Plumeria cold protection

Q: We have a purple-flowering plumeria which resides on our sunny deck during the warm months and then Winter vacations on our back porch where we can close the plastic film windows and where it stays above 50 degrees (overnite) until it can get moved outside again. We live in zone 8+ in South Carolina and I would love to plant it outside. Do you think if we ghost-covered it when alerted that we would have an overnite freeze, that it would survive being planted in the ground and recover to flower when warm? I don't believe the soil in our yard has ever frozen below the top 1/2 inch or so, and never for more than a few hours at a time. What do you think?

A: Plumerias are tropical plants, which means, they need frost-free environment. Even if the ground is frozen only on "the top ½" or so" - this may be enough to kill the plant. From our experience, plumerias can withstand a few hours of windchill frost (not frozen soil), but even if they survive, they may get some branches damage, and recovery may take so long that the plant may not even bloom the next year. So I wouldn't take that risk even with a ghost-cover cold protection. We have customers who grow tropical plants in the ground in colder areas, but they have greenhouse protection: this means, the soil is warm and the air temperature is maintained above 45-50F. For example, this Greenhouse in Virginia.

We recommend to continue growing your rare plumeria in container and move it inside when temperatures drop below 50F (recommended) and for sure when they drop below freezing. Plumeria can take a cold night (a few hours of upper 30's) as long as it is followed by a nice warm sunny afternoon with at least upper 50s. Otherwise, keep it indoors. The good news is, since plumerias are deciduous and have no leaves in winter, low light level won't affect the plant.
Just make sure to minimize watering and keep the plant on a dry side until it starts growing new leaves in Spring. You may continue fertilizing once a week with half-doze of Sunshine boosters - Sunshine TotalFeed. This will maintain the plant healthy and prepare for the blooming season in Spring.

Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Jim the Founder

Jim is the oldest cat of Top Tropicals. In fact, he is one of the Founders. In 2004 a tiny kitten showed up at first TopTropicals Nursery - a small quarter acre in Ft Lauderdale... Jim looked very important and confident and told us that he wants to stay with us because he sees a great future for TopTropicals... and he was right. Since then, Jim traveled with us through all nursery locations we ever had!

Jim used to lay on top of a warm monitor and help with our first website designs... if you look at his favorite monitor in the picture, you now can imagine how old this cat is!
In spite of his age, Jim is very active and likes to eat a lot. He believes that a good meal is key to a healthy living, and prefers variety. He eats everything: meat, fish, soup, pasta, pizza, veggies, cucumbers, salad... eats well and stays healthy!
Jim happily participates in all costume parties. Yes, it is him in a Santa costume greeting you at the top of this newsletter!

Don't miss out: Loquat Big Jim - we only have 4 plants, they all named after Jim!

Check out Video: Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals and more Cat of the Day stories.

Saving Fallen Papaya Tree

Q: Hope there is help for my beautiful amazing papaya tree! There where a loooooooot of fruits on it, but it broke! First of all, it was leaning and friends tried to straight my beautiful tree. What can I do? Will it get fruits again?

A: A couple months ago we also had a Papaya tree loaded with fruit that fell down (see photos). It was heart-breaking. We secured it and it continued growing for a couple of weeks but unfortunately, at the end the tree still died, leaving us a million fruit. The Papaya tree has a very sensitive root system and is hard to re-establish once the roots are damaged.
However, if it just has a broken top, it has a good chance to grow back from the side shoots.
Of course, remove all the fruit so they don't take energy from the recovering tree.
When a tree is loaded with fruit, it is important to provide support for heavy branches and for the trunk if needed. Always support the fruiting tree to prevent from possible falling BEFORE it starts leaning down and may become broken by even a light wind.
In the photo, you can see how we fixed boards around, but it was already after the tree fell. Unfortunately, it was too late since the roots got damaged. Always need to stake the tree up before the branches get too heavy!

RECOMMENDED FERTILIZERS:
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
SUNSHINE-Honey - sugar booster

Trimming Mussaenda bush

Q: My wife and I bought a Dona Evangelina from you this year. It thriving and has grown to 6-8 ft. It has become top-heavy and in wind, it falls over. Main stems have split twice but still continues to grow. I usually prune Dona Luz back to 3-4 ft and am wondering how much you would advise me to lop off your plant. Any advise will be appreciated.

A: Mussaendas, indeed, have very fragile stems that break often, especially in Florida wind storms. The good news is, these plants grow vigorously once established.
You did a good job trying to tie together the split stems and in fact, cracks do grow back together as long as the dressing is tight. Try to use green tape or even electric tape to tighten the broken spot.
However, do such repairs only if it is critical for a plant. When possible, simply cut off the broken branch and give the plant a chance to grow a new stronger branch. You may trim the bush pretty short. Mussaendas respond well to pruning which promotes more side growth and makes the plant bushier.
Keep in mind that during cold weather, Mussaenda may drop all leaves and go into dormancy until spring.

