Grow Your Own Food

How to garden in South Central Florida

by Ed Jones, the Booster guy

...We are very excited about the garden season this year and feel like we have the best chance yet of producing some nice veggies since we have been here. I sure hope so as there is nothing better than fresh food from your own garden. If you are not growing your own fruits and vegetables, I would recommend that you give it a try...
...When we lived in Indiana, we had a nice little garden in front of our house and we also had about a half acre planted with tomatoes, potatoes, squashes of all kinds, corn, popcorn, pumpkins, and many other veggies...
...Since my wife and I moved to Florida in 2019, we have continued growing our own vegetable garden. Now, I must say that it has been quite the experience trying to learn when to plant things here in south central Florida. It seems that the summer sun can be so hot that even plants like tomatoes, that love the heat, can't survive?...
Based on our experience, here are some secrets how to do it right...

CONTINUE READING >>

The brightest lives of Sunflowers

"...Despite knowing they won't be here for long, they still choose to live their brightest lives - sunflowers..."
- Rupi Kaur -

Photo above: Ukrainian Sunflowers. This photo was sent to us today from Ukraine by Alex & Lena, and Oksana (daughter of our Catalog Editor Marina Rybka). Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their country.

What are your Lucky Zodiac plants? Plant Horoscope - Pisces

by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...As the endless diversity of fish in Earth's reservoirs, the characters of those born under this sign of the Zodiac, are also incomprehensible. That is why compiling a horoscope for this sign is especially difficult. The main feature of Pisces is movement and unpredictability, which depends even not on themselves, but rather on external influences. Unlike other water signs, Pisces do not live on the surface, their world is there, in the water space...

CONTINUE READING >>

Top Tropicals Team in Ukraine

The tragedy hits quite close to home for Top Tropicals as we have a number of friends and associates who are currently in the Ukraine. These kind and hardworking people have contributed significantly to the success of Top Tropicals, most specifically our line of Sunshine Boosters fertilizers...
Top Tropicals has a research and development center in Ukraine. Where we develop SB plant fertilizer and number of new and exciting products, including Carefree Garden Complete Greenhouse/Grow Room Controller...

Our Ukrainian Team members are:

Fedor Shabliy - a brilliant chemist. Under his supervision the Sunshine Boosters series was developed, and then tested by local farmers in the Ukraine.
Oksana Shabliy (chemist)
Anton Tkachenko (mechanical and electronic engineer)
Roman Bidyuk (software developer)
Igor Kayun (software developer)
Igor Sushelnitsky (software and electronic engineer)
Olga Ozerova (project manager)
They have families, kids...

CONTINUE READING >>

Cardboard window shutters to protect against broken glass...

Sunshine Boosters Special

With all this in mind, we are earmarking a percentage of all Sunshine Booster sales for this team of friends to aid in their living expenses and full recovery. In order to give back to our team in Ukraine, we are offering the following Sunshine Boosters Garden Series items at a discounted price:

Your purchase helps support Ukraine!

Sunshine C-Cibus 1 gallon
Sunshine Mango Tango 1 gallon
Sunshine Megaflor 1 gallon
Sunshine Robusta 1 gallon
Currently priced at 33% off reg price!

In addition, we will also donate $5.00 from each purchase to help Support Ukraine.

Spring is the time to fertilize and all of you will be getting some food for your plants. So get your plants Sunshine Boosters - the Fertilizer that Works, developed in Ukraine. Help us to support our Ukrainian Research Team! As always, we appreciate the support of our loyal community of Top Tropicals customers and enthusiasts.

New Exotic Adeniums

Saving on your favorite plants is Easy.
Easy like Sunday Morning...

It's time for our favorite day and another Easy stroll through Top Tropicals Garden with savings of

up to 50% and MORE!

The Flower of Prosperity and Good Fortune...

The Adenium obesum, Desert Rose, is a highly prized ornamental plant, perceived in some cultures as a sacred symbol of prosperity, abundance and good fortune. Since the Desert Rose is strong and adaptable to climatic conditions, it represents strength, persistence and resilience. We could all use a little more of these qualities in our lives...

Adeniums (Desert Roses) are the easiest plants in cultivation yet they bring you so much joy with their colorful flowers and showy caudex. There are hundreds, if not thousands of amazing colors and new hybrids are created every year. Many gardeners want to collect them all! And we can help you to grow your collection. We have many new varieties in stock and are offering two special Collection Deals!

Special Deals for Desert Rose Collectors

The plants are well developed, with large caudex, grown in 1 gal pots, normally $42.95 each,
with Collection savings of $30 and $65!

3 Adeniums Collection

Regularly $128.95,
Collection price $98.95 - savings of $30 per set!

Varieties included in this collection:
RED Adenium Red Wine
WHITE Adenium Jasmine
BLACK Adenium Black Widow

5 Adeniums Collection

Regularly $214.95,
Collection price $149.95 - savings of $65 per set!

Varieties included in this collection:
PURPLE Adenium Mee Stang
LIGHT YELLOW Adenium Yellow Gold (Vanilla Gold)
STRIPED PINK Adenium Bua Champoo
ORANGE Adenium Yellow Gift (Sai Thong)
RED-BLACK Adenium Red Dragon

Now wait... Save even more with Easy Sunday:

Combine both collections and save ANOTHER $15! Use this limited time offer coupon:

ADENIUM15

Remember, this Easy Sunday Deal expires on Tuesday 3-1-22!

What are your Lucky Zodiac plants? Plant Horoscope: Capricorn sign

by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...We continue our story about Lucky Zodiac Plants. Today we introduce lucky plants for the first two signs of the calendar year - Capricorn and Aquarius...

