From
Anna Banana, our Garden Center customer advisor. Cool weather - no sweat. Here in Florida we are
blessed to have warm winters. We just went to the beach
for Christmas! Winter time is not only a good beach time,
but also the best planting time here. Why? I always refer
my customers to Murray Corman's article Tropical Planting Breaks the
Rules. "...Wintertime does not just mean hard work
for tropical gardeners. It is also a time to enjoy the
fruits of our labor. Winter-blooming plants and the
visitors they attract - birds, bats and butterflies - make
the garden as enjoyable in winter as any other time of
year. Tasks performed during the spring and summer up
north have to be done during the fall and winter here.
Why? The answer is elementary: It's too hot! Taking
advantage of the coolest months of the subtropical year
for heavy chores like planting trees has a twofold
benefit: The gardener can make hay while the sun shines
without getting heat stroke and the plants appreciate the
moderate temperatures, enjoying a break from the stress of
93 degrees in the shade..." Continue reading...
"Two out of every five people on Earth today owe
their lives to the higher crop outputs that fertilizer
has made possible."(Bill Gates)
Micronutrient Supplement and Plant Health Booster
Misshapen, small fruit or no fruit?
Poor root growth?
Pale or yellow leaves?
Die backs?
Curled leaves?
Slow growth?
Don't let your plants starve... SUNSHINE SuperFood is your
answer to all these problems! Read more why your plants need
SUNSHINE-SuperFood - Essential Element Complex that
has them all: N-NH2, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B, Mo, S...
SUNSHINEâ„¢ SuperFood is a revolutionary new product
released in 2018. It is a super micro-element supplement
(Amino Acid Chelated Micronutrient) containing
microelements, ultra-microelements, glycinates, as well as
SUNSHINE-Honey ingredients.
It shows amazing results in plant development, treating
different element deficiencies, and improving fruit trees
production.
GREEN-EARTH-ECOLOGY FRIENDLY! And it
is GREEN color!
"Someone is sitting in the shade today because
someone planted a tree a long time ago." (Warren Buffett)
Q:
I live in California and I have a large area of my garden
in full shade. Are there any plants that will be happy
there? I am looking for something colorful. I also have a
smaller area in front of the house that has full sun
almost all day long, but I am afraid this can be too hot
for flowering plants? Can you recommend something?
A:
Full sun gardens have a strong, bright look while shade
gardens have cooler, subdued appearance. Both types of
gardens are fun to design and maintain as long as you pick
the right plants. Full Sun Garden is the easiest to grow. Depending
on exposure, it may require some plants that can tolerate
the hottest summer days and the dry conditions in your
area. The good news is, the majority of tropical and
subtropical plants prefer full sun, so you have a large
selection to pick from - fruit trees, flowering trees,
shrubs, vines, and small perennials. The more sun, the
more flowers and fruit you will get! However, keep in mind
that sun gardens require more water, but generous mulching
will help to minimize watering. Shade Garden is much more restful in appearance,
but sometimes may be a little more difficult to work with.
As shade trees grow bigger and thicker, it may become too
dark; nothing will grow in total darkness. In this case
you need to prune back some branches to let more light in.
Filtered sunlight or dappled light coming through the
leaves of the trees is beneficial and considered light
shade, which would be the best light conditions for shade
loving plants to thrive. Although shady cooler spaces
attract more insects and will require more attention to
control them, they also have some advantages over sun
gardens. You can enjoy working in cooler conditions, and
your garden will require less water. Many foliage plants
look more deeply colored and healthier than in full sun;
white flowers shine instead of looking washed out!
Our favorite shade plants are fragrant brunfelsias , clerodendrums, and of course
colorful gingers and heliconias. You
may also consider ornamental foliage of Calatheas, lush Alocasias, Colocasias, and colorful Cordylines. Check out our shade loving plant list for
more colorful suggestions. These are also great for indoor
gardens!
Spring is coming, plants need food!
Time to fertilize...
Last winter was long and snowy in the most part of our
country. Hold on fellow gardeners up North, it is almost
over!
Here in Florida we have been blessed again with a mild
winter without serious cold snaps. Early Spring that is
already in the air. Look at this picture of flowers in our
front yard now.
If the weather is already warm in your area (low
temperatures above 55), it is time to start fertilizing.
We are sending our love and support to tropical Puerto
Rico suffered from hurricane last year, and will be happy
to help you guys to restore your lost gardens!
CHECK LIST
what
to do to give your garden a good kick start:
1. Slow release granulated food. Apply Slow Release Fertilizer and
continue once a month. 1 tsp per gallon of pot, or a
handful for in-ground plants. This will provide essential
macro elements (NPK) required for a plant growth.
2. Water soluble micro-elements. Besides
macro-elements, plants need many other elements that most
of the time missing in soil. A lack of micro-elements
causes different deficiencies, resulting in weak root
systems, slow growth, deformed leaves, leaves yellowing,
lack or no flowers/fruit. Apply these supplements as a
foliar spray once a month to induce healthy growth and
flower/fruit development. We recommend the following
micro-element products to keep your plants healthy and
vigorous year round:
a) SUNSHINE SuperFood - plant
health booster. This revolutionary new liquid complex
contains ALL microelements needed and can fix all possible
problems occuring to your tropical plants - from roots to
flowers and fruit. We have convenient dropper bottles of 5 ml for small plant
collections, 50 ml for larger gardens, and
100 ml for professional
landscape applications.
b) SUNSHINE-Micro - Microelement
booster - for common iron deficiency (pale leaves)
c) SUNSHINE-Super-Iron -
Microelement booster - for severe iron deficiency
(severe yellowing leaves)
3. SUNSHINE plant boosters -
SUNSHINE-E, -BC (caudex plants and bonsai), -H (house
plants). Apply these natural plant stimulants to
help plants recover from cold, dormancy, increase plant's
metabolism and make a plant more readily absorb both
Macro- and Micro-elements. SUNSHINE boosters also will
help plants grow vigorously, withstand Summer heat and
drought, and produce bigger and better flowers and fruit.
4. Kickstart a sweeter fruit. To get a better and
sweeter crop in Summer and Fall, you need to start first
application now. SUNSHINE Honey - is natural,
Amber-colored, honey-like liquid microelement product for
fruiting and edible plants that will make them sweeter,
tastier and more flavorful! Very effective for tropical
fruits, tubers, vegetables. Great for tropical fruit
trees: Mango, June Plum, Annonas, Tropical Cherries,
Carambola, Citrus; subtropical fruit trees: Peaches,
Apricots, Loquat and berry plants (blackberry, mulberry,
etc.)
5. SUNSHINE-S. Don't
forget to plant seeds! It's a perfect timing
now to start your tropical garden indoors even if it is
still cold outside. Soak them in SUNSHINE-S solution to
increase germination rate.
See full list of SUNSHINE boosters.
All these products are essential plant elements. They are
not toxic and can be used safely for edible landscapes.
Poor
man's mulch... or natural solution? With warmer
weather weeds started spreading around the garden...
pulling, spraying, mulching them... that helps. Here are a
few tips about natural mulch based on our own experience.
1) Do not rake dry leaves and pine needles, use them as
natural mulch. A leaf is a part of a plant with the
highest nitrogen content which is a major plant nutrient.
After breaking down, leaves will work as a fertilizer. If
you prefer to have a fancy mulch, put it on top of those
leaves.
2) Do not dispose cut grass. Spread it around trees and
shrubs. Hay is one of the best mulching materials. It has
at least 2 exceptional benefits: a) after couple rains it
becomes dense, creating perfect protection from sprouting
weeds, and b) grass is actually also a leaf - so it had
built up lots of nitrogen too, and works as a fertilizer.
3) Be careful with "bulk mulch" that sometimes offered by
local tree service companies (usually for free). It often
contains bugs, plant parts that are infested with bad
insects, or simply fleas. Natural mulch from your own
garden is always the best choice, proven organic and safe
solution.
4) A few layers of newspaper (or even better - cardboard
from your endless Amazon deliveries) placed underneath the
mulch work as a great weed barrier and will make your
mulching work results last 4-5 times longer. Water drains
through them, and paper products are ecologically safe and
biodegradable.
Mango trees are especially
beautiful during spring time when they flush out
multi-color new leaves! But you want your mango be not
only beautiful but fruitful as well. Here are some tips:
1) Fertilize Mango tree with a balanced slow release fertilizer
starting March. Use 1 tsp of granulated fertilizer per 1
gal of soil, or a handful or two for an in-ground tree.
You may add one application of foliar spray of a
water-soluble bloom booster fertilizer (the one for Roses
or Azaleas will work). This will give your tree a good
macro-nutrient kick-start.
2) Spray entire tree with SUNSHINE-Superfood solution.
This will provide all necessary micro-elements and keep
the plant healthy and strong throughout the season. Repeat
treatment once a month until harvest time.
3) For sweeter fruit, apply SUNSHINE-Honey solution
several times:
- early spring before flowering
- at setting buds
- right at the beginning of setting fruit
- after harvesting, to provide the tree with all good
micro-nutrients before resting season.
Avocado, Lychee and Mango setting
fruit... give them some FOOD!
Q:
Do I need to fertilize tropical fruit when they set fruit?
A:
It is traditionally believed that mango and other tropical
fruit shouldn't be fertilized during fruiting period. It
is true to an extent: you don't want fruit to burst from
fast excessive growing. Instead, try to feed fruit trees
wisely, because they still need proper nutrition to
produce flowers and fruit.
Our spring specials of Lychee, Avocado and Mango are full of buds and
some already set tiny fruit (see examples on the photo).
Here is the feeding plan for these plants once you receive
your mail order:
1) Once received the plant, pot it into container size of
the root ball and let establish for couple weeks. Use SUNSHINE-E to help the plant
recover from shipping stress and establish root system.
2) Apply SUNSHINE-Honey right before
flowering, and next time at setting fruit, to provide
sweeter and bigger fruit, eliminate fruit cracks and help
resist fungus and other fruit diseases.
