Zero Sugar fruit: forget lemonade - new perfect summer drink discovered! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.
Zero Sugar fruit: forget lemonade - new perfect summer drink discovered!
Costa Rican Guava, Cas Guava - Psidium friedrichsthalianum
Zero Sugar fruit: forget lemonade - new perfect summer drink discovered!
🍋 Costa Rican Guava, or Cas Guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum) is the boldest fruit you can grow for refreshing drinks. Its flavor is sharp, tangy, and unforgettable - perfect for anyone who loves acidic fruit. Cas Guava has sugar at all, unless you decide to add some.
🍋 The trees are super prolific - even young ones fruit heavily, and we make gallons of juice at Top Tropicals.
🍋 The best part? You can freeze the fruit or boil it into a concentrate with a bit of sugar. That drink lasts in the fridge for months without going bad, thanks to Cas Guava’s natural antibacterial punch.
🍋 Cas Guava juice is Costa Rica’s traditional Agua de Cas - tart, refreshing, and perfect for summer heat. And if you save enough, you’ll still be sipping it through the winter.
♨️ Agua de Cas Quick Recipe We boiled this fruit and the drink lasted for months!
▫️Boil halved fruits in water with sugar to taste
▫️Simmer 5-10 minutes, let sit, then mash the softened fruit to release all the flavor
▫️Strain through a colander, bottle, and refrigerate - just dilute with water when serving
✔️ Why choose Cas Guava?
• Packed with vitamin C - four times more than lemons - for a powerful immune boost.
• Rich in antioxidants to combat stress and inflammation.
• Hardy and low-maintenance, thriving in poor soils and resisting pests.
Cocoplum: secret fruit in your hedge. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.
Cocoplum: secret fruit in your hedge
Bahamas Cocoplum - Chrysobalanus icaco
🍒 Cocoplum: secret fruit in your hedge
🍒 Most people think Cocoplum is just a boring hedge plant: Bahamas Cocoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco). Thick, green, easy to trim - great for privacy. But hidden in all that greenery? Super-sweet plum-like fruit that are edible and very tasty! They look like small plums and come in pink, purple, or white when ripe.
🍒 Cocoplum is native to Florida and has been quietly feeding people for generations, long before it became a landscaping go-to. The fruit is mild, a little sweet, and great for snacking or making into jam.
🍒 Cocoplum isn't just a tasty surprise - it comes with some health perks too:
▫️Rich in antioxidants - especially anthocyanins, which give the purple fruit its color and help fight free radicals in the body.
▫️Good source of fiber - helps with digestion and keeping you full.
▫️Contains vitamin C - supports your immune system and skin health.
▫️Low in calories - great for snacking without guilt.
▫️So when you bite into a Cocoplum, you're not just tasting Florida - you're getting a little wellness boost too.
🍯 Quick Cocoplum Jam:
🔸2 cups ripe Cocoplums
🔸1 cup sugar
🔸1 cup water*
🔸1 tbsp lemon juice
🔸Mash it all up, cook on low 20-30 minutes until thick. Cool and enjoy!
*To make a delicious summer drink, add 10 cups of water and just get to boil. Let sit 2 hrs, mash up, drain fruit and cool to enjoy.
So next time you walk by a Cocoplum hedge, check for fruit. There might be a free snack waiting for you!
From seed to fruit. How to grow Loquat from seeds, step-by-step guide. Part 2: after germination. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.
From seed to fruit. How to grow Loquat from seeds, step-by-step guide. Part 2: after germination
Loquat tree (Eriobotrya japonica) - fruit
✍️ From seed to fruit. How to grow Loquat from seeds, step-by-step guide. Part 2: after germination
Continued from previous posts⤴️
🍑 4. Transplanting Seedlings
▫️When to Transplant: Once seedlings reach about 2-4” (5-10 cm) in height.
▫️Transplanting and fertilizing: Move each seedling to its own pot and add controlled release fertilizer (Green Magic is the best), or use liquid balanced fertilizer Sunshine Boosters after 1-2 weeks once the seedlings establish.
▫️Watering. Keep soil in a pot slightly moist but not soggy
▫️Temperature. Keep seedling warm - above 70F (21C), and protect from extreme heat over 90F (35C) . For small plants, avoid freezing temperatures during winter. As the seedlings get bigger, they get higher drought-, heat- and cold tolerance. Established Loquat trees (2-3 years and older) may take light freezing temperatures.
▫️Planting in the ground. You can plant the seedling in the ground when it reaches 2-3 ft tall (50-100 cm) in frost-free areas. During chill winter nights, young seedlings can be cold protected until established.
🍑 5. Sunlight Requirements
▫️Light Exposure: Loquat established seedlings thrive in full sun but can tolerate partial shade. Start seedlings in bright shade and protect from afternoon hot sun to avoid leaf burn. Once seedlings are established and new growth appears (2-4 weeks), gradually move them to full sun.
▫️Why adequate sunlight (full sun) is important:
- promotes healthy growth
- helps to avoid fungus and insect problems
- is critical for future flowering and fruit production
🍑 6. Fruit production
▫️Loquat seedlings start producing seed within 3-4 years from seed, providing adequate sunlight, warm temperatures and regular irrigation.
▫️Grafted Loquats start producing right away or the next year
▫️Fruit will develop over the winter and ripen from March through May depending on location
