...Jamie and I recently took our first real vacation in four years! Yep,
that's right, we packed our bags and loaded the Challenger for a two-day
drive from Florida to New Hampshire. I know what you are asking "Are you crazy?
That's a long drive!" Yes, yes, it is a long drive. One this Florida born and
raised girl didn't realize would be as long as it was...
...As we got into the driving, the world as I knew it began to change.
All of a sudden, the roads started twisting and turning. The streets were no
longer palm tree lined but in their place were huge jetting rocks and cliffs.
I was like a kid at Disney! I have never seen anything like this, there were
Christmas trees growing out of the ground! Right up out of the ground!..
Q: I am looking forward to my three desert roses I just ordered from you and I am wondering how to take
care of them, especially during winter time. Should I put the pots in full sun
or shade? What kind of soil do they like? How often should I water them? When
it gets cooler, should I bring them inside? We do have occasional frost here
during winter.
A: Here are a few tips for your desert roses:
1. When received Adenium from mail-order, unpack carefully; branches are
fragile. Plant in well-drained potting mix. Cactus mix will do, but we
recommend special Adenium mix. If using regular acidic peat-based potting mix, you may
add sea-shells on top of soil to neutralize acidity: adeniums prefer alkaline
soils. Using clay pots is beneficial. Water once and do not water again until
soil gets dry. Place in bright shade until new leaves sprout, then the plant
can be moved to full sun.
2. Adenium is a succulent, but not a cactus. It needs watering, however
let soil dry before waterings. Reduce watering during cool season and
discontinue when plant gets dormant (drops all leaves in winter).
3. Bright light is the best for profuse flowering. However, adeniums
look much healthier in slightly filtered light rather than in all-day full
sun.
4. Fertilize and spray leaves with liquid fertilizer SUNSHINE Megaflor - Nutrition Bloom Booster. Phosphorous is responsible
both for flowering and caudex development. Avoid caudex, spray over foliage
only. Dry fertilizer can be used only during hot months.
5. Watch for spider mites during hot and dry season.
6. Give plants a break during winter dormant season. Keep in bright
shade and reduce watering to 1-2 per month or stop watering if temperature is
below 65F.
...August 8 is International Cat Day - a day to celebrate one of
man's most common and ancient pets. They have even been worshiped as gods (we
see you, Egypt.) Well, it is not surprising, Cats are one of the coolest
beings on the planet: they are independent, inquisitive, adventurous, have an
amazing physiognomy, and the power to heal by themselves... And - cats and
plants always go together!..
...Nowadays, cats seem to be one of the pop icons in modern society - we
have about half of a billion among us. And, since 2002, thanks to the
International Fund for Animal Welfare cats have their own holiday!..
Q: I have a large collection of Aroid plants, different
Monsteras, Philodendrons, and several unique varieties of Caladiums. I've been always told that Caladiums should not be fertilized, they
don't like it. Is it so?
A: Caladium farmers often say that these plants don't need any additional fertilizer and that they really don't like it... The thing
is, caladiums do not like DRY fertilizers, and this is why. Most Aroid plants do not like being watered too often, so dry fertilizers in combination
with infrequent watering create excessive salinity for the root system. We have run some tests on the proper fertilizers for caladiums and the best results were
performed after using SUNSHINE
Robusta. It is amino acid based, so the delicate, large-leaved Aroid plants will not have to work quite so hard to take up the nutrients, and there will be no nutrient
lock up in soil. The nutrients are readily available to these plants.
In this article, you will see some test results of caladiums fertilized with
SUNSHINE Robusta vs. other brands of fertilizer, with more vigorous growth and larger leaf size occurring after use of Sunshine Robusta...
Caladiums do not have to be just an accent plant. They can also be
the focus point of a garden area. It is said that as many as 98% of the world's caladium tubers come from right here in
Highlands County, Florida, also home to the Sunshine Boosters manufacturing facility. It is such a big deal that they have a
Caladium Festival here each summer. The fields are absolutely stunning in all of their colors. This year the festival runs this weekend, July 23 - July 25.
Q: We just moved to Florida from New York. The weather is so hot
and I wonder if I should wait till Fall to plant my garden? I tried to plant some seeds of annuals but nothing grew, just weeds. I also planted
tomato seeds, they germinated but died in few days. What am I doing wrong?
A: Growing from seeds during hot season can be tricky. Here in Florida, we still can grow anuals and vegetables from seeds, but only during
winter season. Annuals and tomatoes need cooler temperatures and protection from
rain water which we have in abundance during summer. Combination hot + wet
can kill those seedlings. On the other hand, seeds of tropical species love the heat and
humidity, and germinate in no time, they just require a little experience.
However, Summer is a perfect time to plant and establish starter plants in your garden.
Five advantages of summer planting
1. Root growth. High temperatures promote rapid root growth - this is one secrets of a plant nursery. If you grow plants in pots, putting a pot on top of
black ground cover will increase the effect, and the roots will grow even faster than the tops! This is a great head start for a plant. Make sure to provide adequate watering. 2. Fast development. With bright sun and longest day light, photosynthesis is more efficient. In simple words,
during hot summer tropical plants have faster metabolism, they produce cells faster and grow leaves and stems faster. 3. Bugs be gone. Bright sun in combination with good air circulation will help to stay away from insects, leaf fungus, and
other diseases. 4. Fertilizing can be generous and will be most efficient. In summer, there is less chance to overdose, as plant food is consumed fast, and summer rains help to prevent nutrient lock up in soil. 5. Rain water works like magic. Rainy season in Florida is our blessing. It can not be replaced by sprinklers or even daily hose water. Rain penetrates
evenly and saturates not only a root ball but also the surrounding area that gives room to spread even bigger roots. Rain water
also works like a "flush" to rinse off all excessive salts that may build up in soil.
As a result, plants will establish faster and grow bigger before
winter, which will give them a better chance to survive possible cold spells.
Plant in summer and watch plants grow healthy and happy
every day!
Today we are introducing a new column - Mango Talk! Everybody loves Mango
- the most delicious fruit in the world. Fruit experts like to talk about
varieties, how to grow a Mango tree better, and the fruit bigger and sweeter.
And beginners want to know more! What variety to get? How to take care of it?
How to get more fruit sooner than later?
This easy-read blog from Ed Jones is about the first steps - what to do
when you get your first Mango tree...
In our future publications, you will hear from Mango experts and have a
tour on Mango varieties...
Fertilize your Mango trees
By Ed Jones, the Booster Guy
Ok, you finally did it. You bought your first mango tree. Now what?
Well, you have to love it and feed it and trim it and love it some more. But
today, lets talk about how to fertilize your mango tree.
The photo above shows some very small grafted mango trees. This is probably
how yours will look when you bring them home or have them delivered....
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!..
(See more info about Champaka). This video presented by our video host David
Mortimer.
About David in his own words: "...I am passionate about health and living life to the fullest. I grew up in northern Wisconsin and my travels have allowed me to live in places like Colorado and Arizona before I arrived in SW Florida. I make fresh vegetable juices and cleansing programs for people as well as inspiring, educational and some funny videos on my
YouTube channel and Instagram. I got into gardening during the first month of
the pandemic. After I harvested my first radish and ate it fresh I was hooked!
I am excited to be working and learning in such a great environment like Top
Tropicals. I hope to talk about all the cool plants with everyone while I am
here!.."
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!
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...
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 -
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!
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.
