Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Lucky Abu
"You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with
strange cats".
Colonial American Proverb
- our last Cat of The Day Itembi started with this quote... and guess what, it
proved right again!..
Right around the corner from TopTropicals, in the woods, Kristi noticed
a skinny poor cat... she looked so miserable, just bones and skin... she
could hardly walk and looked injured. And yet she had 2 kittens following her!
The Cat Family could use some meal and a warm home. Unfortunately they seemed
to be feral and wouldn't let Kristi pick them up.
Compassionate Kristi spend couple days brainstorming how to save these poor
PeopleCats in need. She ended up setting a trap and... bingo! The first
Little Purrson found its forever sweet home at TopTropicals!
...The cat groomer Lindsey came home from school. First bath time... the
kitty smelled like poop! Soon the bath time was over... Full of fleas, and it's
a boy!
Remember that every dollar you spend on TopTropicals plants, is split
between plant growers and PeopleCats who are our all-time companions and
helpers in our daily hard work! We thank our customers for buying plants and thank
our PeopleCats for keeping us cool, kind, and happy!
Q: I purchased an avocado tree from local garden centers three
times but every time it dies on me. My neighbor has a nice tree in his yard and
it grows beautifuly. I just purchased one online from you and I need to know
what I was doing wrong? Are there any secrets how to make an Avocado tree
happy? I have a big garden and several mango trees, but no luck with
Avocado...
A:Avocado tree is famous for being such a pain to establish. But once it
starts growing, it's growing! We will share a few simple tricks how to make
it right.
1. Plant high and provide good drainage. Wet feet is number one
reason for failing an avocado tree. It doesn't like wet soil and won't
tolerate soggy conditions. Plant it in the highest spot of your yard and slightly on
a "hill" (3-4" higher than the surrounding ground).
DO NOT plant Avocado tree in low spots or wet spots of your yard. Save
those spots for Cannas or Black Sapote or even a Mango if you want a fruit tree there. 2. Use quality soil. Use only well-drained soil with high content of
organic matter. You may add compost to existing sandy soil, or add some professional potting mix that contains pine bark and perlite. Remove
rocks from the hole if you see any while digging. Dig a big hole and fill it
with a good soil; compact the soil in the hole very well before setting the
root ball. Reminder: plant the tree high! 3. Water regularly. After planting an Avocado tree in a nice high
spot with a good drainage, start watering it... daily! Avocado likes water,
although it doesn't like wet feet! Once you figure out this combination, you've
got the recipe of success. Water by hand daily for the first week after
planting, then twice a week for couple weeks, then once you notice new growth -
you may rely on sprinklers, but keep watching the tree and don't let the soil
over-dry. It must be slightly moist, but not soggy. 4. Fertilize. For such finicky tree, we suggest mild formulas of
fertilizers. Dry fertilizers may burn roots, especially of a young tree. Even
smart-release granulated fertilizers should be used very carefully. The best
way to feed your young avocado tree - get a complete set of Sunshine Boosters Pro system. It has all necessary elements for all
stages of plant development and never burns the roots. Sunshine Boosters Pro can
be used with every watering - no need to guess how much and when. Besides,
it is a natural fertilizer based on amino acids - exactly what you want to use
on your fruit trees and other edibles! 5. Boost immune system of the tree. Apply Sunshine Epi plant hormone every 2 weeks as a foliar spray to boost
immune system and metabolism of the tree and protect it from diseases. Epi makes
plants (especially young plants) grow twice faster! It also enhances effect
of fertilizers by increasing plant metabolism. 6. Do not prune until you see significant growth. The tree is small
and can use as many leaves and branches as possible for photosynthesis and
healthy metabolism. We suggest to avoid pruning for at least the first year. On
the second year your tree most likely will be covered with flowers (assuming
you followed fertilizer program). Let it go through the blooming stage and
setting fruit; prune in Fall after fruiting is over. 7. Keep number of fruit to minimum for the first crop. Don't let the
small tree exhaust itself. Keep just 2-3 fruit to develop. The next year, no
need to control fruit quantity, the tree will develop as many as it can
support. P.S. If you got the tree from a mail-order, remember to establish it
in a pot before planting in the ground; move gradually from shade to sun.
Follow planting instructions.
Q: We have an early Spring here in Florida. All plants in my
garden flushing out new leaves and buds opening. Can I start fertilizing? I have
Mango, Avocado, Peach trees, many medicinal herbs and flowering shrubs: Angel
trumpets, plumerias, bromeliads. I prefer mild organic fertilizers; can you
suggest something that is safe for edibles and butterflies?
Q: As a rule of thumb, tropical gardeners start regular
fertilizing when the minimum temperatures (at night) go above 65F. Keep in mind that
Sunshine Boosters fertilizers can be applied year around because they
have mild formulas and used with every watering; during cooler period, you water
less frequently, so feeding is reduced accordingly. Another advantage of
Sunshine Boosters - they are natural (derived from organic amino acids which is
the basics of Life). They are safe for edibles as well as pollinating
insects.
Here is the feeding plan for your plants: 1. The most universal solution for all plants (both potted and
in-ground): get a complete set of Sunshine Boosters Pro system: Advantage-Pro for vegetative growth, BloomBoom Pro for flowering stage, and Ca-Support-Pro + Constanta-Pro as necessary daily supplements. You will need all these 4
components for your garden. 2. Start adding these liquid boosters with every watering according
to dozing directions and you will notice amazing growth boost within a
week. 3. Apply Sunshine Epi plant hormone every 2 weeks as a foliar spray to boost
immune system and metabolism of plants and protect them from diseases. Epi
makes plants (especially young plants and those "waking up" from dormancy)
grow twice faster! It also enhances effect of fertilizers by increasing plant
metabolism. 4. After cool winter temperatures, some plants may develop element
deficiencies like chlorosis (yellowing leaves). Additional microelement boost
can be provided with Sunshine Greenleaf (iron supplement) and Sunshine Superfood (micro-elements). 5. For additional boosting of flowering and setting fruit, use the
following individual boosters:
Sunshine Robusta - for foliage plants and when you need rapid vegetative
growth
Sunshine TotalFeed - for Plumerias and other fragrant plants
Sunshine Megaflor - for Brugmansias and other flowering heavy feeders
Sunshine C-Cibus - for improving fruit production and quality
Sunshine Honey - for sweeter fruit (must be applied 4-5 times a year) 6. For young/small plants (seedlings, rooted cuttings) as well as
tender tropicals like bromeliads, and orchids - Sunshine Bombino is a perfect choice due to its mild formula. 7. To save money, order complete sets rather than individual
boosters; you will be able to safe up to 40%! Sunshine Complete Nutrition System
Kits: Combo
Kit, and Pro Kit.
If you are a fan of organic gardening, do not use dry fertilizers. While
water-soluble and granulated (smart-realease) fertilizers are popular choice
in plant nurseries due to their convenience, they are not as safe as liquid
boosters because they create salt build-up in soil and have a high risk of
overdosing/burning plant roots, especially potted plants, plants at breaking
dormancy, at establishing, and at early stages of plant development. Besides,
dry fertilizers may affect the taste of your fruit and herbs. See advantages of liquid boosters over dry fertilizers.
Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Mister Booster
Everybody knows our Sunshine-colored Mister B, because... he is the Boss?... Not only that,
but he is also very intelligent Purrrson. After over a decade of running
TopTropicals marketing team, energetic Mr B decided to lead a new project: Sunshine Boosters.
What's in his store for us? He will guide you through his new website and show you around, where you can
find all kinds of good stuff for your plants. For many years, TopTropicals
customers have been enjoying the benefits of many effective plant supplements,
and today Mr B with Sunshine Boosters brings new formulas of scientifically
developed, natural, environmentally safe plant food for all your growing
needs!
- For home gardeners and professionals.
- For small plant collections and large commercial growing facilities.
- For flowers and fruit trees.
- For medicinal plants and vegetables.
- For all to be happy.
Please check out Mr Booster's website
, he worked really hard for the past year on making this project happen, and
helping the Earth to be a better, nicer, and safer place!
And for those of you who are growing your own business, Mr B would like
to help! He is offering
FREE samples for small business starters! He knows it's not easy to find a perfect nutrition system and make your growing a success. He is here to help!
On February 13-14, as a Valentines Day Special, Mr B is exhibiting his
new business Sunshine Boosters in Phoenix, AZ - in the Largest Arizona Expo! Don't miss our presentation seminar Feb 13th, Seminar Room #2, 1:45 PM: Precision growing with
Sunshine Boosters. For those who can not attend the show in purrrrson, the
presentation will be available for downloading from our website.
Looking for an unforgettable winter bloomer? Look no further than
Dombeya Seminole. This is truly one of the showiest landscape plants. This
beautiful shrub or small tree stuns with large clusters of showy, bowl shaped, pink
flowers in late fall, winter and spring. It has dense heart shaped leaves. It
is also called the tropical hydrangea because the flowers are similar to the
hydrangeas we all know and love from up North...
Q: I was getting ready to place my order and I saw this plant and
it's beautiful. I would love to have it. What does it need to thrive? As far
as light, temperature, humidity.
A: Jasminum rex indeed is a very unusual, spectacular jasmine.
