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Pineapple season is here and people often ask, "how do you get them to grow?" Well, the answer is simple really. One method involves cutting the top off a pineapple, prepping it and then planting it. You can find several different ways to do this with a short Google search. Of course the easiest way is to purchase plants that have already been started. You can do that here...
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...Have you seen butterflies? Yes, of course. Have you seen orchids?
Yes, of course. And have you seen a tree with flowers that look like both a
butterfly, and an orchid?...
...Bauhinias are beautiful and diverse. Their flowers are showy and
slightly perfumed; their leaves always cleft in the characteristic Bauhinia
manner... And they are gorgeous - all together and each in their own way... They turn
your garden into a colorful paradise and make you feel like living on exotic
island...
...Some of them are everblooming and start flowering in 1-3 gal pots!...
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Plants need food too! Our line of Complete Plant Nutrition system - Sunshine Boosters - will give your plants exactly what they need, and nothing they don't! The boosters are easy to use, and -
- as a part of our 4th of July specials!
We have a new team member to help you learn more about Sunshine Boosters and how they can make your plants grow healthy and
fast.
Meet
Ed Jones - our new Booster Guy! Ed will be your contact for all Sunshine
Boosters questions, he will help you with fertilizer product selection and
ordering.
Soon we will introduce some new fun stuff... including: new advanced formulas, and cool electronics for ultimate control of your plant collections, gardens, greenhouses, and groves... Stay connected!
Meet Ed's serious Booster People: Roxy and Delilah
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Q: I need something unusual to plant next to a small pond at my front yard. It is full sun location. I need a plant that is not too messy and doesn't require much maintenance. Preferably without flowers, so they don't drop into the water, and not too tall. Any suggestions?
A: Your ideal solution is - colorful Colocasia hybrids with
spectacular large leaves. Our favorite is variety Black Magic - it creates a magic tropical atmosphere. The color of the
leaves in full sun is dark purple, almost black, and the brighter the light,
the deeper the color.
Light colored varieties - Royal Hawaiian Maui Sunrise, with bright sunny stripes, or Illustris, in case you want to create a bright, mixed-color border
around your pond. Colocasias are perfect plants for perimeter borders, and
naturally are marginal plants around lakes and along river banks.
Photo above: for enhanced effect of your Black Magic Colocasias, use Black Magic Ti Leaf for the background planting... Cordyline fruticosa Black Magic - Hawaiian Good Luck Ti Leaf.
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Loquat trees are famous for their abundant fruit production. Many customers who purchased this tree from us, soon end up with some serious crops and start asking if we have any special recipes for loquat fruit - because you can only eat so much out of hand! Here is our manager Kristi's favorite Loquat recipe - not only delicious and tropically-aromatic, but also good for you. Happy Tropical Meal!
2 lbs loquat fruit
Wash the fruit, cut them in half and remove stones. The loquats will lose about a third of their weight once stoned (3 lbs of whole fruit = 2 lbs of fruit, stones removed). Add loquats and all remaining ingredients to a large saucepan. Bring to a low boil, then simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. The liquid will have reduced quite a bit and the fruit will be collapsed and very soft. Allow to cool slightly, then liquidize the sauce in a blender or a food processor. Be careful, hot sauce really burns!
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...One of the most fascinating exotic fruit, as amazing as Miracle fruit, Peanut Butter Fruit is loved by both kids and
adults... and yes, it tastes exactly like peanut butter!.. Yet it is much healthier food, with many medicinal benefits...
...The easy, low-maintenance Peanut Butter Fruit tree is essential for any
edible landscape, rare fruit collector, or tropical/subtropical garden. It has a great ornamental or
screening value. Also can be grown in container, and will fruit indoors... Similar to fast-fruiting Annonas, and its close relatives Malpighia
(Barbados Cherry) and Bursonima (Nancy Tree), Bunchosia tree starts fruiting in small size and at young age: 2-3 years from
seed!..
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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.
Read more: Boosting Mango Flowers and Fruit.
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Q: Received my Avocado tree last week and I'm a bit concerned. Is this wilting normal with a new plant? No yellowing, or dropping of leaves. We moved it out of the sun but not sure how to handle?
A: This is normal for after-shipping stress. You did right,
position the tree away from direct sun, in shade, preferably under roof (patio?)
so it doesn't get over-watered with too much rain and you can control water
amount. We recommend to spray the leaves with pure water and put a large clear
plastic bag just over the crown (leave the soil to breath). Keep in shade.
Within couple days the leaves should perk up. Do not overwater. Water only when
the top of soil gets slightly dry. In a week or so, once the plant recovers,
you may start moving it gradually into full sun, then to its permanent spot
where you want to plant it.
Avocado is not an easy plant to establish. So be careful. It needs lots of
water, however, it doesn't like wet feet - so must be planted in a
well-drained spot, with at least 4-6" elevation (on a little "hill") so it never gets
water-logged. It needs daily water to establish and may need more than just a
sprinkler system, use additional hose water when establishing in the
ground.
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Q: I purchased a Magnolia champaca 1 gallon a few years ago. It is still growing as I bring it into my greenhouse in the winter. I live in VA. This spring I planted it in the ground hoping it might bloom which it did not. Will it survive our fairly mild winters with several freezing days with some special attention? What would you do?
A: Magnolia champaca is a tropical tree and won't survive winter in VA. It can not take hard freeze. Your only option is, to keep it in a pot and bring inside. If the temperature inside your greenhouse is too low, this may affect the plant's ability to flower. For example, if it stays 35-40F for a whole month - although it is not a hard freeze and the plant may survive, but the duration of the cold period is more critical than the low temperature itself. Champaka can survive a few hours even at upper 20's, but not many days with cool temperatures. The temperature in winter should be maintained at least above 55F during day time (the higher the better) and at least above 45F at night.
If the tree has grown too big, you may trim it. If the root ball is too
large, roots can be trimmed too (similar way like they do with bonsai) before
repotting. However, trimming must be done either during warm season and active
growth, or in Spring, when the tree starts waking up and promotes new
growth.
To encourage flowering, start fertilizing your Champaka with a liquid bloom
booster - SUNSHINE Pikake - Fragrant Flower Booster. It can be used year round
including winter months, and it is safe to apply with every watering. This way
you will provide to the tree enough energy for the next flowering season, so
flowers can be expected in late Spring - Summer.
Read more about greenhouse growing: Greenhouse in Virginia.
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...Champaka, or Joy Perfume Tree, is regarded as one of the most sacred
trees of India and tropical Asia. Its flowers exude a divine fragrance that
is exceedingly pleasing to the Gods... and women!..
...The tree was traditionally used to make fragrant hair and massage oils.
Jean Patou’s famous perfume, 'Joy', the second bestselling perfume in the world after Chanel No. 5, (but definitely the most expensive number one!) is derived from the essential oils of champaka flowers. The plant common name "Joy Perfume Tree" comes from this perfume. Many niche perfumers are now once again using Champaka Absolute as single note fragrances...
Planting a Golden Champaka really makes your home a sweet home. Also you
can take the flower into your car, office, restroom, and anywhere you want to
create fragrant atmosphere. It emits a unique warm fragrance which promotes a
peaceful state of mind, reduces stress and helps you to relax and breathe
easily. Looks like it is specially designed for moments of tranquil
contemplation. It’s the nature of Champaka - to remind us of the Divine in all
things...
