Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
Date:
Top Tropicals Top House Plants
Photo above: Clerodendrum indoor garden of Ludmila Ezhova, St Petersburg, Russia.
Enjoy the Tropics Year round!
Bring them inside...
Q: I just discovered your amazing website and spent hours browsing your beautiful tropical plants! I wish I could have them all! But it's getting cold here (I live in Chicago area), too late? Can you recommend something of a small size, colorful, that I can easily overwinter indoors? Thanks for bringing this beauty into our lives!
A: Don't get discouraged even in colder climates. Yes, you can grow tropical plants indoors! Remember that all traditional houseplants are in fact tropical plants that grow in tropics in a wild habitat. Humans didn't invent them as indoor plants, they originally collected them from the rain forests and jungles! Most of tropical plants, including trees and fruit trees, can be grown in containers and even indoors. It's just a matter of space limitations and amount of time you are willing to spend caring of your exotic babies. Many gardeners up North are very successful with their tropical plant collections.
Below are a few suggestions of compact growing, easy species for your
indoor collection. Enjoy the Tropics Year round!
See more plants well-suitable for indoor culture and our specials at the end of this newsletter.
Photo above: small tropical indoor garden of Julia Nikolayeva, St Petersburg, Russia.
Date:
Cold hardy Aronia and its Superfruit:
a Magic gift from the Native Americans
by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats
...A very cold hardy fruiting plant (USDA hardiness zone 3-9), Chokeberry has been cultivated for ages as both ornamental and food plant. Enjoy them in an array of foods as they are rich in vitamins. Masses of fragrant, white flowers bloom in spring; gorgeous red fall colors and extra large berries follow the glossy summer foliage. Persistent, purplish black berries are high in nutrients and can be used for pies and jellies. This is one of the true super fruits, high in antioxidants with huge health benefits. This fruit is widely used in Eastern Europe in holistic medicine for lowering blood pressure. Fruit should be consumed with caution as excessive amount can cause significant and immediate blood pressure drop...
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Date:
Edible Landscape: fruit bearing hedge
Photo above: Biquinho Pepper (2 months old plant)
Q: My mom had to remove a hedge for some renovations and after being heartbroken about losing my little bird haven, I've decided to plan on a fruit bearing hedge that offers some privacy and places for the little fledgling to wait for food. Any suggestions? I was thinking blueberries or citrus but open to any ideas.
A: Below are a few suggestions for a fruit bearing hedge planted with fast-growing, tropical species. They will contribute to a nice edible landscape for both your family and the birds - they will be very happy!
Larger size hedge (small trees), grows full-size within 1
season:
- Loquats
- Dwarf Mulberries (very cold hardy too) such as Dwarf Everbearing
Medium size hedge (shrubs or vines), 2-3 seasons to grow full
size:
-
Black Surinam Cherry Lolita
- Blackberries and raspberries
Low hedge (4-5 ft tall, 1 season, fast growing):
-
Biquinho Pepper
- Wiri
Wiri Pepper
Citrus is probably not a good idea, not bird's favorite, and blueberries require a special acidic soil here in Florida, so they will need extra maintenance, special soil, and heavy mulching.
Surinam Cherry Lolita, 2 year old plant
Date:
A Native Virgin - Sweetbay Vanilla Magnolia
(Magnolia virginiana)
by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats
...Fossilized specimens one of Magnolias have been found dating to 20
million years ago. Magnolia virginiana as a true American pioneer - it was the
first magnolia to be scientifically described, and is the type species of the
genus Magnolia; as Magnolia is also the type genus of all flowering plants
(magnoliophytes), this species in a sense typifies all flowering plants...
...The flowers carry a very strong vanilla scent that can sometimes be
noticed several hundred yards away! Fresh off the tree, the flavor of leaves is
unique and fun to use. If you have a Florida Sweet Bay, your cooking will have
flavors folks outside Florida can never hope to duplicate. It likes moist
soils, so if you have a wet spot on your land - plant this tree. The lifespan
of individual trees has been estimated at 130 years! No bugs, no pests!..
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Date:
Mango Talk: How to prune mango trees for best shape and production
by Ed Jones, the Booster Guy
...Why should you prune your mango trees? There are a few reasons.
First, a good foundation is the key to strong growth and a shapely tree.
Second, if you get your mango tree started off on the right foot with a
strong foundation, it becomes much easier to keep it shaped nicely.
And third - it will be forced to produce more branches allowing for more
places for fruit production...
...We received our Mango tree in late February of 2020 as a relatively
small plant in 3 gal pot...
