When plants are ready for a meal?

Q: We have an early Spring here in Florida. All plants in my garden flushing out new leaves and buds opening. Can I start fertilizing? I have Mango, Avocado, Peach trees, many medicinal herbs and flowering shrubs: Angel trumpets, plumerias, bromeliads. I prefer mild organic fertilizers; can you suggest something that is safe for edibles and butterflies?

Q: As a rule of thumb, tropical gardeners start regular fertilizing when the minimum temperatures (at night) go above 65F. Keep in mind that Sunshine Boosters fertilizers can be applied year around because they have mild formulas and used with every watering; during cooler period, you water less frequently, so feeding is reduced accordingly. Another advantage of Sunshine Boosters - they are natural (derived from organic amino acids which is the basics of Life). They are safe for edibles as well as pollinating insects.

Here is the feeding plan for your plants:
1. The most universal solution for all plants (both potted and in-ground): get a complete set of Sunshine Boosters Pro system: Advantage-Pro for vegetative growth, BloomBoom Pro for flowering stage, and Ca-Support-Pro + Constanta-Pro as necessary daily supplements. You will need all these 4 components for your garden.
2. Start adding these liquid boosters with every watering according to dozing directions and you will notice amazing growth boost within a week.
3. Apply Sunshine Epi plant hormone every 2 weeks as a foliar spray to boost immune system and metabolism of plants and protect them from diseases. Epi makes plants (especially young plants and those "waking up" from dormancy) grow twice faster! It also enhances effect of fertilizers by increasing plant metabolism.
4. After cool winter temperatures, some plants may develop element deficiencies like chlorosis (yellowing leaves). Additional microelement boost can be provided with Sunshine Greenleaf (iron supplement) and Sunshine Superfood (micro-elements).
5. For additional boosting of flowering and setting fruit, use the following individual boosters:
Sunshine Robusta - for foliage plants and when you need rapid vegetative growth
Sunshine TotalFeed - for Plumerias and other fragrant plants
Sunshine Megaflor - for Brugmansias and other flowering heavy feeders
Sunshine C-Cibus - for improving fruit production and quality
Sunshine Honey - for sweeter fruit (must be applied 4-5 times a year)
6. For young/small plants (seedlings, rooted cuttings) as well as tender tropicals like bromeliads, and orchids - Sunshine Bombino is a perfect choice due to its mild formula.
7. To save money, order complete sets rather than individual boosters; you will be able to safe up to 40%! Sunshine Complete Nutrition System Kits: Combo Kit, and Pro Kit.

If you are a fan of organic gardening, do not use dry fertilizers. While water-soluble and granulated (smart-realease) fertilizers are popular choice in plant nurseries due to their convenience, they are not as safe as liquid boosters because they create salt build-up in soil and have a high risk of overdosing/burning plant roots, especially potted plants, plants at breaking dormancy, at establishing, and at early stages of plant development. Besides, dry fertilizers may affect the taste of your fruit and herbs. See advantages of liquid boosters over dry fertilizers.

Learn more about Sunshine Nutrition System - a Natural solution for your garden.

Synergy of SUNSHINE, biostimulants, and macro-micro

Q: I've heard that plants grow better and bigger with SUNSHINE boosters and when using Myco-Mix instead of regular soil mix. Do they work like fertilizers? If I use a Myco-mix, do I still need a fertilizer?

A: SUNSHINE boosters are not fertilizers, they are natural plant hormones, or biostimulants, as well as Myco-Mix which is a naturally occurring compound or microbes. Biostimulants are becoming increasingly attractive to folks interested in sustainable agriculture, and very popular for plant growth or pest resistance. A plant biostimulant is not a fertilizer because it provides no nutritional value to the plants. But, it can promote greater nutrient and water use efficiency, increase resistance to pests and diseases, reduce abiotic stresses, and in turn, lead to plant growth and health.