Unlike other jasmines, this one has almost no fragrance, however the blooms
look so amazing that it became one of our favorite plants. Flowers are 2-3
inches across! It blooms profusely, covered with dozens of flowers for many
days to a few weeks.
Jasmine Rex is not the easiest jasmine to grow, however it is not difficult
either as long as you know its needs. The main critical factor is excellent
drainage. It doesn't like soggy soil or wet feet. At the same time it needs
regular watering. Full sun is also a must for flowering.
Humidity is not a critical factor. Remember it is a tropical plant that
needs frost-free environment. It is more cold sensitive than other jasmines
although it may survive a few hours of light frost.
Once established, it grows vigorously. Make sure to apply fertilizer during
active growth (when temperatures stay above 65F). We recommend Sunshine nutrition system through the whole year.
Additionally, you can apply flowering fertilizer Megaflor during summer.
Make sure to plant it in a sunny spot using very good quality soil, and do
not overwater.
Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: James Coconuts progress report
Many people asking about James Coconuts who used to be in charge of our Office and Customer
Service team. What is he doing now? Did he get a promotion?
We addressed this question to Coconuts and here is what he's got to say:
"Hi folks, I am doing just fine. Yes, I got a promotion and currently working in Sunshine Boosters Lab together with Mr
Booster (I just call him Mr B). We are developing a revolutionary Sunshine Plant Nutrition Program. It is important that your plants have
good food! I can tell from my own experience. When these nice people at
TopTropicals picked me up from the street couple years ago, I was nothing but
bone and skin... not even much fur. And look at me now! I am still working on my
work out, and my resolution for 2020 is to become even more fluffy, just
like that chick in the calendar! I think everyone should eat good... and do
good... Like someone said:
"Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good!" (Minor Myers Jr).
Datura: a fragrant treat for tropical or indoor
garden
Q: A few years ago I purchased Datura from you and it was doing well. As a matter of fact I took
cuttings and propagated new plants. Now they have markings on the leaves and I do
not know what it is. Any remedy?
A: Generally, Datura is a bi-annual plant, unlike its close
relative perennial Brugmansia that grows for many years. Which means, Datura is
short-lived (2-3 years maximum for the same plant) although it seeds easily and
is a very fast grower, reaching from seedling to 4-5 ft size in a matter of
couple months.
At this time of the year, markings on the leaves may be a result of normal
aging (the plant may already exhausted its natural cycle) in combination with
a cool weather that affects the leaves and overall look.
Here at Top Tropicals we especially love this plant and keep up with
propagating new plants every few months. Propagation may be by means of seeds or
cuttings, but seeds are always better for stronger, longer-lasting Datura
specimens. A lot of times you will notice little baby seedlings around the Mother
plant, even if you think all seeds has been harvested.
Just continue growing younger plants from seeds, and Datura will always be
with you in your garden to bring you joy of showy scented flowers. It makes a
great houseplant too!
Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Sonya, the Co-Author
In our previous newsletter, you met our editor/photographer tandem - Tilda & Marina. Today we introduce our columnist assistant - Sonya. For
the past decade, this True Norwegian Forest Cat has been a great helper and
inspirational co-author for Alexandra, TopTropicals website writer and social media blogger.
Alex has been with TopTropicals since Day One (2003). In 2011, she got
Sonya, a 3-month old kitten that someone kicked out: at that young age she
already had quite a temper of a real Wild Cat. No one wanted to adopt her and
Sonya was doomed to suffer a street life... So Alex invited her in the house...
and it took her many months to teach Sonya some good manners! And Sonya
turned into a beautiful and affectionate Purrrson as well as became the Boss in
the house (what a surprise, duh) and Alexandra's dearest life companion. Sonya also discovered her talent in writing plant stories for TopTropicals, sitting on Alex's shoulder and whispering into her ear while she is typing Sonya's horticultural tips. And when Alex stares at monitors for more than 5 hours, Sonya lays on her keyboard saying: "Now get up and get some stretch lady! Let's go re-pot some plants for a change!"
We will be following up on Sonya's creative work, and you will hear from her again soon...
...This is an extremely showy tropical plant with bunches of bright pink
blooms that will flower for months on end. What a stunning and colorful
plant! Showy should be its middle name. It is one of those plants that truly
evokes feelings of elegance and drama...
Medinilla apoensis - Philippine Pink is particularly rare and hard to find
in the trade. The flowers on this particular Medinilla is not hidden
underneath so it is not necessary to grow it in a hanging basket like so many other
species. It is a tall upright grower that will flower throughout the summer.
For all you obsessed collectors out there, do not hesitate. This Medinilla is
not in many US collections. The plants we have right now are at least 1-1.5
feet tall and are blooming size. Wink wink ;)