...The opening photo was taken just last week and you can see that as she
grows, her shape is very nice...
...She is now about 7' tall and just as wide. She has a great foundation
and a lot of branches. We also have less grass to mow. She also got her very
own marker painted on a brick:
...We have also enlarged the circle of mulched area under the tree to allow it to be able to get nutrients from it's SUNSHINE Boosters Mango Tango without having to compete with the grass. This is one mistake that I see frequently in my neighborhood with all trees...
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Date:
Hibiscus: TopTropicals' first plant
- September 2001 @ TopTropicals -
Q: I wonder how you started your plant business and what was your first plant?
A: It was 20 years ago this month that we started Top Tropicals Project. No idea where it was going or how to even get "there", just started with the idea of sharing these wonderful creatures we call plants with anyone and everyone who felt the same way.
Believe it or not, the first plant at TopTropicals was a hibiscus. Right
before we opened our plant nursery in Florida, we ran into a place called Winn Soldani's FANCY
HIBISCUS. The variety of colors inspired us to start our own tropical plant
business. We asked the owner Winn Soldani: what plants do you suggest us to
grow in Florida? His answer was, "Your plant will find you". Very soon we
discovered
jasmines, then perfume trees and fruit trees - all those became our specialty. Then very quickly
TopTropicals.com turned into a large Plant Mall where you can find every tropical plant you can think of!
But at TopTropicals we still grow hibiscus!
- September 2004 @ TopTropicals -
Hibiscus Plus
Hibiscus is a wonderful plant, considering there are thousands of
hybrids with color palettes you can only imagine. Especially interesting are those
rare and useful species, yet very easy to grow, such as:
- Salad Hibiscus - Hibiscus furcellatus - yes, used in salads
- Coral Hibiscus with crazy pendant flowers - Hibiscus schizopetalus
- African Cranberry hibiscus that is used for making teas and salads - Hibiscus
acetocella
- Cotton Candy Hibiscus mutabilis - the flower changes color, opens as white and turns
into bright pink within 3 days, like Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow
Photo above: Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy
Care of Hibiscus and other flowering tropicals
"If your plant isn't flowering, feed it."
- Winn Soldani, Fancy Hibiscus -
Among gardeners, Hibiscus plants have a reputation to have couple
maintenance issues:
1) they can get bugsy (because they must be so tasty!)
2) they can get leggy, especially fancy grafted cultivars, and after a
while they don't look as perfect as when they came from a nursery.
4 tips for healthy and pretty hibiscus plant
1. Full sun. Essential for profuse flowering and keeps away
diseases.
2. Pruning. Keep it pruned and it will get bushy and produce more
blooms.
3. Well-drained soil. Hibiscus likes regular watering but hates wet
feet.
4. Nutrition program. Hibiscus plants are heavy feeders. But keep in
mind that if you just keep pushing granulated plant food, you can
over-fertilize the plant. Excessive salts will accumulate in soil and you will end up
with a sickly looking plant.
Keys to balanced plant food and bloom booster
1) Use liquid fertilizer, preferably amino acid based, it won't create
nutrients lock up
2) Fertilize on regular basis, it's better dilute concentration and add
food with every watering
3) Always add micro-elements - they are essential for plant health
If you do this part right, the result will be:
- healthy, green plants, like they just came from a nursery
- reliable blooming circle
- better cold tolerance and disease resistance. Remember that a strong
plant will be less stressed and less "bugged" by bugs!
We always suggest Sunshine Boosters - scientifically balanced liquid fertilizers that are amino acid based = they are natural and organic, can be used for both flowers and edibles, and what's most important - year around. They are safe to use virtually with every watering.
This is all you need for healthy plants and lots of flowers!
Date:
Fertilizer and the Fall Garden
by Ed Jones, the Booster Guy
...Well Labor Day has come and gone. Summer is winding down and depending on where you live, thoughts are now turning to pumpkin spice, witches, fall decor and gardening. Wait, did I just say gardening? Yes, if you live in the deep south, and I do, it is time to think about fall gardening and fertilizer. Even those of you in the north can put in a few quick crops now for fall. Think onions, radishes, lettuce and other greens and of course, garlic...
Next month, we can start putting out our plants that do better in cooler
weather. We will put out some beans and of course cabbage. We may do some
potatoes too. What do you like to grow?
But what about fertilizer? Glad you asked. Now, most of us have our
favorite brand of fertilizer. Some of us had some secret fertilzers that we used in
the past. For me it was composted alpaca manure. Yes, we raised alpacas in
the north, but that is another story for another day....
