- SUNSHINE Superfood microelements as foliar spray for healthy growth,
profuse flowering, and disease/bug resistance
-
SUNSHINE-E to help plants come out of dormancy faster and increase metabolism. 100 ml bottles and 50 ml
bottles available for large plant collections.
-
SUNSHINE-Honey to fruit trees so you can enjoy sweeter and bigger fruit later this year
4. If nights are still chilly, take potted plants outside to enjoy the
afternoon sun and bring them back indoors for the night.
Growing Nutmeg from seed: secrets of successful germination
Q: I
received a Nutmeg nut and I am wondering do I need to open a hard shell before
planting it? Any other tips on growing nutmeg from seed? When will you have
Nutmeg plants for sale?
A: We just
received fresh nutmeg seeds from Sri Lanka and planted them right away, so
we should have Nutmeg plants by Spring/Summer. These are some tips on how to
make germination a success:
- nutmeg seeds are viable only for a few weeks after harvesting so
plant them as soon as possible.
- wash the seed and soak it in warm (100F) water with a few drops of SUNSHINE-S
booster that improves germination. Soak for up to 24 hours. You may use
a thermos to keep it warm.
- there is no need for scarification. The outer shell of nutmeg is
hard, however, it is not thick so the water will penetrate easily. On the photo
above, you can see 2 seeds: the one on the right expanded twice in size after
sozking.
- Plant in a porous soilless mix, preferably light seed germination mix, in 4-6" pot, and keep moist but not soggy. You
may cover the pot with plastic to keep moisture in.
- Unless you are germinating the seed in hot tropical conditions, you
should use bottom heat - 80-85F. A heating pad is the best solution (make sure
it doesn't have a timer that automatically shuts it off). For safety, use
GFI protected electric outlets since you will be watering the pot.
- Be patient and allow a few weeks for germination. Once the seed
sprouted, keep it in bright filtered light and apply SUNSHINE Superfood to young seedling, along with a small dose of Slow Release Fertilizer, for kickstart.
- Move the seedling out in bright sun light once the temperature
outside is above 70F.
We have a very long waiting list for Nutmeg plants (item 3878) and seeds (item 6203), so you may reserve one for yourself using our Wishlist
form; this way you will be notified immediately when we have the plants in
stock, as they won't last long. A few seeds are still available for sale,
order now while they are fresh:
Q: I am in
Texas, it is getting cold, but I bought these seeds the last two packs, as I
didn't want to miss them, was looking for a long time and found you had
them. Should I wait until spring to plant them?
A: You can
grow tropical plants from seed year round and don't have to wait until warm
weather outside. It is, in fact, beneficial to start tropicals indoors in a
controlled temperature, moisture and humidity. Seeds of some species are very
sensitive to excess water and/or require a certain range of temperature for
germination... Besides, it's so much fun!
First, read the basics: Happy Hobby: growing tropicals from seeds
Advantages of indoor growing from seed
It is easier to keep under control indoors:
1) Temperature and Light. Although many tropical seeds require
higher temperature and bright light for germination (hot sun may help), it may
be hard to avoid overheating and drying out when you put trays in full sun.
Using heat pads and additional lighting indoors makes germination smooth, even
may take a little longer than in hot sun.
2) Soil moisture. If you ever lost your seeds or tiny seedlings
to a heavy summer rain, you sure will appreciate your own moisture-controlled
environment! Just make sure to use the right soil mix.
3) Air humidity. Indoor air is drier than outside. It may not be
best for some tropical plants, but definitely perfect for seed health - they
will never get moldy considering you keep your eye on the plantings.
4) Pre-treatment. Some seeds require scarification (sanding down
hard shell), others stratification (cold treatment), but all seeds will
benefit from
SUNSHINE-S soak before planting. It is easier to do in your home lab.
Based on our experience, using Sunshine pre-treatment reduces the risk of
fungal damage and improves germination from 30 to 65%.
5) After germination culture. Watching seedlings closely in your
home environment and giving them all that is needed for healthy, fast growth
- miscroelements and first fertilizer - will help to establish young plants just in time before
planting them out in Spring-Summer.
