Q: What is Neem oil and tree, and and can we grow the Neem tree
here in the US?
A: Neem! What an extraordinary, fascinating tree! I'm personally
convinced every garden should have one, if your climate allows it. Neem tree
- Azadirachta indica - will very quickly become a valuable shade tree in
your garden. They can grow up to eight feet per year! Neem trees are also
known to grow very well in areas with infertile soil and under very dry
conditions, which makes them perfect for xeriscaping. Not only is Neem fast-growing,
but it's a beautiful tree with wide-spreading branches and dark green leaves.
It will form a dense, round canopy, up to 60 ft wide.
This wonderful tree has been used by humans for thousands of years. Did
you know Neem has more than 100 unique bioactive compounds? Surprisingly, a
lot of gardeners are still unfamiliar with it!..
Q: I'm a bit confused about what winter fertilization schedule I should follow in South Florida. For blooming plants, usually, I use a monthly granular bloom booster fertilizer as well as a liquid fertilizer every 10 days or so. Should I continue that schedule in the winter as well? Should I stop fertilizing altogether in the winter? How about fruit trees? What fertilization schedule should I follow in the winter?
A: Here is a general fertilizing schedule for established plants that we follow here
in SW Florida.
The rule of thumb is, do not fertilize (with macro- NPK elements) when
minimum temperatures drop below 65F and stay at that level for more than 7
days. At this temperature point, most of the tropical and subtropical plants
slow down their metabolism and some of them going into dormancy. This means,
nutrients are not consumed as much as during active growth period, and built-up
nutrient supply within a plant plus whatever is available in the soil is
just enough to get by through the winter. So additional fertilizing is not
necessary. You may continue micro-element supplements and bio-stimulants
throughout the year. In fact, it is highly recommended to do so, to help the plant
survive cold spells. These are very effective tropical plant protectors:
SUNSHINE-Epi - Brassinosteroid plant hormone
SUNSHINE-Power-Si - Advanced plant protector with Silicon
SUNSHINE SuperFood - Complex microelement supplement
This rule is applied to both flowering and fruiting plants, in general.
However, some species are winter-flowering and winter-fruiting. For those,
you can make an exception and provide extra nutrients for flowering and
fruiting, as long as the weather stays warm. During cold spells, avoid any NPK
fertilizers and use only bio-stimulants and micro-elements. If you apply NPK
during cold, it won't be consumed by a plant, build up in the soil, and may create a root burn situation.
In simple words, fertilize from March to October. Give plants some rest
from November to February.
Q: When do you fertilize new bamboo trees and can you use the
same fertilizer you use for mango trees?
A:Bamboo is a tropical to subtropical plant with growing season
year-round. You can start fertilizing it right away with the exception of colder
months when temperatures drop below 65F.
Mango fertilizer is formulated for fruit trees, so bamboo won't benefit
from it. Bamboo is not a fruiting plant and is not even cultivated for
flowers. Its beauty is in healthy green foliage and beautiful stems. So you will
need foliage-type of fertilizers for it.
Helping Citrus and other fruit trees with Nutritional
Supplements
Q: Can you recommended a product to help with my citrus?
Combating greening and chlorosis.
A: Citrus greening is spread by an insect called the Asian citrus
psyllid. The psyllid feeds on the stems and leaves of the trees, infecting
the trees with the bacteria that causes citrus greening. Florida Citrus
growers dedicated the last decade to researching citrus greening. Officially,
currently there is still no cure, however, some Nutritional solutions have shown
promising results. To slow the progression of citrus greening in infected
trees, nutrients are applied to the leaves and to the roots. Providing better
nutrition helps trees fight against citrus greening and enables them to continue
to produce quality fruit.
We recommend the following products for use on regular basis:
SUNSHINE Epi is a natural Brassinosteroid plant hormone and a
bio-stimulant that may be very effective as citrus greening treatment. It works
through plant's immune system and shows amazing results of recovery of weak and
sick plants.
SUNSHINE Superfood, a complex micro-element supplement, maintains
plant's health and provides vigorous growth.
SUNSHINE-Honey is a basic nutritional complement, it contains essential
plant micronutrients Boron (B) and Molybdenum (Mo). These elements are essential
to vegetative and reproductive growth, cell expansion, tissue growth, and
fertility. A very common problem for most unimproved garden soils is lack of
Molybdenum and Boron as soil micro-component. This results in underdeveloped /
low quality fruit and/or premature fruit drop. Applying SUNSHINE Honey on your
fruit trees will fill that gap and help a fruit tree to form a healthy
fruit.
Macro-nutrients should be applied in combination with micro-nutrients on
regular basis:
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster (works great for all
tropical fruit trees)
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Ideal blend designed to improve fruit trees
health and vigor, and increase crop yield.
Q: We recently moved to Florida and we miss our Apple trees we
had back up North and the Golden Delicious apples. I was told they won't grow
in Florida, it is true?
A: There is a solution for apple lovers even in Tropics! Low
chill apples bear as far south as South Florida, and may be a unique addition to
your tropical garden.
Variety Dorsett Golden looks like Golden Delicious with golden skin and
sometimes a red blush. This cultivar was discovered in the Bahamas and is
crisp and juicy with excellent flavor.
Attractive and fragrant pinkish-white apple blossoms will appear during
Feb-March and give way to fruit (smaller than standard apples) in June. They
remain a small tree, growing to about 15 feet.
For best results of cross-pollination and heavy production, we
recommend a pair of low chill apples - the perfect couple Dorsett Golden and Anna.
Q: Really enjoy all the plants that I have got from you, but
having a hard time keeping iguanas eating everything! We are not on the water,
any solution to keep them out?
A: Iguanas may become quite a problem in the garden. Our first
suggestion would be - get a Duck as we have (Duck Dobi), she is so dominant and keeps any wild animals away from the
property, including gators... and cats! They are scared of her! Dobi thinks
she owns the place.
Here are a few other ways to control iguana problem in your backyard:
1. Rid your lawn of dropped fruits. Iguanas love fruit. And they love
low-hanging fruit or fruit that's easy to get to. If you have fruit trees, take
the time to pick up your yard and dispose of any dropped fruit.
2. Keep a lid on a garbage can. Put your garbage cans in a place they
can't get to, or put a cinder block on your can lid.
3. Do not leave pet food out. If you're putting a bowl of dog food or a
plate of cat food out for your pets, you're inviting iguanas into your yard.
4. Fill iguana holes. Iguanas like to dig. Wherever you see a hole,
fill it. Stuff rocks into the hole first, then fill it with dirt and top it with
sod. The iguana may return to dig again, but he won't dig through large
rocks.
5 Do NOT feed the iguanas. Don't be friendly with them, so they won't
come back.
6. Wire netting around plants. You can use wire netting or screens to
prevent iguanas from entering plants and shrubs.
7. Spray them with a hose. When you see an iguana in the yard, spray
them with the hose. They also hate loud noises. Constant harassment can keep
them from returning.
8. Keep your yard clean. Excessive overgrowth or yard storage are great
places for iguanas to hide.
9. Do not leave food out, unattended. Iguanas are mainly herbivores but
that doesn't mean they won't smell something good and want to eat it. They
will TRY anything.
Hopefully these tips help keep your iguana problems to a minimum.
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!
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.
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 iŠ° 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.
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).
