Q:The mango blossoms my tree had in February have blown off due
to weather conditions. Do you know what I can do to prevent this from
happening again in the future?
A: The only "guarantee" to protect mango flowers from cold
weather damage here in Florida is to plant a LATE flowering variety. Generally,
mango trees are winter bloomers. Those varieties called "early season" start
flowering in January (for example, Nam Doc Mai), and of course very often they
get affected by cold, so they drop. Some varieties are so called "late season"
- for example Venus. They start flowering in spring when the weather conditions are
more favorable.
Another thing that may help you with mango flower drop is applying plant
micro-element supplement Sunshine-Honey - it contains Molybdenum and Boron, which help flower
and fruit development/strength and prevent their drop.
Q: I am interested in your Tahitian Gardenia and I would love to try and grow this plant in a
large container/fabric pot. The soil here where I live is terrible as it's hard rock, clay, and sand! So I'm not sure if amending the soil would help to plant in the ground? Can you tell me if this will do okay in a container or best in ground? I live here in Las Vegas, NV (zone 9a). Any information would be great to help me make a this decision, I love the selection of cool tropical plants you offer! Also my daughter does Tahitian/Polynesian dance and this would be a cool "topping on the cake" if she could have a live Tiare flower in her performances.
A:Tahitian Gardenia will be doing best if grown in container in your
area. In its natural habitat, it grows full sun but also it enjoys mild weather
conditions and high air humidity. All gardenias prefer acidic soils. In your
area, if planted in the ground, it may be exposed to some harsh conditions:
too high temperatures, too hot sun, dry air, and as you mentioned - heavy clay
and sandy soil. You can enjoy this plant grown in container, which can be
moved as needed away from too much sun during summer months. Use well-drained potting mix. Use plastic pot, do not use fabric or clay
pots - soil will dry out too quickly.
Also remember to fertilize this plant on regular basis with a liquid
fertilizer SUNSHINE Pikake - Fragrant Flower Booster.
Grow gardenia in full sun or semi-shade during the hottest months. You may
spray it with pure water if the air too dry and hot. Enjoy your Tropical
Beauty and good luck!
...More than any other sense, the sense of smell has the power to recall
memories of the past. Perhaps this is because the olfactory impressions are
received by the brain's limbic system, one of the most ancient components
that also associated with emotions. The result is that even a whiff of a certain
flower or leaf can instantly transport us in time to when we first
encountered the fragrance. Little wonder that fragrant plants have always ranked high
among Southern favorites...
Q: I purchased a heliconia from you a couple months ago. The new
growth seems to be doing fairly well, however some of the larger leaves are
discoloring around the edges then drying up. It's potted in a large pot with potting soil with 3 holes in the bottom to help with drainage in partial sun under a Royal Palm facing northwest. I'm here in Ft Myers. I was previously watering it every other day with your rapid growth fertilizer 1 tbsp per gallon but I have cut that back to once or twice a week. Please let me know your thoughts.
A:Heliconias and Gingers tend to develop dry leaves if grown in pots,
especially ceramic or clay pots, because soil in such pots dries out too fast.
These dry leaves are not caused by fertilizer, and you can see lots of new
healthy green growth. The plant overall seem to be healthy. Continue fertilizing
it with liquid Sunshine Robusta that is great for all wide-leaf tropical species,
promotes green, lush foliage, and do not use any additional dry fertilizers!
Another suggestion, try to move the plant in more shady spot. Right now it
sits in pretty bright light, this may be OK for established plants in the
ground, but potted heliconias are very sensitive to hot sun. They get leaf burn
easily.
Mark your calendar:
June 19, 2021
Summer Solstice Celebration with PeopleCats
Special Event you can't miss!
First day of Summer and the longest day of the year! Live Jazz in the
Garden, lots of cool vendors
and "A Roof for Rufus" cat adoptions...
Come join the Top Tropicals crew for the longest planting day of the year.
Onika, Bella, Mark and David will be here soaking in the sun and helping you
to pick the right plants...
Saturday, June 19th
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Top Tropicals is proud to partner with A Roof for Rufus cat adoptions. Each cat attending this event has been
hand picked and approved by King.
Don't miss this event! Talk to the kitties and find your companion in life.
PeopleCats never betray and they will love you forever!
Since the demand in rare tropical plants increased dramatically, we had
to extend our nursery so we can satisfy all our customers' plant needs. So we
started a new grow farm!
Our new, second location: Top Tropicals B-Farm in Sebring, FL (Highlands
County), is still under construction, but we already grow a huge selection of
rare flowering and fruiting plants for you. And of course Mr B is the supervisor of his own B-Farm!
Those who live in Central Florida, are welcomed to pick up their orders
from B-Farm, save on shipping cost, and eliminate shipping stress for your
plants. Please contact our Customer Service to make an appointment for picking up your order in
Sebring. At B-Farm, our office is still under construction so we do not have
regular hours open for public yet. For now, please shop online and you may pick
up your plants either from our Ft Myers Garden Center, or from B-Farm in Sebring. Please note: Due to 2 locations, some plants may or may not be
available at one of the locations, please verify over the phone first, before
planning your pick up trip!
