Cashew Nut tricks and challenges

Q: I bought a cashew plant in May of this year it has been slow-growing well then all of a sudden it started dying. I have cut it back halfway down. So a plant that was close to 3 ft tall is now 1 1/2 feet. I see new leaves trying to spring closer to the root. Help! It's in a huge 18" wide pot, I have not put it in the ground yet. I am in the Orlando area.

A: Generally speaking, Cashew is not the easiest plant to grow. Cutting it down added more stress to the plant. A few thoughts:

1) Chances are, the tree was over-watered (possibly summer rains, we had pretty wet summer this year in FL). Cashew trees are very sensitive to over-watering while young. Considering it sits in pretty large pot, this may have created soggy conditions. Don't bother repotting the plant now, just try to reduce watering. We have less rains now. If you have automatic sprinklers, move it away from sprinkler so you can control moisture manually. Even better - move it under roof (lanai, etc) where it still can get lots of bright light, but you can control water.

2) In Orlando, winters are too cold for this tree. Make sure to protect it from cold - bring inside when temperature drops below 65F, especially considering that the plant is still struggling.

3) Keep in mind that Cashew is semi-deciduous tree, meaning it looses leaves during cooler period. If all leaves are gone but the stem still green (after nail scratch) - just give it time, it may start growing vigorously in Spring.

4) You may apply Sunshine Boosters with every watering (which should be once a week, or even less frequent if the soil is still moist) - SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster

Keep the plant in full sun or at least very bright filtered light. It must be always warm. Bring inside if below 65F.

Photo above: Cashew Tree flowers are so amusing!

Healthy Plants. Q&A from Mr Booster: Fertilizing Mango trees in Winter

Q: I'm living in Maryland growing zone 7A and would like some info on when to fertilize my potted mango trees. I ordered your Sunshine Mango Tango 2-2-4. All your mango trees are in pots.

A: You can start using this fertilizer right away, any time of the year, and every time you water your plants.
Sunshine Mango Tango, as well as other Sunshine boosters, is an amino-acid based liquid fertilizer that is scientifically developed for daily plant needs in all necessary nutrients. This means, you may use this fertilizer with every watering, including winter period.
Traditional fertilizers (both granulated and soluble, EDTA-chelated) can only be used during hot months while plants grow actively, and must be limited or not used at all during cooler months, to avoid nutrient lock up in soil (which basically means "building up unused elements"). With Liquid Sunshine Boosters, it is safe to add them every time you water your tree.
During cooler weather and when plant metabolism slows down, a tree will consume less water (as well as food), and you will automatically reduce watering, to keep over-wintering plants on a dry side. This means, less fertilizer too. This allows you to control elements intake naturally, like you control water amount just as much as the plant needs.

Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster

How to keep bugs away naturally?

Q: I started moving my tropical plant collection indoors as it's getting colder... And all of a sudden, I noticed bugs on leaves! I know for sure all my plants were bug-free when I kept the pots outside in my lanai. What happened? And how can I keep them clean and healthy without using any harsh chemicals? I have many edibles and herbs that I use in my cooking and prefer to stay away from insecticides. Any suggestions?

A: It is very common when healthy looking plants, once moved indoors for the winter, get insect infestations. The main reason is change of environment that puts a plant into stress and makes it susceptible to parasites and diseases. Just think about what a plant is missing, a whole combination of necessary conditions that provided a good life:
- Bring light -> light level reduced, so beneficial UV spectrum is gone
- Air circulation -> less wind = more bugs thriving
- Warm temperature -> from upper 80's in summer to 70's in your AC room
- Air humidity -> although humid air is believed to be causing some issues (for example fungus), however, reducing humidity overall puts a plant into stress and makes it more vulnerable.

Many gardener prefer to avoid chemicals, especially when it comes to treating edible plants and indoor collections. The solution to your problems is - Organic Solution!

SUNSHINE NoBug - Natural Plant Protector.
Shampoo for Plants - for both indoors and garden

SUNSHINE NoBug - is a natural solution to keep your plants healthy and bug-free without harsh chemicals. It is great for organic gardening and edibles, eco-safe and non-toxic for humans and pets. It kills, repels and prevents: spider-mites, mealybugs, whiteflies, aphids and many more. No wait time required - spray and play! And it smells like jasmine, forget stinky insecticides!
How does it work? Just look at these ingredients: Kosher Glycerine, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Palm Oil, Oat Protein, Organic Soap, Horticultural Oil, Jasmine Oil, Water. Yum! But bugs hate it - they suffocate in it! This is why your plants will have NO BUGS with NoBug, that's it!

Directions are simple:

- Mix 100 ml (3-4 oz) with 1 qt (32 oz) of water, or 500 ml (16 oz) in 1 gal of water - for larger applications
- Spray foliage to drip point, including underneath leaves.
- Repeat the treatment in 7 days.
- As a preventive care, spray leaves once a month to keep insects away.
- You may use a paper towel saturated with this solution to wipe the leaves and remove residue from insects.
- Store at room temperature.