To answer your question, you can not replace regular fertilizers (NPK) and micro-elements with plant boosters and stimulants. However, fertilizers and microelements will work more efficiently when used in combination with biostimulants. Together they create a synergy, so plants use the most of fertilizer's potential, and will grow a lot better, faster, and healthier.

4 components for the best growing results

1. SUNSHINE boosters. They are a must during the juvenile stage of plant development - seedlings and cuttings. They are especially important for recovery of weak or stressed plants (boosting their immune system).
2. SuperFood microelements
3. NPK fertilizers. Select from water-soluble and smart-release types and make sure do not exceed the recommended concentration. Lower dose and more frequent use is always better for a plant.
4. Specialized soilless mixes: Myco-Mix (with biostimulant Mycorrhiza) for exclusive growing projects and special/unique plants, Professional potting mix for potted plants, and Propagation mix for seeds and cuttings.

7 secrets of a Happy Avocado Tree

Q: I purchased an avocado tree from local garden centers three times but every time it dies on me. My neighbor has a nice tree in his yard and it grows beautifuly. I just purchased one online from you and I need to know what I was doing wrong? Are there any secrets how to make an Avocado tree happy? I have a big garden and several mango trees, but no luck with Avocado...

A: Avocado tree is famous for being such a pain to establish. But once it starts growing, it's growing! We will share a few simple tricks how to make it right.

1. Plant high and provide good drainage. Wet feet is number one reason for failing an avocado tree. It doesn't like wet soil and won't tolerate soggy conditions. Plant it in the highest spot of your yard and slightly on a "hill" (3-4" higher than the surrounding ground).
DO NOT plant Avocado tree in low spots or wet spots of your yard. Save those spots for Cannas or Black Sapote or even a Mango if you want a fruit tree there.
2. Use quality soil. Use only well-drained soil with high content of organic matter. You may add compost to existing sandy soil, or add some professional potting mix that contains pine bark and perlite. Remove rocks from the hole if you see any while digging. Dig a big hole and fill it with a good soil; compact the soil in the hole very well before setting the root ball. Reminder: plant the tree high!
3. Water regularly. After planting an Avocado tree in a nice high spot with a good drainage, start watering it... daily! Avocado likes water, although it doesn't like wet feet! Once you figure out this combination, you've got the recipe of success. Water by hand daily for the first week after planting, then twice a week for couple weeks, then once you notice new growth - you may rely on sprinklers, but keep watching the tree and don't let the soil over-dry. It must be slightly moist, but not soggy.
4. Fertilize. For such finicky tree, we suggest mild formulas of fertilizers. Dry fertilizers may burn roots, especially of a young tree. Even smart-release granulated fertilizers should be used very carefully. The best way to feed your young avocado tree - get a complete set of Sunshine Boosters Pro system. It has all necessary elements for all stages of plant development and never burns the roots. Sunshine Boosters Pro can be used with every watering - no need to guess how much and when. Besides, it is a natural fertilizer based on amino acids - exactly what you want to use on your fruit trees and other edibles!
5. Boost immune system of the tree. Apply Sunshine Epi plant hormone every 2 weeks as a foliar spray to boost immune system and metabolism of the tree and protect it from diseases. Epi makes plants (especially young plants) grow twice faster! It also enhances effect of fertilizers by increasing plant metabolism.
6. Do not prune until you see significant growth. The tree is small and can use as many leaves and branches as possible for photosynthesis and healthy metabolism. We suggest to avoid pruning for at least the first year. On the second year your tree most likely will be covered with flowers (assuming you followed fertilizer program). Let it go through the blooming stage and setting fruit; prune in Fall after fruiting is over.
7. Keep number of fruit to minimum for the first crop. Don't let the small tree exhaust itself. Keep just 2-3 fruit to develop. The next year, no need to control fruit quantity, the tree will develop as many as it can support.
P.S. If you got the tree from a mail-order, remember to establish it in a pot before planting in the ground; move gradually from shade to sun. Follow planting instructions.

