Growing Loquat in container

Q: I purchased a Sherry Loquat tree from you in April of 2020. It got off to a slow start initially, but now is five feet tall with healthy leaf growth! It is in a 15-gallon pot and was brought into the house by October 15th. I live in Zone 6 and kept the plant outside from end of May to October 15th. I have given the tree artificial lights in addition to slow release fertilizer. Can you please advise me on what steps I need to take to get the Sherry Loquat tree to fruit? E.g., lighting requirements, soil pH, soil type, etc.

A: Loquat is normally winter flowering and spring fruiting tree, here in Florida it is usually heavily covered with fruit by April. With a proper care, you may see flowers throughout the winter and they may set some fruit for you. Considering that during this time you have to keep the plant indoors, here are some recommendations:

1. Soil. Well-drained, porous potting mix. Do not use any heavy garden soils. For our plants we use the following mix which is excellent for containers: Abundance

2. Light. The brighter the better. Sunroom would be great, or at least put the tree next to a large window. Extra lighting with grow lights is beneficial. Any type of light will work, you can even use a simple clip-on light, the brighter the better. 8-10 hours a day.

3. Water. Loquat is drought tolerant but for fruiting it will need regular watering; just don't keep soil soggy, let is slightly dry before waterings.

4. Fertilizer program. Use liquid fertilizer. We recommend Sunshine Boosters that are safe to use with every watering and year around - SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster.
We recommend to switch plants from traditional "slow-release" fertilizer to the liquid one because it makes a huge difference in plant growth and flower/fruit quality and quantity. Sunshine Boosters are scientifically balanced fertilizers that supply all necessary elements for daily plant needs. They are natural and eco-safe, great for any edibles.

5. Micro-elements. These are essential for potted plants, because in containers roots can't reach out to elements that are usually present in soil when trees grown in the ground.

Apply micro-element remedies that are very effective for improving fruit production, especially when flower or fruit drop occurs:
SUNSHINE Honey - promotes more efficient blossoming and pollination, makes flowers bigger and reduces bud drop.
SUNSHINE SuperFood - improves plant vigor and quality and size of flowers
These are all natural, eco-friendly supplements that work great for fruit trees and other edibles.

Read more about Loquat trees: The best grafted Loquat varieties.

Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster

How to grow a happy Red Jade Vine?

Q: My Red Jade Vine has the leaf tips turning brown. I water this plant four times a week and I am using a half a teaspoon of miracle grow bloom booster 15-30-15 per 2 gallons, every two weeks. In the beginning I had to water this plant off city water in South Fort Myers. Over the last two months I picked up a dechlorinator buggy plus threw that on my hose and I've been watering it with that but it didn't seem to make a difference. I put this plant in the ground last September. It has three shoots that run into the top of the tree, so it is growing but leaves seem to drop off down low at the base of the vine and the brown tipping running into the top of the plant. But not the newest shoot its leaves are solid green all the way at the top. Thanks for any advice.

A: Mucuna benettii - Red Jade vine - is not the easiest plant to grow, and we are glad your vine is growing well. For those who love this plant but not ready to face all challenges, we recommend its cousin - Camptosema grandiflora - Dwarf Red Jade Vine, which is much hardier and easier plant.
We looked at the photos and these are our thoughts.

1) The top of the plant with green fresh leaves definitely indicates that the plant is generally healthy and vigorous.
2) Dry tips of the old leaves may indicate excess salts in soil, in combination with the summer heat that it went through. Based on your feeding program description, that fertilizer may create a problem. Water soluble traditional fertilizers are EDTA-chelated which often causes nutrients lock up in soil and leaf drop. Try to stay away from that fertilizer for a month and let the rains and/or irrigation water flush the soil for a couple of weeks.
3) Red Jade vine is a very sensitive species. Normally, during hot season it is safe to use traditional fertilizers, especially slow-release granulated. However, with this plant we recommend you to switch to more delicate formula and use only liquid fertilizer.
SUNSHINE Megaflor - Bloom Nutrition Booster will be the best. It is safe to use it as frequent as with every watering! It is amino-acid based, and will be totally consumed by the plant without nutrient lockup.
4) Another cause of dry leaf tips may be micro-element deficiency.
Megaflor booster already has all necessary micro-nutrients in it, plus you may apply some extra: SUNSHINE Superfood.
5) You may continue using regular water for watering (including city water) as long as you use amino-acid based plant food and supplements: they improve soil acidity (what tropical plants like is acidic soil, and Florida soils are alkaline). Additionally, to improve soil acidity which can be critical for this Mucuna species, you may add 1" layer of pure peat moss on top of the soil around the plant. Please keep us in loop how the plant is doing. It is pretty rare species in cultivation and we will be happy to help you to keep it thriving.

Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster

What is an ideal potting mix?

Q: A few years ago, I purchased a Barbie Loquat from you, and I'm pleased to say it's been growing very well. I now have several loquat seedlings. I have read that a well-draining medium should be used, and I have found that the various formulations provided on the web for such medium seem vaguely reminiscent of the recipe provided in your transplanting instructions. Therefore, I would like to retrieve your recipe, unless you could recommend an even better one?

A: The main requirements for a good potting mix are:
- perfect drainage, allowing air circulation that is so necessary for healthy roots; oxygen circulation helps to avoid root rot
- water retention: to keep nutrients in soil
- low pH (soil acidity) which is important for most tropical plants
- adequate amount of organic matter in the mix, in combination with proper fertilizer program

In our nursery we experimented with many different potting mixes for the past couple decades. We ended up with an ultimate mix for tropical container plants that we designed ourselves. This custom mix is called -

Abundance - TopTropicals professional soilless potting mix

It meets all the requirements above which makes it a perfect mix. All our plants are happy with it. Abundance is a professional quality (nursery-grade) potting mix with great drainage characteristics, ideal for any tropical plants. It is organically derived soil-less mix, free of any additives.
Ingredients are:
- fine Canadian peat moss
- coconut coir
- perlite
- aged pine bark (soil conditioner).
See more info on soil mixes.
We have this mix available for purchase in different packaging sizes - 2, 3, and 7 gal bags.

Besides proper potting mix, all container plants require regular fertilizing. We recommend the newest, scientifically balanced fertilizers Sunshine Boosters that are natural, eco-safe, great for all edibles and organic gardening. They are safe to use with every watering, provide all necessary elements for plant daily needs, and won't burn the roots.
For your loquat tree, consider Sunshine C-Cibus, it boosts both flowering and fruit production. Loquat is Winter-Spring bloomer, hopefully you will get some crop soon!

See more information about potting mix science

Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster

How not to kill gardenias?

Q: I have tried to grow gardenia in pots for years and never keep them alive. When i look on camellia websites they say fertilize potted plants twice a year. I'm confused as I tend to kill them with kindness haha. Also, if our tap water has high cal/mag and that stops the gardenia getting other nutrients why would I make up the feed with tap water? So confusing and online is mixed messages...

A: Gardenias are not the easiest plants to grow, however, they are easier in pots than in the ground: they prefer acidic soils, and in many areas soils are alkaline. The most important factor is balanced and sufficient nutrients. In the ground, plants have no limits to reach out to different elements by spreading their root system. In a pot, once all the good stuff is consumed, plants start suffering nutrient deficiency. This is why a balanced feeding program is important.

Generally speaking, Cal/Mag in tap water cannot be bad, because they are essential elements, good for plants (in proper amounts). However, just Cal/Mag is not enough. This is why you need a balanced liquid fertilizer for plants that prefer acidic soil. Excessive Cal/Mag alone can create nutrient lock up, especially if they are chelated with EDTA like in dry fertilizers, which are not fully accessible for plants.
We recommend natural, Amino-Acid based fertilizers that are completely consumed by a plant and are safe to use with EVERY watering, even in Winter. They are scientifically formulated and cover all plant needs. For your gardenias, you should use SUNSHINE Pikake - Fragrant Flower Booster.
Another important factor is proper watering. Gardenias like regular water but don't like wet feet = well drained potting mix is a must, similar to Abundance professional growing mix.

Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster

Feeding Indoor Plants

Q: I am moving all my potted plants indoors as weather is cooling down. I still have Sunshine Boosters that I got from you in Summer. Do I need to continue fertilizing and how often, or should I wait until Spring?

A: Indoor plants add a vibrant warmth to your home, and can even improve the air quality. But most importantly, indoor plants give you access to year-round gardening. While majority of house plants are easy to maintain, they still require proper care to thrive.
Too many gardeners overlook the importance of fertilizing plants indoors. However, proper feeding is essential to grow healthy, vibrant plants. With outdoor plants nature sends rain and a plant will send new roots to find food, an indoor plant is limited to only what you will give it. That is why it is essential to feed your plants a healthy nutritious meal even indoors.
Many granular and slow-releasing fertilizers will recommend that you only feed your plants occasionally, but this is not the healthiest for plants, since they need to "snack" every day to satisfy their daily nutrient needs. When you feed a plant a large meal rarely, it cannot absorb the nutrients effectively, leftovers creating build up in soil (it's called "locked up nutrients") and that is why we specifically designed our fertilizers to be a light, daily nutritious meal for your plants - Sunshine Home for houseplants...

The Best Pineapples

Q: What varieties of the Pineapple are the best for planting in Florida? When do they fruit? I have a small yard, with a room for one or two, but can I keep more in pots? I am excited to grow my own pineapples!

A: Pineapple is truly the King of fruits! One of the most delicious fruits in the world. They start flowering from January to March in Florida and yes, they happily grow in the ground as well as in pots. Heaviest fruiting is in Summer (May to September), and some staggered throughout the year.
Be careful with watering, keep in mind that like any bromeliad, Pineapple needs very little water and needs the soil to get dry between waterings. Use only acidic soil and acidic plant food.
Make sure to feed these plants on regular basis, especially if grown in pots. Pineapples are heavy feeders but are also very sensitive like all bromeliads, so be careful with traditional fertilizers, do not exceed recommended dosage. It is safe to use liquid amino-acod-based Sunshine Boosters Ananas fertilizer year round.

The mot popular pineapple varieties for home growers are:
Elite Gold
Royal Hawaiian - Royale
Sugar Loaf

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 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

Plant food for a Star Fruit

Q: I have 2 Starfruit plants from you. One on the left is B10 has a lot of flowers but no fruit is developing. On the rite is Kenjeng. This one has no flowers at all. Both plants are growing very well. Plenty of sun and water. I am located in Boynton Beach Florida. So what to do?

A: Your trees on the pictures look very healthy, congratulations with a great care!
Starfruit, as well as other grafted fruit trees (like mango, avocado, etc) usually flower/fruit easily and readily while in pots in the nursery. Sometimes, once planted in the ground, they may reduce flowering or even stop flowering. What happened?
The answer is simple. In pots, we fertilize them on regular basis. In our nursery, we have fertilizer injector inline with irrigation system that dozes plant food with EVERY watering. In other nurseries, they may also use slow-release fertilizers, but it is still a regular routine to provide plant food to potted plants.
In the ground, especially in Florida poor soils, fruit trees may stop flowering or delay fruiting due to lack of nutrients, or dis-balance of elements in the ground. Without fertilizer, a tree may take extra time to develop bigger root system to reach out for necessary elements, and eventually will start fruiting anyway.
But we want it to fruit soon! The only way to fix the problem is to provide fertilizer on regular basis for a young tree. It is especially important during hot summer months when plant metabolism is fast due to high temperatures, plus nutrients may get washed away with frequent summer rains (like we have in Florida) even if you've added some fertilizer at time of planting.

You can use smart release fertilizer once a month during hot season, this one or similar:
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster.

But the most effective way to get a tropical tree to flowering and fruiting, is frequent applications of liquid fertilizer. We use Sunshine Boosters with every watering on our plants. They work great even on hard cases and weak plants, and you see the difference in a matter of weeks, sometimes even days.
We recommend the following fertilizer that contains all necessary elements for young fruit trees: SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster