Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
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When is the time to repot?
Q: According to your instructions, I understand that plants need to be placed in bigger pots. But my question is, say I plant each plant in 18in x 18 in x 18 inch square pots, how many weeks, months or years can the soil be good for these plants? When will it be time to change soil? Any specific soil recommendations?
A: Repotting is required usually once a year. It depends on the plant and growth rate of course. The best way to check if a plant needs stepping up is to check its root system. Carefully turn the pot upside down and pull the pot off the roots (make sure to support the plant from the bottom). If a root system is very dense, it is time to repot. It is an easy check with smaller plants; if a plant is large and hard to turn "upside-down", check drainage holes: if roots start growing through the holes, it is definitely time to step up. Make sure to use pot size only a few inches bigger in diameter than the existing one: just enough for the root system plus 2-3 inches extra space; do not use oversized pots to avoid root rot. Use only new quality potting soil and make sure it has perfect drainage characteristics. We recommend Professional Soilless Mix that contains soil conditioners such as aged pine bark and perlite, and contains a large percentage of coconut fiber that plants love the best. Coconut fiber is a perfect growing mix and considered a hydroponics media, you will never have problems with root rot.
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What are the most rare fruit trees?
Q: What is the rarest and unusual plant that you have? I want something special for my tropical fruit tree collection. I already have everything I could possibly get...
A: Are you sure you have everything? Check out our rare plant section, and look at these couple plants we just received... these won't last long, we have only a few!
Quararibea cordata - Zapote Chupachupa, South American Sapote (with express shipping)
Chupa-chupa, Zapote, South American Sapote... One of the most amazing and showy tropical fruit trees with huge heart-shaped leaves, heart-shaped fruit, and fast-growing habit. The fruit has a bizarre shape like a large breast with a nipple, and the pulp is very tasty. For best performance, the tree needs full sun, rich soil, plenty of moisture and fertilizer.
Garcinia mangostana - Mangosteen
Mangosteen... This delicious fruit has a thick, dark-red skin, inside which are creamy-white segments with a sweet, slightly tart flavor. Purported by many who have had the luxury of tasting it as being the best tasting fruit in the world.
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Caring of Soursop in container
Q: I have ordered dozens of trees from you and have a question about Soursop. I have a Soursop in a container and ants and aphids are under new leaves. Do Soursop like little water? I water almost everyday living in southern Los Angeles it's been around 76-80F. I spray the aphids and ants off with a mist setting on my hose. They come back every day. They're only on new leaves...
A: First of all, you don't have to remove the ants iа they
don't bother you. Ants are good insects, they do not harm plants; most likely
they are attracted by a sweet sap - aphid by-product. Ants clean up a plant,
and they may even take care of some bad insects.
It is not difficult to get rid of aphids. Use a safe treatment: in a
small spray bottle, mix 1 cup of warm water, 1 teaspoon of dish soap and 2
tablespoons of any cooking oil (if you have Neem oil or Horticultural oil - even
better, but prepare, they are pretty stinky). Spray the leaves with this
solution to a dripping point. Repeat in a few days if needed. This simple remedy
will take care of the aphids.
Daily water may be ok for the plant during hot weather, as long as the
soil is not constantly moist. Let the surface of the soil get a little dry
between waterings.
Recommended fertilizers for fruit trees:
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
SUNSHINE-Honey - for sweeter fruit
SUNSHINE SuperFood - microelement supplement
Date:
Tabernaemontana africana - a bush or a tree?
Q: I received a Tabernaemontana africana, but it is not the compact cultivar, from the photo, this is definitely the tree version, not the compact version?
A: The plant in your picture is Tabernaemontana africana and it is a shrub version, not a tree. The
plants we have in stock are smaller size but very vigorous so they can be
trained into standards.
We have this plant in our garden in the ground (3 years old) and by now
it bushed out and remains under 4 ft without any pruning. Just keep in mind
this plant requires regular applications of micro-elements, because the
species is very susceptible to iron deficiency.
The supplement we use, in case you notice any leaf yellowing, is Sunshine-Superfood.
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How to grow Parijat indoors in winter
Q: I purchased Parijat plant last year spring. It had good growth in Summer, after that I kept the plant inside the house in winter. A couple of weeks it was ok, after that the plant lost leaves. What is a better idea for growing Parijat plant indoors in Winter?
