Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
Date:
Using SUNSHINE Complete Nutrition System
For hydroponics and potted plants
Q: I recently bought both the 5ml of the sunshine epi and the 100 ml advanced nutrition kit. I read on the paper for the Epi not to use any other strong fertilizers along with this but I was wondering if it'd be alright to use both this foliar spray and nutrition watering together?
A: All solutions in SUNSHINE Booster Nutrition System (NPK-macro and micro-boosters) are
compatible.
The only exception is Sunshine-Epi - brassinosteroid bio-stimulant. Epi
should be mixed with distilled water separately from other boosters. The
reason is, it is very bio-active, and if mixed with other compounds, oxidizes
quickly which may affect its performance.
Sunshine-Epi solution must be prepared using distilled water and applied as foliar spray only (it only works on contact with leaves and not through the root system). Epi shows extremely impressive results when you apply it before the application of other nutrients because it increases plant metabolism; so all boosters become even more effective if you spray Epi the day before.
When using Micro- and Macro-boosters, you may mix all components in one watering can/tank (except for Epi), using regular tap water. Besides watering root ball, the macro-micro solution can be also used for foliar spray. It is optional, as in some circumstances growers prefer to keep leaves dry at all times: to stay away from mold, fungus and other issues caused by the wet environment.
Here is an example of Sunshine Boosters Nutrition System application:
1. Daily watering in one can: NPK 25 ml/gal (one of 5, depending on growth stage) + Constanta 5 ml/gal + Ca-Support 5 ml/gal, mixed in tap water
2. Every 2 weeks: spray Sunshine-Epi 2.5 ml/gal - to boost the immune system and growth rate,
mixed in distilled water
3. From daily to every 2 weeks: Sunshine-Power-Si 25 ml/gal to protect from diseases and keep pH at
5.5-6.5. Can be used as often as daily and mixed with a daily watering solution
(1)
4. As needed: Sunshine SuperFood and GreenLeaf - for correcting deficiencies. Can be also mixed with the
daily solution (1)
Make sure to prepare a solution right before use and do not store solution for more than 1 day. Keep concentrates and solutions protected from bright sunlight.
Here is also advanced information on Sunshine Boosters compatibility.
Date:
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.
Date:
Helping plants to survive winter:
SUNSHINE BOOSTERS - FROM SUNSHINE STATE
A magic plant hormone so wanted by gardeners, is finally here! When people purchase plants and trees either on-line, or from their local nursery, expectation and anticipation for their new find is high. Many times, however, disappointment is encountered due to a variety of reasons. These reasons include changes in light, temperature, water, soil conditions and transportation; just to name a few. So how can the stress on newly transported and transplanted plants be mitigated? Easy! There are plant stimulators able to reduce the shock encountered.
One such plant stimulator, produced at TT Laboratories is SUNSHINE, a revolutionary, broad spectrum, plant stress reliever. Extracted initially from plant pollen, SUNSHINE can bring back and keep the vigor to stressed plants in both the home and garden. Sunshine is indeed a plant stimulator on the cutting edge of plant care technology. Reasonably priced, and easy to use, SUNSHINE will be your plants' best friend, next to yourself, of course.
SUNSHINE will help your plants:
- recover from stress
- dramatically increase growth rate
- get profuse flowering and fruiting
- improve disease resistance, cold hardiness, and heat resistance
- promote seed germination and root cuttings easily
Great for indoor plants and improving cold tolerance!
Line of products:
SUNSHINE-E - general plant booster, growth stimulator and immune booster
SUNSHINE-BC - Bonsai and Caudex developer
SUNSHINE-S - seeds and cuttings pre-treatment
SUNSHINE-T - Thermo-protection for overwintering tropical plants
SUNSHINE-Micro - ultimate micro-element mix from TT Laboratories
On the photo: Tomato seedlings, with and without Sunshine-E treatment; 1 week after treatment, 09-01-2016. Continue reading...
Date:
Fertilizing in Winter?
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.
Date:
SUNSHINE in a bottle - your help during winter
Q: I have been using your new plant hormone SUNSHINE for plants after shipping, and I must admit it does make a big difference! They recover right away. I order plants online very often, and usually it takes up to a week or more until they start showing new growth. After SUNSHINE treatments, they look fresh within a day or two. My question would be, for improving cold tolerance, what do you recommend? I live in Florida and it is still warm here, should I start spraying my garden now or should I wait until cold spells?
A:
SUNSHINE
is very effective plant stimulant that helps tropical
plants survive different kinds of stress, including
cold, heat, drought, low light, etc. At TopTropicals
gardens and nursery, we have been using this hormone for
many years to protect our plants from unfavorable
conditions, and it saved us many rare tender species,
and lots of money!
The sooner in Fall you start treatments, the better.
