Nsinya wa guava/gijawa i xihlahla, lexi kulaka hi ku nonoka swinene. Misinya leyi byariweke kunene yitala ku tsemetiwa yiva kwalomu ka 2 kumbe 3 m hiku leha, kambe loko yitshikiwe yinga tsemetiwi tinxaka tin’wana tikula kuya fika eka 8 m. Misinya leyi yiva na mihandzu eka lembe rayona ravumbirhi endzhaku ko byariwa naswona yita tswala mihandzu kuya fikela malembe ya 40 lawa yataka. Misinya leyi yi huma mabilomu hi ximun’wana naswona tinyoxi hitona ti endlaka pollination, self-pollination nayona ya humelela eka nsinya lowu. Misinya leyinga kula ya tinxaka totala ya kondzelela gwitsi naswona yinga pona eka maxelo lawa yanga eka -4°C kambe laha gwitsi ringa tinyika matimba ringa vavisa kumbe kudlaya ximilani lexi loko xahari xintsongo. Mahiselo ya xiyimo xale henhla hinkarhi waku bloma na kuvekiwa ka mihandzu swinga nha swinene.
Ma-guava/gijawa i mihandzu ya xirhendzevutani kumbe oval naswona, kuya hi muxaka wa muhandzu, yikwalomu ka 6 kuya eka 12 cm hiku helela. Muhandzu lowu wu dyiwa wunga vandliwangi, laha nhlonge yakona yinga vevukangiki. Loko muhandzu wu vupfa, nhlonge yi cinca muhlovo kusuka eka rihlaza kuya eka xitshopani kumbe wuva pink kuya eka xitshopani. Muhandzu wungava pink endzeni (red guavas) kumbe ku basa (white guavas) naswona wuva na tinyungu letintsongo ta xirhendzevutani to tsindziyela. Nhlayo na vukulu bya tinyungu swa hambana kuya hi muxaka wakona. Muhandzu wa guava/gijawa wuna nuhelo wohlawuleka wa matimba, wa musk.
Nkoka wa Swakudya
Ma-guava/gijawa yana ti vitamins A, B, na C xikan’we na iron. Ylae henhla swinene hi swakudya swa leswi lavekaka siku na siku, 257%, vukona bya Vitamin C, leyinga henhla swinene loko ku pimanyisiwa na papawa na yin’wana mihandzu ya citrus. Vukona bya Vitamin C byitshama byitele hambi loko muhandzu wu cheriwa exikoteleni kumbe wu omisiwile. Ma-guava/gijawa loko yaha tsakama ya phakela swinene B-carotene na iron xikan’we na mphakelo wa calcium na potassium. Yatlhela yava na mphakelo wa kahle wa dietary fibre naswona wuna nhlayo yale xikarhi ya ti folic acid.
Tinxaka
Tindzhawu ta vuhumelerisi bya ma-guava/gijawa ta Afrika Dzonga titele ngopfu eka swibyariwa swa laha kaya leti vuriwaka Fan Retief, letinga thyiwa hikokwalaho ka mabula ndlela wa vuhumelerisi lebyi. Muxaka lowu wuna muhlovo wa salmon pink endzeni, naswona wusukela eka ma-guava/gijawa yosungula, lawa tisiweke e Cape hile Madeira, hi khale ka Dutch settlers hi minkarhi yava seventeenth century. Muxaka lowu wa pink endzeni wa Fan Retief wuna kwalomu ka 90% wa swibyariwa leswi xavisiwaka. Muxaka lowu wa salmon pink wa ma-guava/gijawa ya Fan Retief yale ka ntsengo wale henhla kuya hi vahumelerisi va ti juzi va matiko ya misava.
Hi lembe ra 1994, va Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Crops (ITSC) vahumese TSG2 tani hi muxaka lowu antswisiweke. Muxaka lowu kondzelelaka swinene mavabyi wuna tinyungu tintsongo hi nhlayo naswona wukurile swinene loko wu pimanyisiwa na muxaka wa muhandzu wa Fan Retief. Hambiswiritano, ayi kumangi ntsakelo ngopfu e xifundzheni xa Western Cape, hikwalaho ka ntshovelo wa xiyimo xale henhla lowu fikeleriwaka hi muxaka wa ndzhavuko wa Fan Retief.
Nguva
Ma-guava/gijawa ya tshoveriwa eka tinhweti ta xixika naswona e Afrika Dzonga, ntshovelo wusungula kuva kona hi May kuya eka September kumbe October.
Translated by Ike Ngobeni