A: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Parijat - is a semi-deciduous plant, which
means, it may lose its leaves during unfavorable conditions such as drought,
cold, low light and/or humidity. In your case, the plant dropped leaves because
of the stress of moving indoors that includes reducing light and humidity
levels. When a tropical plant loses leaves during winter, this means it goes
into a dormant stage. If this happens, you need to reduce watering and keep the
plant on a dry side, water in only when the top level of the soil feels dry
to touch. Do not fertilize.
Try to place the plant in a well-lit spot such as a windowsill. If the
windowsill and the window glass feel too cold for touch during wintertime,
you may place a sheet of a Styrofoam underneath the pot, and a sheet of a
bubble-wrap between the plant and the window glass, to create an extra barrier
from cold. The plant may re-leaf during wintertime; if not, it may wait until
spring, be patient.
Bring it back into outdoor light when minimum temperatures rise above
65F and resume fertilizing.
Recommended fertilizers for fragrant plants:
Pink N Good Daily Plant Food - Flower Booster
Plumeria Top Dress - Smart-Release Booster
SUNSHINE SuperFood - microelement supplement
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Agave amica? Polianthes tuberosa...
"A tuberose by any other name would smell as sweet..."
by Mark Hooten, the Garden Doc
A: Recently, we received a beautifully grown batch of Polianthes tuberosa, all in one gallon pots. These are commonly called
Tuberose in the cut-flower trade. I was so happy to see them that I could
hardly contain myself from exploding with joy! It had been such a number of
years since I have even seen this plant that I had nearly forgotten about its
existence. I first grew it as a little kid "up north", after seeing it listed in
an old-fashioned mail-order catalogue, probably Gourney's. I remember doing
things like mowing neighbors lawns and shoveling snow from driveways in-order
to save enough money so that toward spring I could order a few things from
those plant catalogues...
Continue reading...
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Grafted or seedling?
Photo: Mr Barcy meditating before planting Nutmeg seeds
Q: I planted an avocado seed and it sprouted quickly, it has been only a couple months and I already have a small plant. How soon will it produce fruit? Can I grow other tropical fruit from seed?
A: Unfortunately, some fruit trees, including varieties of
avocado, mango, lychee, as well as apples and peaches - must be either grafted or
air-layered in order to produce, for 2 main reasons:
- seedlings may take a very long time until fruiting, up to 10-15 years
- seedling gives no guarantee on the quality of the fruit or variety
These fruit trees should be propagated as "clones" - both grafted
material or cuttings are actually copies of the mother plant and will keep the
same fruit qualities. Grafted trees usually start producing immediately.
However there is a number of fruit trees that come true from seed, and
take a very short time to start flowering. Jackfruit, Annonas (Sugar Apple, Guanabana, etc), Papaya, Icecream Bean, Eugenias start producing at a young age (3-4 years from seed).
Recommended fertilizers for fruit trees:
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
SUNSHINE-Honey - for sweeter fruit
SUNSHINE SuperFood - microelement supplement
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Monster hybrids of Monstera: juvenile and mature
by Mark Hooten, the Garden Doc
Q: I am a rare plant collector and obtained a very interesing cultivar of Monstera from you that says it's a hybrid Monstera adansonii x obliqua. Is there a named hybrid? The leaves on this specimen that came in 1 gal pot are much larger than the plant I have grown in a 3 gal pot for a few years, under name of Monstera friedrichsthalii.
A: Due to their diversity, it is hard to find verified hybrids in the genus Monstera. M. friedrichsthalii is apparently an old Florida name for what is actually technically M. adansonii. The "primitive" juvenile growth is very different from the much larger more robust form that only occurs when it is allowed time to climb a tree, in which case the foliage becomes very different and much larger with many many more fenestrations (holes) of various sizes. If you visit our Garden Center, you can see the mature form climbing the oak tree in our Shade Garden in front of our office - we use this mature plant for propagation. If you take a cutting and don't let it attach to a bark/trunk and climb upwards, it will quickly revert to the wimpy juvenile form. Seems that even climbing a pole indoors, it never actually develops into the truly mature more complex adult stage. Some juvenile forms growing on a tree if given too much shade, do not develop into the larger mature form. Move it in more light and allow it to climb, and it will look very different, but still is the same plant under different conditions.
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When to fertilize and prune tropical fruit trees?
