are the ones I mostly see in my feijoa trees.
franny8,
Nov 20, 2:38am
Phew thanks for that, have plenty of blackbirds.
colin433,
Nov 20, 5:07am
x1
blackbirds are the only birds we've seen on our feijoas for years, but this year there have been more waxeyes, so obviously they both do it. When the blackbirds are at work, they look as though they are tearing the flowers apart in a vandalistic manner, but this is not so. They know what they are doing. The little whitish pink 'bits' not sure what they are called, around the bottom of the flower, are nice to eat. quite sweet and tasty
cinderellagowns,
Nov 20, 5:40am
x1
A friend of mine who grows feijoas commercially said you wouldn't really get fruit the first year, a little taste the second, and by the third you'd be in business. She was right on the money for my little trees. Now in their fifth year so I can really get my feijoa fix each season.
rosess,
Nov 20, 5:57am
We had a huge crop this year, I was concerned as hadn't seen the usual crew of wax eyes and the tree was full of black birds thrashing around that looked to be eating the flowers.
summersunnz,
Feb 10, 12:07pm
Blackbirds and other birds will pollinate for you. if blackbirds, your tree will shake! They do a great job. :-)
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