Q: I was
always wondering how you guys manage to grow true tropical trees in Florida? I
live in Puerto Rico and we have Breadfruit trees growing here in a wild... but my sister lives not far
away from you, in Orlando, which is much colder, and I wonder if I can get
her a
Breadfruit tree for Christmas?
A: Your
sister can grow a Breadfruit tree in Orlando either in a pot (and bring it indoors during
cold periods) or in the ground inside a structure (an elclosed conservatory
with heating system). See our customer's Greenhouse in Virginia. Cold protection of tropical plants is a lengthy
subject and we have many interesting publications about it in our managine
Tropical
Treasures and on the website. In a nutshell, when growing tropicals outside of
tropical climate, you need to follow these 7 rules:
Cut watering to a minimum. Cold+wet kills tropical roots.
Water thirsty plants before a cold night. Jucy leaves have fewer
chances to be cold-zapped.
Wind protection is more important than a temperature drop. Plant
tropicals close to a house or surrounded by other trees.
Duration of a cold period is more critical than the cold itself. If
expecting long cold hours, bring up all available protection resources.
Christmas lights or propane heaters - as long as there is a heat source,
everything helps!
Remove plastic covers during the daytime so plants don't get
"cooked" in the sun. Fabric covers are better than plastic.
Grow ultra-tropicals in containers and bring them inside the garage
or even indoors during the cold.
Q: When I
visited Thailand I bought this huge fruit at the market and the taste was
amazing and unique! Now I see you have this Jackfruit tree for sale. I am
excited to grow it but not sure if it will survive our winters. I live in Huston,
TX. Also are there any special conditions required for successful fruiting?
A:Jackfruit indeed is one of the most fascinating tropical fruit. In
spite of reputation being ultra tropical, the tree is not as cold sensitive as
everyone believes. Mature trees can withstand light frost for a few hours
without significant damage. The only thing, after cold snaps it may be not as
profuse producer as in frost-free climates. Keeping Jackfruit in a pot is also an
option in colder areas. The tree is quite unique not only about fruit but
also about growth habit. The fruit is so large and heavy that the tree has a
smart feature to produce only at the base of the trunk. This makes it possible
to keep Jackfruit tree at very short height - 6-7 ft tall. We have many
varieties of Jackfruit, and all of them can be grown in containers considering
regular topping/pruning.
Amazing root growth after treatment of SUNSHINE-SuperFood!
This Sansevieria grandis leaflet planted indoors in a plastic cup was
treated with SuperFood once a week, along with regular monthly N-P-K, for a
couple of months. On the photo, you actually see not just a ginormous root but a
whole new plant started forming through the colossal size root sucker trying
to find its way out. A pretty impressive result for a small plastic cup! The
cup was protected from the sunlight, sitting inside of a dark planter. The
plant received filtered light sitting on a windowsill with Eastern
exposure.
Q: What is
the best time to start tropical plants from seeds? Should I wait till
spring?
A: If you
want to feel happier, get into gardening. If you want to feel God, start
plants from seeds and watch New Life grow from a tiny grain. Fall is a perfect
time to start tropicals from seed.
Traditionally, people prefer sowing seeds in Spring, especially
temperate species for a vegetable garden: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers... My
grandmother up North started them in early Spring in paper cups on a windowsill,
then once the temperatures went just above freezing, she planted them out in the
garden beds, and that early start always helped her to have the best early
crop in the neighborhood.
When we deal with tropical plants, "just above freezing" is not warm
enough. Which means you have to grow small babies indoors for quite a while,
providing additional heating when needed. Heating pads always work best. If you
keep your living space around 75F (ideal for many species), this is a
perfect temperature to get your seeds started. Tropical plants are not like annual
tomatoes that try to grow through the season as fast as possible. They take
time. So the sooner you start, the more chances to get small seedlings just in
time when Spring air outside is "warm enough" for those tropicals - at least
in 70's.
A great advantage of starting tropical seeds indoors is controlled
temperature and moisture. In the plant world, environment extremes are not good
for the germination process. Mild conditions of your home or a greenhouse
create better chances for successful growth. Seeds won't get overheated in the
hot Summer sun, and won't rot because of a sudden heavy rain. Just keep in mind
that some species require light for good germination.
For the best seed germination:
- Use only well-drained mix - we recommend special Seed Germination Mix #3, professional grade. Put seeds not too deep
(1/2 inch deep or less) to allow air circulation
- Soak large seeds for a few hours with Sunshine-S solution
- Keep warm (75-85F) and in bright light
- Keep soil slightly moist but not soggy
- Apply micro-element booster SuperFood to baby seedlings for vigorous growth
Improving cold hardiness before
winter: fertilizer and micro-elements
Q:
I live in New Jersey and it is getting cool here, with
temperatures in the upper 40s, but my tropical plant
collection is in a heated sunroom (still around 70s).
Should I continue fertilizing my plants? And if yes, my
second question about deciduous Sugar Apple tree. Should I
continue fertilizing it until it drops leaves?
A:
First of all, even though you live outside tropical
climate, your plants enjoy warm temperatures year round,
and can be treated like if they were in a Southern
garden.
Plant nutrients, both macro-elements (regular
fertilizer) and micro-elements (such as iron, manganese,
magnesium, copper, and other elements) play an important
role not only in overall plant health but also in plant
hardiness.
The rule of thumb is, even in warm climates we cut off
any fertilizer by the end of October. You still have
time for the last treatment this year (next will be in
March, or when your plants start showing new growth).
You may apply just a bit of slow-release granulated
fertilizer, or water-soluble by foliar spray, diluted
1/2 of label strength, to all evergreen species in your
collection.
The most important application before winter is
micro-elements and other plant boosters that will help
you plant collection survive winter months with a
shorter daylight and cooler temperatures. Now it is a
perfect time to make these simple steps:
1) Miscro-element applications, any one of: Superfood, Iron Supplement, Greenleaf.
2) Sunshine-T application: for
improving cold hardiness, plus immune system resistance
to insects and deceases.
3)
Sunshine-Honey application for all fruit trees to
encourage bigger and sweeter fruit next year.
Regarding your second question. Deciduous tropical
plants like Annonas, Adeniums, Plumerias, etc - do not
need regular fertilizer at this time, however, go ahead
and apply microelements Superfood complex, as well
as Sunshine-Honey, while
leaves are still green. These two will give a kick-start
to provide better flowering in spring, and production of
sweeter fruit later.
This one is the most wanted variety with
elongated petals that are sweetly scented. Compact and
slow growing shrub, it makes a great houseplant and
flowers freely throughout the year. The most profuse
flowering is from Spring to Summer.
Called pikake in Hawaii, Jasmine sambac is the plant
used to flavor the jasmine tea and making perfumes.
Perfect houseplant takes both sun or shade, it is a
beautiful fragrant everbloomer for your home and garden.
Belle of India is a slow grower, with pale green pointed
leaves and double flowers with elongated narrow petals.
Prefers filtered light for a better look of the leaves,
but will tolerate full sun. In fact the more sun the
more flowers you get.
Secrets of successful culture:
1) use only well-drained potting soil
2) keep the plant a little bit on a dry side so roots
don't get too wet. Water again when the soil gets
slightly dry.
3) Use micro-element mix - SUNSHINE Superfood works
the best. It will keep leaves nice and green and induce
more profuse flowering.
Stay updated with TopTropicals Videos by
subscribing to our channel at
YouTube.com/TopTropicals and get our latest video
news of what is fruiting and blooming!
Sign up for Happy Miles Card and/or attend Harvest Fest and get
a FREE STARTER KIT for the Next Year Flower that
includes:
-
Sunshine S
-
fertilizer
- Literature on Sunshine, seed germination, fertilizer
and Soil
- A pot with professional seed growing mix
- Seeds of Cotton Candy Hibiscus - a
seed pod with lots of seeds inside.
Sign up for FREE Happy Miles card and get the kit RIGHT
NOW! Hurry up while supply lasts!