Learn more about Sunshine Nutrition System - a Natural solution for your garden.

When to apply super boost?

Sunshine Boosters: a breakthrough in Winter fertilizing

In the photo: plants are tough survivors. Life can't be stopped even by a brick road!

Q: Just wanted to know best time of day to apply super boost as spray and watering? Only listed to make sure night temp doesn't drop below 65F...

A: As a rule of thumb, plant's needs in fertilizers are very low in the cold season because they consume less nutrients during dormancy. For tropical plants, when minimum temperatures drop below 65F - we stop applications of dry (granulated) fertilizers until spring, to avoid root burn.
Liquid Sunshine Boosters are exceptions from this rule to a certain extent, for 2 reasons:
- they are amino-acid based which means, salts do not build up in the soil, and thus will not burn the roots even with slower plant metabolism.
- concentrations/formulas are mild and designed for as frequent as daily watering

1) When a plant goes into full dormancy (drops leaves and does not show any new growth), you may stop fertilizing with any Macro NPK products (both dry and liquid)

2) If a plant is evergreen and continues growing during the cooler period, and especially if it is a winter bloomer, mild liquid fertilizers can be applied, depending on the stage of plant development.
Robusta and TotalFeed are used for vegetative growth and pre-flower.
Megaflor and C-Cibus are used for winter flowering/ fruiting plants during the bloom stage.

See full list of liquid boosters

3) Micro-elements can be used all year round for all plants that are not dormant (do not drop leaves)

4) Always use Sunshine-Epi as a foliar spray to activate immune system and unlock protective mechanisms, BEFORE applying other boosters. It is especially important during Fall-Winter for improving cold tolerance and disease resistance.

5) Always apply foliar spray and/or drench the soil with solutions in morning hours so the plant has time to process the nutrients during daylight when metabolism is the most active.

6) Avoid any dry fertilizers during winter

Shaping a tree and regrowing branches

Q: I have been so worried about the beautiful ligustrum on my property since my husband decided to "prune" it 2 days ago. He removed about 20 branches from the tree and completely altered the look of the canopy which was so full and lovely 😭. Please advise me if there is anything I can do to help this tree. Will any of the branches grow back? Will the canopy return? It looks practically bare to me now.... so heartbroken. Any advice and reassuring would be greatly appreciated.

A: The good news is, the tree will regrow new leaves and will branch out. The question is, how soon. Ligustrum is pretty slow-growing species and it may take a while until it gets to the shape that is close to the original.
On the other hand, pruning is beneficial almost for every plant, it promotes new growth and bushy shape. So do not panic, your beautiful tree has good chances to become even prettier.
To speed up the process of re-leafing and promote healthy new growth, we recommend the following:

1) Provide extra watering, assuming you have a sprinkler system that covers the yard. Water additionally 1-2 times a week using a garden house, for 1-2 minutes, saturating the soil around the tree and up to a drip line.

2) Apply the following fertilizers:
Tropical Greenhouse Plus - Foliage Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster

3) In addition to fertilizers, we recommend these 2 supplements that will enhance effect of fertilizers and make re-grow process even faster:
SUNSHINEâ„¢ SuperFood
SUNSHINEâ„¢ HumiHum - a natural humate vitamin for plant

4) Mulch well around the tree, keeping it 2-3" away from the trunk

This should help to get your tree back in shape!

Plants like to snack!
How to feed Poinciana tree

(and other tropical flowering trees)

Q: We purchased a Royal Poinciana tree from TopTropicals not too long ago and we gradually gave it more sun until finally we were able to plant it in direct sunlight where it's been for a week or so. Rain has been sporadic lately so I'm giving it a little bit of water every day. It seems to be doing fine. I do have a question about whether the leaves are as green as they should be? I read online that I should fertilize it with gardenia / ixoria fertilizer in March, June, and October. I looked on homedepot.com but didn't really find anything that goes by that name. Would fertilizer help? Can you suggest a fertilizer?