...Once the temperatures have begun to drop, it is better to use a good
liquid fertilizer. The one I will be using this year is SUNSHINE Robusta. SUNSHINE Robusta is an organic amino acid based
liquid fertilizer that is safe to use with every watering. It uses amino acids to
chelate (bind) micro-nutrients and makes it easier for plants to take them up
from the soil. Most fertilizers use EDTA to chelate their micro-nutrients
and plants must use about 4 times more energy to break them down than they do
with SUNSHINE Boosters. This means that your plants will have more energy to
put into growth. And isn't that what we are after?
With Special Seasonal price for 16 oz bottle reduced to only $19 with FREE
shipping, this is your best choice of organic, safe fertilizer for your
vegetable garden!..
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Date:
Nepenthes: Deadly Traps of Monkey Cups
by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats
...The name "monkey cups" refers to the fact that monkeys were once
thought to drink rainwater from the pitchers. This is false; monkeys do not drink
from them, and the pitchers are filled with digestive juices, rather than
rainwater. The trap contains a fluid of the plant's own production, which may
be watery or more viscous, and is used to drown the prey...
...The lower part of the trap contains glands which absorb nutrients from
captured prey. Along the upper inside part of the trap is a slick, waxy
coating which makes the escape of its prey nearly impossible...
...Prey usually consists of insects, but the largest Nepenthes species may
occasionally catch small vertebrates, such as rats and lizards. Records of
cultivated plants trapping small birds have been made!..
CONTINUE READING >>
Date:
Those mouthwatering Blackberries...
Blackberry Patch Bundle Exclusive Collection
Two Collections of Superior Blackberry Varieties, well adopted to tropical and subtropical climates. Mouth watering, all time favorite fruit will be always with you - these plants are so easy to grow!
Blackberry Patch Bundle Exclusive Collection - buy 3 get 2 free.
The Collection includes 5 blackberry varieties: Navaho, Osage, Ouachita,
Triple Crown Thornless, Iceberg White Blackberry.
Blackberry Patch Bundle Premier Collection - buy 3 get 2 free.
The Collection includes 5 blackberry varieties: Arapaho, Caddo, Kiowa,
Natchez, and Prime-Ark Freedom.
Mouth Watering High Protein Blackberry Cobbler
Ingredients
25g light butter
45g self-rising flour
33g vanilla whey
20g egg whites
50g almond or cashew milk
75g blackberries
Stevia/Splenda to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter half-way so it's just warm, not hot. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for blackberries. Pour into a 4-5" ramekin sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle blackberries on top of batter and bake for 15-20 minutes. It's best slightly gooey on the inside (not completely cooked). Enjoy!
Date:
Tropical Fruit Collections
September is a great month to plant. The soil is warm and the air is beginning to get cooler which helps to encourage new roots to grow. For much of the Country, September typically brings more opportunity for additional rain and moisture, allowing you to water less. Take advantage of this time of year to establish new plants in your gardens!
Tropical Fruit Starter Collection
Tropical Fruit Starter Collection - 4 plants for price of 2.
Tropical Fruit Starter set for half price! Rare tropical fruit trees that
are easy to grow even for beginners. Start today to get fruit of your labor
tomorrow! The Collection includes 1 of each: Fig, Banana, Mulberry, and
Pomegranate.
Ficus
carica - Fig Brown Turkey
Musa -
Banana Double Mahoi
Morus
sp. - Mulberry, Dwarf Everbearing
Punica
granatum - Pomegranate var. Eversweet
Super Foods Bundle
Super Foods Bundle Collection - 4 plants for price of 2
Super Foods Bundle for half price! Get health foods right from your
backyard. Start today to get healthy tomorrow! The Collection includes 1 of each:
Goji Berry, Spice Ginger, Pomegranate, Tropical Asparagus (Katuk).
Lycium
barbarum - Goji Berry
Zingiber officinale - Spice Ginger
Punica
granatum - Pomegranate var. Eversweet
Sauropus androgynus - Katuk, Tropical Asparagus
Rare Fruit Collection
Rare Fruit Collection - 4 rare plants for half price.
Rare Fruit Set for Real Collectors - for half price! Hard to find, much
wanted species all at once at low cost! Limited time offer. The
Collection includes 1 of each: Chocolate Tree, Vietnamese Pepper, Peanut Butter Tree,
Jackfruit.
Theobroma cacao - Chocolate tree
Piper
sarmentosum - Vietnamese Pepper, Lalot
Bunchosia argentea - Peanut Butter Tree
Artocarpus heterophyllus - Jackfruit Super Thai