Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster

Feeding Indoor Plants

Q: I am moving all my potted plants indoors as weather is cooling down. I still have Sunshine Boosters that I got from you in Summer. Do I need to continue fertilizing and how often, or should I wait until Spring?

A: Indoor plants add a vibrant warmth to your home, and can even improve the air quality. But most importantly, indoor plants give you access to year-round gardening. While majority of house plants are easy to maintain, they still require proper care to thrive.
Too many gardeners overlook the importance of fertilizing plants indoors. However, proper feeding is essential to grow healthy, vibrant plants. With outdoor plants nature sends rain and a plant will send new roots to find food, an indoor plant is limited to only what you will give it. That is why it is essential to feed your plants a healthy nutritious meal even indoors.
Many granular and slow-releasing fertilizers will recommend that you only feed your plants occasionally, but this is not the healthiest for plants, since they need to "snack" every day to satisfy their daily nutrient needs. When you feed a plant a large meal rarely, it cannot absorb the nutrients effectively, leftovers creating build up in soil (it's called "locked up nutrients") and that is why we specifically designed our fertilizers to be a light, daily nutritious meal for your plants - Sunshine Home for houseplants...

The truth about Sensational Monstera Thai Constellation

"Nothing's making sense anymore. It's gotten out of control"

Painting above: "Thai Constellation Monstera deliciosa" with acrylic paint on textured background by Audrey Ehlinger - participant of the 2020 Tropical Plant Art Contest

Variegated Monstera... Now that this Sensational plant deserves even its own works of art, it is time to admit: this beauty is probably one of the most surprising phenomena in the history of rare plant industry.

Many plant collectors noticed the craziness around this unusual variegated cultivar of Monstera deliciosa - Thai Constellatio. Top Tropicals was the first plant nursery that originally introduced this variety into the US tropical plant market a few years ago. Since then, popularity of this plant went above and beyond any expectations. Everybody wants this plant! Yet it is nearly impossible to propagate, with the only somewhat successful method as Tissue Culture. Besides, in order to create a viable batch, one must use cells from the stem only. Considering this plant grows about 2 inches a year (in favorable conditions), this leaves us with very limited propagation material... Who can sacrifice their unique mature plant for a knife of a propagator? Let us know if you have any extra you can share ;)

No wonder very quickly Thai Constellation had become a commodity plant, or even better - an asset compared by some people to a real estate bubble... Some collectors sell cuttings for $2,000 each. People pay up to $250 per leaf of this plant... Crazy? Maybe. But being rare plant collectors, we all know the feeling! Check out this article:

It's Better Than The Stock Market: A Massive Bubble Is Forming In The Rare Plant Market...

Thai Constellation available for sale:

The good news is - we have a few plants. They are in 4" pots. Small, but well-established. The price is not cheap. It is what it is - this is what it costs us to obtain these plants from Thailand. This is the last batch for a long while, no more available even at this price, since the growers can't find enough propagation material to satisfy the market. Next batch expected from tissue culture is probably 2022. We have over 400 customers on wish list for this plant.If you really NEED IT, order right now!

3-years old Monstera Thai Constelation from Top Tropicals personal collection

Healthy Plants. Q&A from Mr Booster: How to get Ylang Ylang to flowering

Q: I am writing in reference to my Ylang ylang tree. I purchased this from top tropicals a few years ago and although the plant is doing well, I don't see any flowers yet. Can you tell me when it will flower? Do I need to do something special for it to flower?

A: Cananga odorata, Ylany Ylang tree, takes a few years until it starts flowering, hopefully it will bloom for you any time soon.
However, keep in mind that it may be a bit challenging for a potted plant. In natural conditions, this is a large tree that requires lots of room not only for the tree itself, but also for the root system. It is still possible to get Cananga odorata to bloom in container, considering the plant has all necessary nutrients for flowering. Here is the trick.

When grown in the ground, root system can reach out to all necessary elements in surrounding soil (considering soils are not too poor on necessary elements). In a pot, a supply of nutrients can be exhausted very quickly, so a quality fertilizer program is very important. Fertilizer must include all necessary nutrients in easy accessible (soluble) form, and a plant must have their constant supply for proper development.

SOLUTION:
prescribe Ylang Ylang tree the following combination of plant food:

- SUNSHINE Pikake - Fragrant Flower Booster
It will provide well-balanced amounts of high absorption Phosphorus (P) and Nitrogen (N), as well as Potassium (K) - to provide enough flowering energy to the tree, plus a combination of all necessary micro-elements. It is safe to apply this fertilizer as frequent as with every watering, including winter time.

- SUNSHINE-Honey - sugar booster This supplement has a high content of elements Mo and B - once the tree starts getting them on regular basis (a few times a year, according to the label), it will trigger flower production.

You may also consider getting dwarf varieties of Ylang Ylang that starts flowering in container right away:
Cananga fruticosa - Dwarf Ylang-Ylang Currently these high demand plants are sold out, but new plants are establishing and will be ready for sale within couple months. You may add your email to wishlist ("Notify me when available") to get notification as soon as we have it back in stock.
Ylang Ylang vines also start flowering within a year.

PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: the mischievous Jim the Second

In May 2020 we celebrated 16th birthday of Jim the Founder - the Cat who established TopTropicals. It broke our hearts when this Old and Wise Purrrson peacefully passed away this August :(( We want to believe that he is now in Cat Paradise... but we miss him terribly - both humans and PeopleCats. Google the Cat lost his appetite and went into a deep depression after he lost his best buddy... To get him distracted from his separation stress, we decided that Google needs... a Project.
Here he is. Jim the Second. About a month ago we found him in a Human Society shelter. He was a tiny fur ball size of a palm of a hand. But he proudly carries his Godfather's name, for a reason - he likes to EAT - just as much as Jim the First. He eats 3 times more than Google, and he talks a lot. And of course, he pulls everyone's tail, and kicks everything that is kickable...
The Veteran Google complains that young generation of PeopleCats nowadays are nothing but trouble... but they've become friends anyway! Google feels much happier now. He just took Jim Jr to his first walk outside to the lake and showed him some fishing techniques...
Bon voyage Little Jim, you soon will master it all! As Mr Booster claims, Orange Cats Bring Happiness!

TopTropicals PeopleCat Club and Zoo

Thank you for supporting us in helping PeopleCat Community!
Make your kind donation today and receive a surprise gift from us! Every little bit helps. Thank you and God bless you and your pets!

Healthy Plants. Q&A from Mr Booster: Fertilizing Mango trees in Winter

Q: I'm living in Maryland growing zone 7A and would like some info on when to fertilize my potted mango trees. I ordered your Sunshine Mango Tango 2-2-4. All your mango trees are in pots.

A: You can start using this fertilizer right away, any time of the year, and every time you water your plants.
Sunshine Mango Tango, as well as other Sunshine boosters, is an amino-acid based liquid fertilizer that is scientifically developed for daily plant needs in all necessary nutrients. This means, you may use this fertilizer with every watering, including winter period.
Traditional fertilizers (both granulated and soluble, EDTA-chelated) can only be used during hot months while plants grow actively, and must be limited or not used at all during cooler months, to avoid nutrient lock up in soil (which basically means "building up unused elements"). With Liquid Sunshine Boosters, it is safe to add them every time you water your tree.
During cooler weather and when plant metabolism slows down, a tree will consume less water (as well as food), and you will automatically reduce watering, to keep over-wintering plants on a dry side. This means, less fertilizer too. This allows you to control elements intake naturally, like you control water amount just as much as the plant needs.