Don't wait until cold spell. SUNSHINE works slowly and
in very low doses. The mechanism is actually about
boosting, building up the plant's own immune system. Low
doses once a week, even every other week will work just
fine, so you will need very little of the product. For
less than $5 you can help expensive rare plants to go
through winter painlessly. Recommended application is
only 2.5 ml/1 gal of water, to spray every 1-2 weeks
throughout winter period.
Start spraying your plants with SUNSHINE now, to help
them survive short winter days, build up insect
resistance (especially for plants indoors), and what is
most important, to remain strong through lower
temperatures. These are our suggestions:
- SUNSHINE-T
- thermo-protection booster. It is specially
formulated for winter protection of tropical plants. To
improve cold hardiness even more, spray 1-2 days prior
to cold with 5 ml/1 gal solution and after that,
continue applications with 2.5 ml/1 gal solution every
10-15 days throughout winter period.
- For large plant collections, and in-ground gardens in
subtropical areas, take advantage of very cost effective
bulk items 50
ml and 100
ml bottles of SUNSHINE.
- Don't forget that SUNSHINE is only a stimulant, and
not a plant food. While regular fertilizer should be
avoided during winter months, it is always beneficial to
apply microelements through foliar spray. During cooler
period, chances of chlorosis increase, because at low
temperatures iron is difficult so absorb by roots
especially in moist soil, hence iron deficiency! Our new
Iron supplement SUNSHINE-Super-Iron
microelement booster will help to avoid yellowing leaves
and to maintain your plants strong and healthy during
slow growth period. Ultra-potent, highly absorbable iron
mix, with chelated Iron with DTPA (instead of usual
EDTA) that is better soluble in hard water and more
effective for chlorosis. This mix contains both EDTA +
DTPA chelated iron in higher concentration than regular
micro-elements mixes.
See all SUNSHINE
booster products in our store. For advanced
information on SUNSHINE plant boosters, history of use,
formulation, and frequently asked questions, visit our
manufacturer's website TTLaboratories.com.
Best plants suitable for containers. Check out our large selection of plants that are easily grown in containers. This week only, 20% off!
Date:
Sunshine Boosters: Healthy Plant Food
Q&A from Mr Booster
This year we introduced many new items to Sunshine Boosters selection - for all your plant needs in the garden. We receive lots of feedback and questions, so it is time now to share this information with all our customers and open this new section in our Newsletter -
From Mr Booster: Q&A
We promise that we will keep up with your favorite Cat of The Month blog as well!
Dry, liquid, or both?
Q: I have bought different plant boosters, and I am so exited to use them on my plants! I understand that Sunshine Boosters are better than traditional fertilizers, should I give up dry fertilizers all together, or can I continue using them? They are so easy, don't require any mixing...
A: We are all busy and it seems at first like a little bit of
work with all the mixing, but it saves your time in a long run! And money
too.
When we used dry fertilizers, every now and then a plant got killed, some
looked undernourished (or over-fertilized) and unhappy. It was always a
challenge to figure out which plant needs more and which needs less, and how often.
It made us use more and more chemicals trying to adjust the feeding balance,
and we had to worry about why a plant doesn't look happy. Sometimes we lost rare, valuable, collectible plants since we couldn't find a cure for their illnesses.
With Sunshine Boosters, those problems are gone now! See examples.
Compare using Sunshine Boosters with eating healthy, well-balanced food.
You can still survive on junk food and won't die from starvation, but eventually eating junk food will take its toll and create health problems. So you will end up trying to fix them with more and more medicine... which in turn will create more side effects.
By using Sunshine Boosters, you provide all necessary elements and vitamins
to plants without a risk of side effects or building up unnecessary
junk/toxins in their system. No more leftovers!
According to tests, Sunshine Boosters are used up completely through plant metabolism, making them healthy, strong, and disease resistant. Sunshine Boosters are based on organic amino-acids which is the foundation of life on Earth. This helps to eliminate nutrients lock up in soil. See why Sunshine liquid fertilizers are better than dry fertilizers.
To answer your question, we recommend to switch to liquid Sunshine Boosters. It is possible to additionally use dry granulated "smart-release" fertilizers for in-ground plants, no more than once a month and only during hot season (Sunshine Boosters can be used year-round). However, some customers ran independent tests and admit that using Sunshine Boosters alone is more effective than in combination with dry fertilizers. See review from Karma Nursery.
Garden Series, or Combo Total Feed Collection - all nutrients in just one bottle, for different plant types. See booster in this collection, for different types of pants.
Date:
SUNSHINE boosters for small and large gardens
Q: I tried your magic SUNSHINE booster on my Champaca tree and results were amazing. The tree was having a hard time establishing after shipping and didn't want to grow, losing leaves. I almost lost it. Then I sprayed SUNSHINE booster and right after the first application the plant perked up and new leaves grew within a week. Now I want to use this stuff on all my plants. I am a plant collector, with a few hundred pots and almost a hundred plants in the ground, living in California. I wonder if you have bigger size bottles of SUNSHINE so I can use on my flowering plants, and fruit trees, to promote blooming and fruiting. And another question, how often should I spray my plants? Your instructions say once in 20 days, should I spray more often for better results? Should I water through roots too? Do I still need to fertilize plants or SUNSHINE will be enough for their health?