CONTINUE READING >>

How to survive Winter in South Central Florida

A touching story

by Ed Jones, the Booster Guy

...As much of the country is still in the midst of winter, I believe the worst has passed for us here in the South Central part of Florida...
...This Winter, almost all of zone 9b and some of zone 10a had frost and many had a hard freeze...
...Now, many of us here in this part of the state enjoy growing subtropical plants and trees. There are many that grow well here and most can handle a frost or even a dip to the high 20s for a short time. Smaller and more recently planted trees and bushes are most at risk...
...At the Top Tropicals nursery here in Sebring, home to over 20,000 plants, we scrambled for several days to try to protect as many of our plants as possible. We moved smaller plants into some of our hoop houses that had propane heaters...
...After 2 weeks of moving plants in and out of protection, we were all pretty worn out; happy that everything survived and hoping that we would not have to do that again anytime soon. Slowly, things at the nursery are beginning to resemble our old normal. Seeds are being planted, cuttings are continuing to grow and grafting season will be upon us soon. We are all very happy for that...
...What to do and not to do when the freeze is coming and you have mango, avocado, and other tropical fruit trees and tender tropicals? Here is some news from the Orchard and many more coming... check it out and stay with our updates to learn more!

CONTINUE READING >>

Grains of Paradise and Pink Cone Ginger: Just add Spice and Color!

Saving on your favorite plants is Easy.
Easy like Sunday Morning...

It's time for our favorite day and another Easy stroll through Top Tropicals Garden with savings of

up to 50% and MORE!

This week let's add a little Spice and Color to your garden collection! Start with Grains of Paradise, to spice up your meal and naturally improve your health. Then add lots of vibrant color with the Hawaiian Pink Cone Ginger, one of the most desirable symbols of the Tropics.

Grains of Paradise or African Cardamom

- Aframomum melegueta -

Aframomum melegueta - Grains of Paradise, African Cardamom. Seeds of this rare Ginger are similar in flavor to cardamom and used as a pungent spice. This Ginger has many bioactives, great for digestive and intestinal health. The plant has many other medicinal values: anti-diabetic and anti-obese mechanisms, aphrodisiac and testosterone boosting properties. Aframomum melegueta may be promising for a spice to add to a diet in hopes of body recomposition. Studies show this spice increases sexual behavior.

The plants are large and developed, in 2 gal pots, regularly $42.95,
on Easy Sunday sale for only $21.48!

Pink Cone Ginger

- Alpinia purpurata -

One of the most desirable symbols of Tropics, Alpinia purpurata, also called Ostrich Plume or Pink Cone Ginger, is native Malaysian plant with showy flowers on long brightly colored pink bracts. Grows in Hawaii and Central America including Belize. It can be grown as a houseplant; its cut flowers last very long and are perfect for arrangements.

The plants are well-developed, in 2 gal pots, regularly $37.95,
on Easy Sunday sale for only $18.98 !

Combine the two for maximum affection and save even more!
Only $34.95 for both, savings $46 on both!

Picture of the actual plants for sale:

2 plants total price: Reg. $80.95 - Easy Sunday Deal: $34.95

Remember, this Easy Sunday Deal is one day extended and expires on Tuesday 2-22-22!

For the Love of the Garden: Sweetheart and Chocolate

Happy Valentine's Day!

Saving on your favorite plants is Easy.
Easy like Sunday Morning...

It's time for our favorite day and another Easy stroll through Top Tropicals Garden with savings of

up to 50% and MORE!

This week we combine our Easy Sunday with Valentine's Day, a day to express your affection and a time to give your attention to those who you Love.
While you're giving Love and Attention, don't forget that special place that is always there for you, beautiful to look at, satisfying to work with, and a peaceful place to enjoy, Your Garden.
Gardens need your love as well, and we have a wonderful way for you to add to that special Garden:

Sweetheart and Chocolate

Chocolate tree

- Theobroma cacao -

Theobroma cacao - Chocolate tree, Cacao - with a flesh that is eaten as a dessert and seeds that are the raw material of chocolate! This exotic rare tree loves filtered light and warm environment, it can be grown as a houseplant or in a greenhouse.

The plant is large and developed, in 2 gal pot, regularly $82.95,
on Easy Sunday sale for only $41.47!

Valentine Hoya Sweetheart

- Hoya kerrii -

Sweetheart Hoya, Valentine Hoya, Heart leaf - Hoya kerrii, with its unusual and quirky heart shaped leaves, makes an ideal houseplant. A perfect novelty gift for any plant enthusiast. The plant is super easy to look after, with only minimal care, can tolerate one good watering a month - it's that hardy!

The plants are well-developed, in 4-6 gal pots, with several leaves, regularly $37.95,
on Easy Sunday sale for only $18.98!

Combine the two for maximum affection and save even more!
Only $52.95 for both, a savings of over $67 on both!

Picture of the actual plants for sale:

2 plants total price: Reg. $120.95 - Easy Sunday Deal: $52.95

Remember, this Easy Sunday Deal is one day extended and expires on Tuesday February 15th.

Plant Horoscope and Lucky Zodiac Plants

by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

Since early in the history, humans observed the cyclicity that plants have when they grow according to their seasons, while astrology and botany with their cyclicism have similar nature. The myths surrounding the plants, their medicinal properties given from Mother Nature, unseen cycles that connect many different factors in our world gave ideas to some astrology concepts such as: Druid Horoscope, Celtic Tree Calendar, Indian Vedic Systems Jyotish Shastra (Vastu Shastra), Ayurvedic studies, and many others...
It is common knowledge that there are people with "green thumbs," who, as they say, have a stick grows in the ground, but there are such that they can grow nothing, even if they really want. What's the matter? It is acting of the Zodiac again. The most fortunate "green thumbs" are...

CONTINUE READING >>