RECOMMENDED FERTILIZERS:
Pink N Good Daily Plant Food - Flower Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster

Hardy Plumeria Pudica

Q: I have ordered plumeria pudica from you in March and it is thriving really well here in Rancho Cordova, California. The current temperatures are ranging from 68 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. My USDA zone is 9b. Does this plumeria pudica survive outside with temperatures dropping in coming winter in CA?

A: From our experience, Plumeria pudica is pretty cold hardy and takes some cold spells in spite of being a tropical species.
Our trees (well-established) took a few hours of freeze with no significant damage.
Potted plants are less hardy than in-ground plants. However, their advantage is, they are easy to move indoors or inside warmer place like garage, etc. If the temperature stays borderline around 32F for a few hours, the plant should be safe as long as warm day temperatures follow a cold night. For longer periods of cold, move the plant inside.
Make sure do not overwater and keep Plumeria on a dry side during winter, since cold and wet is a bad combination and may cause root problems.
Above is the picture of Plumeria pudica tree growing in Cape Coral, FL where low temperatures in winter sometimes go down to upper 20's for a few hours.

To improve cold hardiness of Plumerias and other tropical plants, use SUNSHINE-Epi-T for plant thermal protection and immune system boost.
Make sure to fertilize plants on regular basis to keep them strong and vigorous. The stronger and bigger the plant, the hardier it is!

RECOMMENDED FERTILIZERS:
Plumeria Top Dress - Smart-Release Booster
Pink N Good Daily Plant Food - Flower Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster

Fragrant Gold Leaf Orchid Vine

Q: I am absolutely thrilled to see you have this vine. I've tried for years to get this plant! It is so, so rare. It just seemed impossible to find in this country. How do I make it thrive? I am ordering two.

A: We are happy to confirm that indeed we do have this rare vine!
Bauhinia aureifolia - Gold Leaf Orchid Vine - was discovered in Thailand in 1983. It is endemic to Pattani, Narathiwat, and Yala in Southern Thailand. Danish botanist Kai Larsen named this plant and hailed it as one of the rarest plant species of the world when it was discovered in the eighties.
The Thai people call this vine Bai Mai Si Thong. It is a beautiful climber with large, bi-loped leaves (7 inches or more!) and good branching.
Young leaves are a stunning burnt orange to terracotta color for about a week and as they reach full size, they turn green over a couple of days. This is a very rare color for Bauhinia. It produces leaves all the time and this means this vine is always full of beautiful color. With its golden leaves, it sure is reminiscent of Autumn.
This vine blooms from May to November. It bears bunches of small flowers that are delicately fragrant in the evenings. The cultivated plants range flower color from pure white to purple and pink, while the wild ones have often white petals with pinkish patches.
Bauhinia aureifolia needs well-drained soil, full light and good humidity to thrive. It will tolerate a light freeze once established and it is very important to protect young plants.
Gold Leaf Orchid Vine also makes a wonderful container plant with staking or support. It is a must for every rare plant collection!

RECOMMENDED FERTILIZERS:
Pink N Good Daily Plant Food - Flower Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster

Best tasting white guava

Q: What's your best tasting white guava?

A: Our favorite white Guava is Viet Nam variety that is also very rare and hard to find. The fruit is very large, up to 6" in diameter, the pulp is very sweet and somewhat crunchy. The seeds are small which makes it more pleasurable to eat out of hand.
Another great feature of this variety, it stays compact and branches do not get leggy, unlike most guavas. It can be easily grown in a container, trimmed to the desired size and it will produce fruit under proper care.

Another cool variety is Indonesian, it also has a large round fruit and very few seeds to compare with others.

And last but not least, if you prefer soft fruit to crunchy, the Peruvian variety is a great choice. The fruit is pear-shaped.

Remember to provide plant food for good production, especially if grown in a container.

Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster

Fun of growing your own Pepper

By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist

Q: Can you grow your own black pepper plants in the USA?

A: Who does not love the smell of freshly ground pepper, especially that lovely combination of white, green, black and red peppercorns, which are so much more interesting than just plain black corns. Yes, you can absolutely grow your own pepper! Peppercorns come from the plant Piper nigrum.