A: Your Poinciana tree looks pretty healthy and happy, congratulations with a great job!
Traditional (old-school) fertilizer recommendations usually suggest feeding a plant 2-3 times a year with a slow-release fertilizer. And although a plant will benefit from any fertilizer application (extra food is always good), however, for the best results, faster growth, sooner and more profuse blooming, your should use complete plant nutrition products - liquid fertilizers (see why liquid fertilizers are better than dry).
Here is an example. Some people eat a big heavy meal once a day which we all know, is not very healthy. Other people eat balanced food more frequently but in smaller portions - this is always the best way to go.
From this point, plants prefer SNACKING - frequent feeding, but with less concentrated, mild and balanced nutrients.
For your beautiful Poinciana tree (and other flowering plants), we suggest the following nutrition program:

1) SUNSHINE Megaflor - Bloom Nutrition Booster - you may use this fertilizer as frequent as with every watering, it won't burn the roots, and will provide a complete nutrition for all plant needs throughout the year. You can continue fertilizing with Megaflor even during winter time. Sunshine Megaflor will help you to keep the plant healthy, vigorous, and resistant to stress and diseases. It turns leaves green and makes the plant strong so it will start flowering sooner for you.

2) Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster. Apply it once a month during hot season only (in Florida - from March to November).

How to feed a Mango tree...
and to grow a Dwarf Mango

How to fertilize a Mango tree

Q: My mango trees that I bought and planted last august now have fruit. I bought 2 types of fertilizer from you and never used it. Should I use your fertilizer now?

A: It is a perfect time now to fertilize your plants as they start active growth. For mango trees, we recommend liquid fertilizer Sunshine Booster - Mango Tango. It is formulated for Mango trees, especially for container grown. It improves quantity and quality of flowers and ability to set fruit, reduces bud-flower-fruit drop. Can be used as often as with every watering. For best results, use in combination with Sunshine Honey and Sunshine Superfood plant supplements. Its scientifically-balanced stable formula is organic Amino-acid based and has NO EDTA chelators to eliminate nutrients lockup; it does not affect crop taste.
Additionally, you may use slow-release granulated fertilizer Mango-Food once a month during hot season only. Dosage: 1 teaspoon per each gal of soil. Water-soluble fertilizers can be also used, however, those are usually EDTA-chelated which is not as efficient as Amono-acid based Sunshine Boosters and may create nutrients build up, especially if overdosed in containers.
For in-ground mango trees, you may use all the above, and slow-release granulated fertilizer can be applied in larger quantities: spread a handful around the drip line.

Remember that only liquid Sunshine Boosters can be applied year around. With other fertilizers, you need to be careful not to overdose, and apply only during hot weather (when night temperatures are steadily above 65F).

How to grow a Dwarf Mango tree

Q: I received the Ice cream mango tree in great condition (thank you for the ingenious packing job) on Wednesday and have planted it in a pot slightly bigger than the root ball. I plan to grow the tree on my front porch, so how big a container should I ultimately use when the tree outgrows this pot? How big a container does it need to fruit? I hope to keep it around 6-7 feet high, if possible. I live in Hawaii.

A: Ice Cream mango is a perfect variety for container culture, and it should be happy in Hawaii. You did everything right. Keep it in this small pot for now and wait until it starts vigorous growth in Summer. Once it starts growing (and you will notice roots growing too, sometimes they try to grow through the holes in the bottom of the pot), then it's time to step up into a bigger container (7-10 gal). Eventually you may use container size as large as 15 gal. Ice cream mango is slow growing and compact, and you will be able to maintain it under 7 ft with very minimal pruning if any.

How to fertilize a bamboo?

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.

We recommend the following fertilizers for bamboo plants:
Tropical Greenhouse Plus - Plant Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster

Remember to always use micro-elements that are essential for every green plant.