There is a particular kind of tall narrow tree, commonly seen planted in
yards all over the Florida peninsula... They perhaps resemble Northern
spruces or firs, and basically everyone knows them as "Norfolk Island Pines". For
many years, I also did not question their identity. Not only are they planted
very commonly here in Florida, but are also found for sale, often as potted
"Christmas Trees" in every major nursery, big box store, and often grocery
stores across the country. They are all sold as Norfolk Island Pines. Basically
everyone knows them under that name. However, they are NOT!..
Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Mister Booster
Everybody knows our Sunshine-colored Mister B, because... he is the Boss?... Not only that,
but he is also very intelligent Purrrson. After over a decade of running
TopTropicals marketing team, energetic Mr B decided to lead a new project: Sunshine Boosters.
What's in his store for us? He will guide you through his new website and show you around, where you can
find all kinds of good stuff for your plants. For many years, TopTropicals
customers have been enjoying the benefits of many effective plant supplements,
and today Mr B with Sunshine Boosters brings new formulas of scientifically
developed, natural, environmentally safe plant food for all your growing
needs!
- For home gardeners and professionals.
- For small plant collections and large commercial growing facilities.
- For flowers and fruit trees.
- For medicinal plants and vegetables.
- For all to be happy.
Please check out Mr Booster's website
, he worked really hard for the past year on making this project happen, and
helping the Earth to be a better, nicer, and safer place!
And for those of you who are growing your own business, Mr B would like
to help! He is offering
FREE samples for small business starters! He knows it's not easy to find a perfect nutrition system and make your growing a success. He is here to help!
On February 13-14, as a Valentines Day Special, Mr B is exhibiting his
new business Sunshine Boosters in Phoenix, AZ - in the Largest Arizona Expo! Don't miss our presentation seminar Feb 13th, Seminar Room #2, 1:45 PM: Precision growing with
Sunshine Boosters. For those who can not attend the show in purrrrson, the
presentation will be available for downloading from our website.
Improve your intellect with Ashoka,
the tree of Happiness
(Saraca indica, the Sorrowless Tree)
By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist
Q: I have recently visited India and saw the most beautiful
Ashoka trees at the entrance to a temple. The flowers were simply show stopping, growing
directly on the trunk and branches. I would love to grow one. I have been told it has significant medicinal properties. I am
delighted to see you have them in your inventory. And they are on sale too! Are they easy to grow?
A: Ashoka or Saraca indica is one of the most exotic flowering
trees of the Indian subcontinent. Without a doubt it is one of the most
stunning Indian flowering trees. Buddhists, Jains and Hindus all hold this tree in extremely high esteem and it is considered a
sacred tree. Ashoka is extremely highly valued for nutritional value as well as its beautiful appearance. No surprise then that
they are often found in royal palace grounds and gardens as well as around temples throughout India. Young leaves are a
stunning deep pink color and emerge at the end of branches like hanging tassels. This tree will typically grow to around 20 feet and
is a brilliant bloomer. It will wow you with large, round clusters of fragrant flowers throughout the year. Almost all parts
of this tree are widely used for different medicinal purpose. It reportedly even helps to improve intellect!
Simply amazing...
...The most impressive plant-life for me was a single native tree
growing near a parking area along the Bay. It was the largest, oldest, "Shortleaf
fig" I have ever seen. It was growing on a mass of bare exposed karst
limestone and bore a small plaque describing it as being the largest Ficus citrifolia
in the National Park. As it was dropping some of its little fruits at the
time, I ended up taking a couple home for cultivation...
Q: What exactly is Feijoa - Pineapple Guava? Does the fruit really taste like pineapple? I
am curious to know if it is easy to grow.
A:Feijoa is certainly one of the easiest fruit trees to grow as it does
not require much care. It is an attractive, evergreen tree or large shrub with
dark green, oval, leathery leaves. It has an abundance of uses in the garden
and produces lovely edible flowers and fruit! The fruit is eaten fresh,
added to smoothies or fruit salad and is also commonly used to make delicious
jams and wicked chutneys. Feijoa fruit go a long way in flavor.
This plant is drought tolerant and will grow in almost any soil type. It
loves full sun or partial shade and is wind resistant. A lot of gardeners like
to grow it as a wind barrier for this reason. It can easily be shaped into a
dense, informal hedge or screen that needs very little pruning. Because of
this density, it provides excellent shelter for all kinds of wildlife.
Butterflies, birds, and butterflies will all love you for growing Feijoa!
Space the plant five feet apart to create a wind barrier hedge. Heat does
no not bother it at all and it will also withstand temperatures to 10 degrees
F.
The plant gets its names from the delicious perfume it emits. Some folks
seem the fruit taste like pineapple, with a slight minty undertone. Others feel
the flavor reminds them of juicy fruit gum! The texture is described as
smooth and slightly gritty - almost like a pear, but firmer.
If you prefer to grow this plant as a tree rather than a large shrub,
simply remove the lower branches up to one-third of the tree's height over a
period of time. The Pineapple Guava can grow up to 15 feet wide and tall. They
also do really well as a container plant on patios where you can truly enjoy the
lovely fragrance of the fruit. It prefers rich, organic, well-drained soil
and will need light fertilization every other month in most soils.
Pretty, pink, edible flowers will wow you from May to June, followed in
late summer or fall by the delicious and fragrant fruit. An interesting thing
about this fruit is that you don't pick it. It falls to the ground when it
is ripe. Or simply place something under your tree, like a tarp, and shake the
tree. The ripe fruit will fall off. You can store the fruit in your
refrigerator for up to a week. And remember! The fruit of the Feijoa is not only a
very rich source of soluble dietary fiber, but also an excellent source of
Vitamin C, and very rich in antioxidants. They are also low in calories. Each
fruit only holds 55 calories.
...What makes these rare beauties so wonderful is not only the very nice white Hydrangea-like flowers on the ends of the branches, but also the slowly unfolding new leaves. A number of times a year, they develop little bracts on the
ends of their branches which then erupt into stunning cascades of long, weeping ivory-pink new leaves. Most notably, in the more horizontal light of morning or evening, against the deep bottle-green of older leaves, these new hanging growths create the impression of being nearly
incarnate apparitions floating in mid-air. I am sure this is the reason for its scientific name Maniltoa, deriving from the New Guinea name for the tree, Manilto - which means "ghost" or "manifestation"...
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!
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.