This poor Pepper plant was tossed into garbage can by a neighbor... it looked hopeless, infested with mealybugs. We saved it with NoBug ! In 2 days it perked up, and after 4 weeks its healthy and fruiting!

What fig trees are good for Florida?

Q: My baby fig tree was sprayed by the lawn people with weed killer :( Any ideas? Also what figs do you have available to grow here in Florida?

A: Unfortunately once a plant is affected by a herbicide, there is not much you can do about it. If you don't rinse the chemical within a few seconds, it gets into the plant internal system and nothing can be done to save the plant. The tree may remain green for a few days up to a week, but then gradually dies back. If your fig tree wasn't rinsed immediately after herbicide spray, it is probably too late.
If you want to replace it with a new one, here is a few suggestions of our favorite fig varieties which are great producers and grow well in Florida heat:

Brown Turkey Fig - our favorite!
Black Mission Fig
Beers Black Fig
Texas Everbearing Fig
Magnolia Fig
LSU Purple Fig
Olympian Fig
Texas Blue Giant Fig
See full list of Fig Trees.

Make sure to get appropriate plant food for your fig tree so it develops faster for you and gets well-established before winter: SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster from Garden Series, or Combo Total Feed Collection - all nutrients in just one bottle, for fruit trees and edibles.

New video: Ground orchids.
All-summer colors for shady gardens

WATCH NEW VIDEO

Did you know orchids can be grown in the ground?
Orchids have a mystique that seems to set them apart from most other flowers... they are elegant and almost unreal in their perfection... The symmetry of the flowers has led to the orchid being a symbol of a perfect beauty.
But not every gardener has luck growing traditional orchids. Some complain about their special maintenance: "Mount them on a tree, do not overwater... and all that hassle just for once-a-year flower?" Sounds familiar?
Terrestrial orchids (a.k.a. ground orchids) grow in regular garden soil instead of in the air on tree branches. And they bloom almost year round!...

Ground orchids are available from our store.

Stay updated with TopTropicals Videos by subscribing to our channel at YouTube.com/TopTropicals and get our latest video news of what is fruiting and blooming!

Remember to get plant food for your orchids and Ground orchids!
In the photo: Sunshine-Home, plant booster for tender house plants and orchids.

Healthy Plant Food: Q&A from Mr Booster

Why my Sapodilla is not fruiting?

Q: I bought a Sapodilla tree from you several years ago, Silas Woods. I live in Houston area. The tree grows and produces blossoms for fruits, but then they just dry up and fall off. To-date, I have not gotten any fruits off the tree. Is there a reason for this? I really want a fruiting tree because Sapodilla is one of my favorite fruits. I have attached pictures of the tree. Please help.

A: Silas Woods is a free-flowering variety and in favorable conditions it should produce fruit almost year round, considering warm temperatures. The fact that the tree is producing flowers indicates that it is strong, overall healthy and ready for production, but for some reason these flowers don't set fruit. There may be several reasons for such behavior.

1) Too high temperature and too low humidity
In Houston area, humidity should be good in summer. However, if temperatures stay above 90F for a long time, this may cause flower dry-n-drop.
Solution: try to move the potted tree into filtered light, or in a spot where it does not get direct burning sun during the hottest hours of the day (morning sun is the best)

2) Root bound.
Solution: check if the tree needs stepping up into a larger container.

3) Lack of certain nutrients that are responsible for proper fruit formation.
In particular, elements B (Boron), Mo (Molybdenum), and a few other micro-elements (Fe - iron, Cu - Copper, etc.). This is most likely the cause of a flower drop. This is very common reason for undeveloped fruit or lack of fruit in container-grown fruit trees. When grown in the ground, plants can reach out to all necessary elements in surrounding soil (considering soils are not too poor on necessary elements). In a pot, a supply of nutrients can be exhausted very quickly, so a quality fertilizer program is very important. Fertilizer must include all necessary nutrients in easy accessible form, and a plant must have their constant supply for proper development.
Solution: prescribe to your Sapodilla tree the following combination of plant food:
- SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster. It will provide well-balanced amounts of high absorption Nitrogen, as well as other macro-elements - to provide enough energy to the tree, plus a combination of all necessary micro-elements. It is safe to apply this fertilizer as frequent as with every watering, including winter time.
- SUNSHINE-Honey - sugar booster. This supplement has a high content of elements Mo and B - once the tree starts getting them on regular basis (a few times a year, according to the label), it will change its habit dropping flowers and/or premature fruit drop. As extra bonus, Sunshine Honey makes fruit sweeter by bringing sugars from all over the plant and concentrating them into fruit.