Q: Can tropical fruit trees (Soursop, Mango, Star fruit, etc) be given plant food any time of year? Also can they be trimmed this time of year/summer?
A: True tropical plants (including fruit trees) need plant food most of the year in real Tropics, where temperatures have very little fluctuations, and active growth season is close to 12 months a year. In subtropical areas when temperatures in winter drop below 65F, plant metabolism slows down, so it is recommended to fertilize only during the warmest period (March through November). So yes, Summer is the perfect time for fertilizing your trees; their metabolism is at the highest point and they can use more food!
Trim your fruit trees right after harvesting. Obviously, you don't want to prune branches before or during flowering or fruiting. The specific time of the year for pruning depends on the plant - every tree has its own flowering/fruiting season. However, avoid pruning right before winter: young shoots promoted by pruning are tender and can be cold damaged.
Recommended fertilizers for fruit trees:
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
SUNSHINE-Honey - for sweeter fruit
SUNSHINE SuperFood - microelement supplement
Date:
Perfect small tree for a pool area
Q: I need a tree for a space that is close to a pool and I don't want a tree that is shedding leaves all year long. I don't want it too big either. The canary tree caught my attention but I need to know if it is a tree that is dropping leaves all year. If it does then can you recommend another tree? I live in Fort Lauderdale.
A: Canary tree is a good choice. It is free-flowering pretty little tree. It is evergreen and doesn't shed leaves too much especially in your area with mild winter. However, keep in mind that every plant sheds leaves. Even evergreen trees replace old leaves with new ones. Some trees more than others. Flowers also have a seasonal drop. You may check the full list of compact flowering trees suitable for small spaces.
Another great choice is a Dwarf Tree Jasmine, Radermachera - also a free-flowering tree with rose-fragrant flowers and large, architectural leaves that hardly ever drop. It has very dense yet compact columnar shape, and is one of the greatest trees for smaller landscapes.
Recommended fertilizers and supplements:
Pink N Good Daily Plant Food - Flower Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster
SUNSHINE SuperFood - plant booster
Date:
Plants that are not for eating
Q: On the website, it says that the pua keni keni tree is toxic. Do you know how toxic? Is it mild irritation or can someone die from ingesting any part of the plant?
A: Pua Keni Keni, Fagraea - seeds (and especially flesh of the fruit) are toxic, so we recommend to always wash your hands after handling them. Obviously, nobody in our team ever tried to eat them to check how toxic they are and if they are deadly.
In general, one must be careful when using plants for purposes other than ornamental growing, especially for consumption. While some obvious edibles (cultivated fruit, vegetables, herbs) are generally safe, but some individuals may have severe reactions - for example, many people are allergic to mangoes; other people may be sensitive to only mango leaves.
A number of plants that have parts commonly consumed for food, have other parts toxic or poisonous. Example: Potato - Solanum tuberosum - has edible tubers feeding the whole planet population, but this plant's fruit is highly toxic and even deadly if eaten. Fruit from a Potato plant look like tiny little green tomatoes since Potato belongs to the same family as Tomato - Nightshade, but it is super poisonous, while Tomato fruit is perfectly edible. So one must watch out and especially educate little children about not tasting anything directly from the garden.
As far as animals concern, in Nature they know what is poisonous and what is edible. Have you ever seen dead birds around a tree with poisonous fruit/seeds? Animals have their own sense for it. So if your concern is for pets, it is normally safe to have pets around plants with irritating or even poisonous parts. However, if your dog has a bad habit of chewing on stuff, you may use extra caution there.
Photo below:
Riki-Tiki-Tavi exploring TopTropicals Gardens.
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How to grow Soursop in a pot
Q: Is it possible to grow soursop in a large pot for life?
A: Soursop, or Guanabana - Annona muricata - is actually one of those tropicals fruit trees that
can be easily cultivated in a container. Most plants of genus Annona have compact nature, and these fruit trees usually start
production at a young age, as early as 3 years from seed. Annona muricata
seedlings take a little longer to fruit, this is why we offer grafted trees, which can start producing right away.
We have a very interesting article about growing Soursop in an
apartment. The article was written by an indoor gardener who lives in a very small
apartment in Moscow, Russia. He grew this tree from seed and after years of
cultivation fun, he finally got several large delicious fruit! It is an amazing
story. We have it published in our Tropical Treasures magazine, download the whole issue #7, get a hard copy, or you may download PDF file of the single article.