A: Great news! We just added new SUNSHINE items to our store, 50 ml and 100 ml - bigger bottles, they will be great for small and big gardens, as well as small plant nurseries and plant businesses. It is a good idea to start bi-weekly applications to improve your plants tolerance during winter time to cold and low light, especially when it comes to house plants. SUNSHINE improves plant resistance to insects which is a big deal during winter, when we bring tropical species indoors.
SUNSHINE is indeed a wonderful plant stimulant and stress reliever, although it is not a "magic-cure-all" medicine where one can't find its active ingredient. The hormone (epibrassinolide) is well-known and used in different countries along with other hormones for promote growth, fruiting, blooming, rooting, etc.
One of the most amazing properties of SUNSHINE is that it works in extremely low dozes. Only a few drops will be enough to make a solution in distilled water, to treat a large size plant. If you want to try it out, one 5 ml bottle will last for several applications.
The formula works through plant metabolism within 2-4 days, repeat application not sooner than in one week. The formula is created for absorption through foliage, not roots, so do not try to water with solution. Plants should be evenly sprayed in clear windless day. Do not spray if rain is expected. Re-spray if it rains within 12 hours.
Remember that SUNSHINE is not a fertilizer and won't replace it. You have to apply fertilizer (except during winter months) and micro-element solution to keep your plants healthy.
See more information about SUNSHINE boosters, and buy them from our store.
Date:
SUNSHINE boosters for recovering plants after shipping
Q: I live in Garden City, NJ and have a sun room with a tropical plant collection that I keep at about 40-45 degrees in winter. I used Sunshine booster during winter for my plant collection and results were amazing! I haven't lost a single plant. Now I see you have more products and I am planning to purchase more plants, how should I use Sunshine boosters to help plants recover after shipping?
A: Spray SUNSHINE-E solution right after receiving a plant from shipping. It will boost up the plant and make it 50-60% stronger and easier to recover after shipping stress. After that, apply SUNSHINE-SuperFood microelement booster to provide everything necessary for the plant to grow vigorously and happily. SUNSHINE-E is indeed a wonderful plant stimulant and stress reliever, although it is not a "magic-cure-all" medicine where one can't find its active ingredient. The hormone (epibrassinolide) is well-known and used in different countries along with other hormones for promote growth, fruiting, blooming, rooting, etc. One of the most amazing properties of SUNSHINE is that it works in extremely low dozes. Only a few drops will be enough to make a solution in distilled water, to treat a large size plant. If you want to try it out, one 5 ml bottle will last for several applications. Large bottles of SUNSHINE 50 ml and 100 ml - great for small and big gardens. It is a good idea to start bi-weekly applications to improve your plants tolerance to Summer heat, drought and improve disease resistance. The formula works through plant metabolism within 2-4 days, repeat application not sooner than in one week. After application of SUNSHINE-E, don't forget to boost your plants with SUNSHINE-SuperFood .
Check out SUNSHINE boosters... We offer FREE shipping on them, so you can make your plants happy!
Date:
Gardenia flowers: how to prevent bud-drop
Q: My gardenia looks beautiful, but the flowers fall off of it before they even open up, the majority of them get this brown color at their base. Can you point me in the right direction.
A: There are 3 possible problems, either one, or a combination:
1) Lack of light
2) Too much water
3) Lack of micro-nutrients in soil
Try the following treatments:
- micro-elements SUNSHINE-SuperFood as foliar spray + drench rootball,
once a month, it will improve quality of the flowers.
- Silicon protection: SUNSHINE-Power-Si. This supplement has Silicon as
an active element (Si). Adding it to soil or/and over foliar spray can
immensely enhance plants' resistance to external factors and boost their growth and
health.
Make sure the soil is not soggy, reduce watering especially during
fall/winter.
Date:
New Video: SUNSHINE Plant Boosters
TT Laboratories presents: SUNSHINE In A Bottle!
Check out this video: SUNSHINE In A Bottle
SUNSHINE is a new generation of a plant booster, formulated specifically for tropical plants.
SUNSHINE intention and direction is towards the general health of the plant and boosting its immune system; helping plant to recover from stress, increase flower and fruit production, improve cold hardiness, disease resistance, seed germination and much more!
TTLaboratories is offering the following products:
- SUNSHINE E - for general applications, stress relief and growth boosting
- SUNSHINE T (Thermo) - for better cold tolerance
- SUNSHINE BC - for bonsai and caudex
- SUNSHINE S - for seeds germination
- SUNSHINE H - for house plants
All of the SUNSHINE products come in an easy to use dropper for small to large application use.
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