Q: I received a mango tree we ordered last week (I am in
California) and am trying to make sure we take care of it properly. I noticed the
corners of some leaves have began drying out. I wanted to see if there was
anything else we should be doing or if it is something normal. Overall the tree
looks good and the leaves have perked up, but I noticed the dry tips on a
handful of leaves. Any help is appreciated! I have not fertilized in the pot yet
or applied the mango sunshine booster.
A:Your mango tree looks pretty healthy, and these dry leaf tips
may be caused by overall shipping stress. You have dry air in California, and
temperatures may be getting up, this may cause additional drying effect. You
may start fertilizing with a liquid fertilizer, it will help the plant to get stronger and grow
faster - then heat and dry air won't be a problem as soon as the plant becomes
better established and hopefully go into a bigger pot soon, or in the ground.
Make sure to provide regular water if you have hot dry summers.
Q: I have 5 avocados. Three of your cold hardy varieties and two
others that have all flowered and set fruit in the past. The last two years
including this year, not a single one of them has put out any flowers. I am
getting lots of new growth like one would expect on a tree too young to flower.
The last two years have been very mild with out any damaging frost where in
previous years they lost all their leaves due to frost yet started putting
out flowers once winter was over. I am confused because they have all flowered
and set fruit previous years. Any ideas would be appreciated.
A: From information you provided, and considering the trees get
lots of full sun and cold was not an issue, the only explanation is - lack of
nutrients. Here is an example.
Very common situation: you get a small 2-3 ft Avocado or Mango tree in 3
gal pot (or even smaller) from a nursery, full of flowers, and sometimes even a
small fruit. You bring it home, plant it in the ground or a bigger pot, it
looks happy and grows like crazy. Then next year - oops, no fruit, sometimes
not even flowers. What happened?
When the tree lived in a nursery, it was provided with all necessary
nutrients through the injector systems (continuous feed); or some nurseries may use
top dress smart release on regular schedule. Regardless of fertilizer type,
professional grower's set up delivers plant food non-stop, on regular basis, with balanced formulas. Plants are not only growing fast but also ready to produce, since nutrients are always available for a full growth cycle.
When you plant a tree in the ground (or larger pot), conditions change.
They may be beneficial for the plant: lots of room for roots to establish, hence
lots of vegetative growth. Even if you planted it using good quality fertile
soil, this soil may contain mostly nutrients responsible for vegetative
growth (branches and leaves). Chances are, your soil may be rich in Nitrogen
(good for green growth), but poor in other elements responsible for flowering and
fruiting (Phosphorous, Potassium, and many important micro-elements such as
Molybdenum, Boron, Iron, etc.). Besides, existing soil gets exhausted
quickly, and within a year a two, if you don't add fertilizer, flowering and fruiting may be reduced or even stopped.
This is why fertilizing program is very important for fruit trees that are expected to bring a crop soon.
Also keep in mind that some fruit trees have a habit of "skipping" a year and may either produce less or not produce at all every other year. In any case, balanced nutrition program can help to fix this "bad habit".
Q: Hi, I live on the east coast near West Palm, but I see you
ship your plants. My HOA allows for Yellow Tabebuia species and I'm looking for two or three smaller trees that can fit in my front yard in smaller spaces. Ideally looking for trees that would stay under 20' in height, but preferably even smaller. Can you tell me the average height and spread of the Dwarf Golden Tabebuia or Silver Trumpet trees?
Q: Recently I started working remotely and I kinda like it, no
need to commute, it saves me so much time so I can have life now! My friend got
me involved into growing some small houseplants but I really want to take
advantage of our Florida climate and sun. I want to plant some cool fruit trees
since I have a decent size yard. But I live in Florida Panhandle and we do
have some occasional freeze in winter, although not for too long. But it gets
very hot in summer! Are there any tropical fruit trees that will be happy
here? Or should I keep everything in pots? I am excited to have my own tropical
plant collection!
A: There is a perfect plant for everyone, and a perfect tree for
every climate. Many tropical and especially subtropical plants can be much
hardier than they are believed to be, both flowering and fruiting trees among
them. You may keep the most sensitive species in pots and bring them inside
for winter, while there are so many trees that will be happy in your area.
Start with these that are perfect for climates with hot summers and cool winters:
1. Peaches and Plums
Low-chill, Heat-tolerant Peaches, Nectarines, Plums are especially
selected for Florida hot summers. They produce well and do not require many
"chill" hours like temperate fruit trees. They only need 150 chill hours and grow
well in even in Arizona, so you know they are taking the heat.
2. Figs
2) Fig trees - they are easy to grow, heat- and drought- resistant trees.
They are prized for their delicious fruit, which can be one to three inches
in length, violet, brown or black. There are even varieties with yellow fruit.
Most fruits are borne from early summer to late fall on new growth, and the
fruits generally mature very quickly. These trees are sensitive to frost only
when actively growing, but can withstand 10F when dormant.
Read more about Fig trees.
