Perhaps the fruit wasn't fully ripe when you picked it? Have you looked at details about guavas yet?

Here's info from the Univ. of Florida...

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/MG045

Hi Carol, thank you for the reply and the link. I was checking the fruit for firmness when it fell off in my hand. It was as ripe as it was going to get while still on the tree. It felt ripe and had the right guava aroma. Just not the flavor or sweetness one expects. The IFAS article does mention that over fertilizing can result poor fruit quality but, it doesn’t say if they mean the flavor. Maybe it was heavily fertilized at the nursery to push growth?

I had a guava for several years that was delicious! The nursery where I bought it had it labled as ”guava seedling”. Over the past three years or so it slowly declined and finaly died. I thought the best way to make sure I got good fruit was to buy a named variety this time. But, if this is the way ’Ruby Supreme’ taste, I can’t understand why it would be popular.

I’m not sure why my previous tree died but, I often found little tunnels under the roots. To prevent burrowing animals from being a factor, I’m planning on planting this tree in a cage. This will mean some extra work to get it planted. Of course, if the other tree died due to our friendly Florida nematodes, mentioned in the IFAS article, then there is little I can do to help the new one along.

I guess I’m just hesitant to put in the extra effort and use up space in my yard for a fruit that may not improve in flavor and wasn’t even average but, really blah. But, since I know I won’t deliberately kill the tree, I’ll put it in the ground and cross my fingers, LOL.

Cross your fingers for me Carol and thanks again for your reply.

Meg