Colorful Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow

Q: I have a large oak in front of the house and nothing grows under it, even grass. Can you recommend me a compact, colorful flowering shrub that will tolerate shade location and still will bloom for me? I love fragrant flowers, that would be nice... Also, I am a snowbird staying in Florida mostly from Fall to Spring so I miss the flowering season! Any winter bloomers? Or am I asking for too much?

A: There is a plant for every location and every need! Here is a perfect plant for you, Brunfelsia grandiflora - Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow. It is a winter bloomer and it enjoys filtered light. In fact, in full sun Brunfellsia leaves sometimes turn yellowish, so a shade location will be perfect for it, leaves will be healthy and dark green.
It is a beautiful specimen plant. The unusual popular name of this medium-sized shrub becomes clear to anyone who observes it over the course of two or three days. Its tubular fragrant flowers change from purple to lavender and then to white over a three day period (First they open as rich lavender-blue; then they change to pale lavender and finally to almost white before they fall). Then all three colors can be seen on the same plant. It grows to about 3-6 ft and does best in filtered sunlight. Blooms fall to winter.

Check out all Brunfelsias from our store - they all are shade lover and free-flowering!

And here is a list of all winter flowering plants for you... and a Winter-Flowering Guide for Snow Birds (PDF file) that includes many late-season trees, shrubs and fruiting plants.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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...