Growing Pepper Plant

Black pepper plants are actually vigorous vines, although they are pretty slow growing and can be kept in a pot as a compact plant. But they will need a strong support to climb over. Indoors, you can provide this support by installing a trellis in a large pot. Some gardeners prefer to grow them as a hanging plant instead. In warm climates, you can plant them directly outdoors in a protected location with partial shade. These plants need rich, moist, well-draining soil and warm, humid conditions. Peppers do not like temperatures below sixty degrees, although they can survive some cold spells. It is very important to bring these plants indoors or wrap them in a blanket if colder weather arrives.
If you live in colder parts of the country, you can certainly grow peppercorns in large pots. Grow them outdoors during the summer and move them indoors during the winter, or grow them year-round in your greenhouse. Houseplants will need bright light and consistent moisture. Spray the leaves regularly with a bottle of water to increase humidity. Do not allow room temperatures to fall below sixty degrees.
Besides the benefit of being able to grow your own gourmet pepper corns, the foliage, as well as the flowers on this plant, are beautiful in its own right. Off-white flowers appear from spring through summer, followed by slow fruit production. The berries will appear on spikes, with 50 to 60 berries per spike.

Fertilize this vine in the spring before new vigorous growth emerges. We recommend:
Tropical Greenhouse Plus - Plant Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster

You may be surprised to learn that black, white, green and red peppercorns are all the same seed on the same plant in the various stages of development and processing.

Black peppercorns are the most familiar and come from the corns that have reached their full size but are still green and not quite ripe. They are picked and allowed to dry in the sun. Enzymes in the berries cause the skin to turn black during the drying process. They are the strongest in flavor.

White peppercorns are the mature berries that ripen to a red color before being picked. After harvesting, they are soaked and rubbed free of the outer skin down to the smooth white underlayer, then dried and bleached by the sun. They are slightly milder than black pepper.

Green peppercorns are the unripe peppercorns picked at the same stage of ripeness as black peppercorns, but not allowed to dry. They can be pickled in vinegar or brine. They are the least pungent.

Red peppercorns are the mature, but unshelled version of the peppercorn. One can usually find them in some gourmet and health food stores. They can be quite expensive.

Ground pepper will only stay fresh for about three months, but peppercorns will last indefinitely. To make the most of your pepper harvest, store the peppercorns in an airtight container in a cool, dark location. Grind them immediately before use for the best flavor.
There is nothing like freshly ground black pepper simply combined with a good quality olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. This makes a wonderful dipping sauce for fresh bread. Simple, yet elegant. All the better if the pepper was grown in your very own garden!

Fragrance of Angel Hair Jasmine

Q: I got angel hair jasmine, it started flowering, but it does not have any smell. What can be done?

A: Jasminum pubescens - Angel Hair Jasmine has very fine fragrance. It is not as strong as some other jasmines like Sambac for example. However flowers do have a sweet scent especially in the early morning hours, as long as the plant is well-established, grows in a warm and humid environment. Keep in mind that flowers on young small plants that do not have a developed root system, may not be as fragrant as on mature vigorous specimens. Also, this jasmine needs a full sun location and regular fertilizer for profuse flowering.
We recommend the following fertilizers to boost flowering energy:
- Pink N Good Daily Plant Food - Flower Booster
- Plumeria Top Dress - Smart-Release Booster
Use microelements at least once a month to improve plant vigor and quality of flowers

PeopleCats of TopTropicals: Shipping Department cat - Lady Bug

We have been getting many messages from customers saying they really love the postings of our Cats and Dobi Duck... and they want more updates. So we decided to open this new section for the animal fans.

As you well know, TopTropicals is not just a plant Nursery. Like most of the gardeners and all Cool Plant People, we love our pets and we have many of them here, enjoying the Garden. Our cats and the Duck are members of TopTropicals Team. They help customers, participate in packing plants, and of course keep the nursery mice-free. As employees of the marketing department, they get their paychecks, free lunches, and other company benefits like full healthcare coverage and stuff... They are taken care of by TopTropicals Shipping Crew every day: whether its a meal or taking a medicine, it's all scheduled in our daily task list!

This First Issue of PeopleCats Fan Club is dedicated to our Shipping Department cat - Lady Bug. Originally she came to our nursery 3 years ago in a box with her other 3 baby brother-sisters and they just opened their eyes. Someone dropped the box with the litter at our gate... guessing this is the Good Place! When Lady Bug grew up, she became a Shipping Department Supervisor, helping Chief the Cat to manage plant shipments.

Lady Bug went missing a few days ago and all our team is crying for her. We are praying she is OK. We miss you, Lady Bug! Please come back and bug us again!

As a friendly reminder to our local walk-in customers: you are welcome to visit TopTropicals ZOO, just please do not feed or pick up the animals! Some of them are of old age, have special needs or special diet. All our pets are friendly, however, we ask you to please do NOT pet them. They work hard all day long and may have their own rules and emotions.