4) Lack of pollinating insects.
Solution: For most effective pollination, we always recommend to put some pieces of fruit under the tree, apple peels, or even banana peel. Those attract tiny beetles that are responsible for small flower pollination.

With winter time approaching, fruiting season is about to end, however, do not get discouraged and start the fertilizing program right away: this will bring up the plant into a healthy stage within a few months, and by next season it should be covered with fruit you like so much! Remember, Sunshine liquid fertilizers can be used year round, including winter, without a risk to burn roots or overdose, as long as you follow label instructions.

Healthy Plant Food: Q&A from Mr Booster

How to make pineapples fruit?

Q: I have purchased a Sugar Loaf Pineapple from you a few months ago, it is growing well and producing little babies around the main plant! I am so excited to have my own Pineapple plantation! How soon will they fruit and is there anything I can do to make them fruit faster? Can I give extra fertilizer just like I do for other garden plants?

A: It takes a year or two until a pineapple plant gains enough energy to be ready to fruit. However the total time depends on growing conditions and availability of all necessary nutrients.
Pineapples, like all other plants from Bromeliaceae family require very delicate fertilizer; traditional fertilizers, if overdosed, can harm Bromeliads and even kill them. At the same time, Pineapples require extra Magnesium for good production, and not every fertilizer has it, or contains it in well-accessible compounds / proper proportions.
Sunshine Ananas Booster is a scientifically formulated, mild fertilizer, designed especially for tender Bromeliads, containing Magnesium just in perfect concentration. Its amino-acid based ingredients are natural and work perfectly for edibles and organic gardens. Just follow the label instructions and speed up the fruit production 3-4 times!

In the photo: Mr B checking his Sunshine Boosters inventory before shipping to his Good Customers.

Healthy Plant Food: Q&A from Mr Booster

Encouraging blooms on the Hawaiian Sunset Bell Vine

Q: Please can you advise how to encourage the Stictocardia beraviensis the Hawaiian Sunset Bell vine blooms? Mine is all beautiful leaves and full sun in Miami.

A: Providing full sun, Stictocardia blooms profusely. In your area, it should be happy and thriving. However, keep in mind that these flowers can be seasonal (meaning, not ever-blooming). The good news it, Hawaiian Sunset Bell usually blooms several times a year on and off. In our garden, we have a large plant growing in the ground and covering a whole fence; we see flowers 3 times a year:
- Early Spring
- Summer (sporadically)
- Late Fall to early Winter

Make sure to provide proper fertilizer to encourage blooms. It is especially important if you grow this plant in container (where nutrients are very limited). We suggest the following fertilizer for your Stictocardia:

SUNSHINE Megaflor - Bloom Nutrition Booster

Healthy Plant Food

How to make Mango tree fruit

Q: Hello, I have a five-year-old Lemon Meringue tree that has only given me fruit one year. It put out about 50 mangoes and has done nothing for the past three years. Do you recommend any vitamins or any of the nutrients that you guys sell to help with this for next season?

A: We've had very similar problem with our Nam Doc Mai Mango tree, fruited once and no more next year. Usually the reason is nutrients deficiency, here in Florida we have poor soils. We applied Mango-Tango tree booster and it started flowering within a couple of weeks.
Generally, Mango flowering season is over by now, however, we recommend to feed the tree starting now, during active growth season. This way it will get better established before winter and also will store away all elements necessary for triggering flowering and fruiting. So by late Fall through Winter it will be ready to flower.
Along with the fertilizer, additional micro-element supplements will be beneficial. For improving fruit quality and increasing number of flowers, we also recommend to use SUNSHINE-Honey - sugar booster

Healthy Plant Food

Establishing Avocado Tree

Q: I received my avocado Wurtz tree yesterday. Per instructions I have put the tree in a pot first. However I am having difficulty deciding what to trim off. Yesterday I removed obvious damaged leaves. However as you can see, the leaves are lighter in some areas and contain yellow and red in some spots. What would you advise? Given this is a critical state as I do not want to shock the tree after the trip, I would like to do everything possible to protect it and ensure viability.

A: Your Avocado tree looks great and healthy overall. You've done excellent job planting it. Wurtz is a good, vigorous variety, while the tree is somewhat dwarf, great for containers.
You are right, it is the best for the tree to leave it alone and do not trim or remove leaves any more, until it starts showing new growth. Then it will be obvious what needs to be trimmed. Reddish/orange color of young leaves is normal. If any spots or dots - no need to remove those leaves yet. Wait until the plant grows more leaves. It needs them for photosynthesis, in order to become stronger.

Keep the tree in bright shade and gradually move from filtered sun to full sun. Water daily. Within a week or two after planting, you can start applying mild fertilizer and micro-elements. We recommend at this growth stage:
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster
SUNSHINE SuperFood - Micro-element Plant Booster