3) Use balanced granulated fertilizer,
1 tsp per each gallon of soil. Apply once a month during
Spring-Summer season. This gives the plant balanced
macro-elements (NPK) necessary for overall plant health.
Do not use on fruit trees fertilizers with high Nitrogen
content.
4) Apply SUNSHINE SuperFood
micro-element booster to keep fruit trees vigorous,
develop strong root system and avoid deficiencies.
5) In case of signs of chlorosis (yellowing leaves with
darker veins), give the tree SUNSHINE-GreenLeaf and watch
the leaves turning green quickly.
After harvesting, don't forget to make another treatment
of SUNSHINE-Honey as a
preparation for the next year flowering and fruiting
season.
"Dirty"
fruit: According to the Environmental Working Group
research, Strawberries are top the list of the 12
"dirtiest" fruits and vegetables grown commercially.
Spinach is the second, followed by (in order of
contamination) nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches,
cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes and sweet bell
peppers. Each of these foods tested positive for pesticide
residues and contained higher concentrations of pesticides
than other produce. This causes of course chronic health
implications. Children are of special concern as younger
bodies have greater susceptibility to pesticides than
adult bodies, the report emphasizes. Pesticides may induce
chronic health complications in children, including neuro-
and behavioral problems, birth defects, allergies, asthma,
and even cancer...
"Clean
15": Avocados lead 2018's clean fruits and
veggies list, that also includes: mangoes, papayas, pineapples, kiwi, sweet corn, cabbage,
onions, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, eggplant, honeydew
melon, cantaloupe, cauliflower and broccoli.
Obviously, home grown fruit and vegetables are even
better. Such fruit as Custard Apples, Sapodilla, Sapote, Jackfruit, Dragon Fruit, Passion Fruit and other rare
varieties of tropical fruit, are even better for you
because they are not grown commercially, and the choice
from your own organic garden is the healthiest for
yourself and your family!
Plant them today and get your cleanest fruit tomorrow!
Q:
We love your website and products. Do you have mango trees
with different types grafted on one? We live in Hawaii and
have space for an interesting mango.
A:
Here is the truth about multi-grafted mangos. It is the
same issue as with multi-grafted citrus (so-called "fruit
cocktail trees"). In most cases, multi-grafted fruit trees
look beautiful and healthy for the first couple years if
that long. What happens next - the most vigorous variety
will take over others and eventually all other grafts will
die off or those branches stay retarded without sufficient
production. There is a solution though, if you have
limited space and still want to have several varieties to
enjoy. Plant 2-3-4 desired varieties into 1 hole! Of
course production of each tree will reduce due to the
crowded situation, but overall crop will be as much as
from one big tree. And you will have all kinds of tastes
to enjoy! Very often trunks of such trees grow in
together, but because of having separate root systems, all
trees will remain equally strong and vigorous.
Q:
I have a large fruit garden here in Florida with many
mango trees, avocadoes, guavas, and other tropical fruit.
Last year hurricane Irma and flooding killed a few avocado
trees, but mangos and guavas survived OK, but the sad part
is, very few flowers this year and almost no fruit
setting. I noticed on your website your Superfood and
Sunshine-Honey boosters that supposedly help fruiting? But
I am afraid it is too late now as your instructions say
first application must be in early Spring? I wish I
discovered earlier that my trees wouldn't want to fruit
this year...
A:
First of all, it is never late to give the food! You may
start applications of SUNSHINE products at any time
of the year. The best results will be achieved once you
treat your plants on regular basis throughout the whole
year cycle of metabolism.
Couple weeks ago we started harvesting our 2 guava trees.
These two are the same variety (Variegated Honeymoon),
planted within 20 ft from each other and growing in the
same conditions. The only difference was, one was treated
with SUNSHINE-Honey and SUNSHINE-SuperFood, and another
one didn't get any treats in order to have a control
plant.
Results are very interesting, see the picture. Both trees
were heavily covered with fruit. However the one with
treatments developed fruit that is much larger, much
sweeter and juicier, and the most interestingly - with
less seeds, almost no seeds!
To answer your question: yes, you can start feeding your
fruit trees right now. It is still a Springtime. Many
mango varieties have late season; even early varieties may
delay their fruiting if flowering triggered by
miscro-elements. Guavas have very long season and most
varieties can have multiple crops throughout Summer-Fall.
Here is a simple and affordable feeding schedule to
help your fruit garden recover from last year hurricane
stress, and establish reliable production:
1) SUNSHINE-E - for boosting
metabolism - once a month
2) SUNSHINE-Honey - for bringing
sugars to the heart of the tree and boosting fruit
sweetness and quality - now and in 2 weeks
3) SUNSHINE-SuperFood - for
overall health, recovering from hurricane and fixing root
damage from flood - now and every 2 weeks throughout warm
season.
4) You may apply regular balanced fertilizer NPK as
usual (we apply once a month, a handful per in-ground
tree)
It's that simple. Just try and watch your trees produce
again!