Recommended fertilizers and supplements:
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
SUNSHINE-Honey - sugar booster
Date:
Growing Coconuts from seeds
Q: Good afternoon Anna, hope all is well. I have a question regarding Coconut growth. When I planted my coconuts seeds I notice they had water in it, after checking 6 months later I took one out from the pot and shock to see if still had water but notice no water shaken inside, still, no plant growing on all 6 seeds but no water noise inside of them. Can you indicate if I should discard them or are they still have a chance they will germinate?
A: Coconut seeds normally germinate within a month from planting.
If there is no growth within 6 month, chances are the seed was not ripe
enough, or didn't have proper conditions for germination.
To grow a coconut palm from seed, place the nut on top of the soil (if
in a pot, must be at least 3 gal pot) on its side, and bury it in soil
half-way. Keep it warm (75F or higher, the warmer the better), in full sun, and
soil must stay moist. Start fertilizing when the seed sprouts.
RECOMMENDED FERTILIZER:
Purple Palm Food - Smart Release Palm Booster
Photo below:
James Coconuts, one of our customer service reps, will be happy to answer all your questions! (Anna Banana, Stevie, or Onika can help when Coconuts is out of the office).
Date:
A Cup of Tea Plant
By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist
A: I live in Ave Maria, Florida. I want to try my hand at growing my own tea. Which plant do I need?
A: Most people do not realize they are actually enjoying
camellias when they sip their cup of tea. True tea comes from the Camellia sinensis
plant, an evergreen shrub or small tree.
In the fall and winter, the plant will produce small white flowers with
a lovely fragrance. The foliage is shiny and dark green with a very nice
informal and open look.
Camellia sinensis (or tea plant, as it is commonly known) prefers a
temperature between 65 and 86 degrees, which makes Florida an ideal area to grow
them. However, if you live in colder zones, you can certainly succeed
growing your own tea plants using a greenhouse. Alternatively, you can use
containers which can be brought inside when temperatures start falling. Tea plants
will usually survive a very slight freeze, though the leaves may be damaged or
killed. It will not tolerate a hard freeze. They prefer full sun or light
shade in the garden.
Tea plants will become small trees or large bushes if not pruned.
Hardcore tea growers trim back the shoots repeatedly to a height of around 4 feet
to encourage new growth and to contain the size.
Make sure to pick an area of your landscape where it does not flood or
remain wet during our rainy season. Camellia sinensis does not like wet feet
at all. They prefer well-drained, sandy and slightly acidic soil. If grown in
a container, add some sphagnum moss to the potting mix. They will benefit
from frequent applications of small amounts of fertilizer.
You will need some patience, too. Your plant should be around 3 years old
before you start harvesting leaves.
Recommended fertilizers:
Tropical Greenhouse Plus - Plant Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster
Harvesting recipes
Now that you know how to grow the Tea, you need to check this out: the Harvesting recipes how to harvest and make different kinds of real tea: Green Tea, Japanese >Continue reading...
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Dwarf and Condo mangoes - easy mangoes
Q: We leave in zone 6a, could you tell us what is the list of different types of mango plants that could be planted indoor and that they can bear fruits?
A:There is a large group of mangoes called "Condo Mango" - they literally can be grown in your apartment! Those are dwarf varieties that can remain compact in containers with minimal pruning and successfully bear fruit providing bright light and proper care, including plant food.
The best dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties are: Carrie, Cogshall, Cushman, Fairchild, Graham, Ice Cream, Julie, Mallika, Nam Doc Mai, Pickering, Irwin, Jahangir, Juliette, Lancetilla, Little Gem, Manilita, Sia Tong, Torbert, Pim Seng Mun, Super Julie.
They produce juicy, fiberless sweet fruit. Julie is also a very popular dwarf variety, however, it is very cold sensitive and not the easiest to grow. If you get a 3 gal size mango, step it up to 7 gal when the plant reaches 4 ft; you may use a bigger container as the root system grows, up to 15 gal or even 25 gal, space permitting. Trim the tree under 6-8 ft after production season is over (summer-fall).
See more information on growing condo mangoes
RECOMMENDED FERTILIZERS:
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
For sweeter fruit, use
SUNSHINE-Honey - sugar booster