Date:
Photo above: Jasminum nitidum (illicifolium) - Star Jasmine, is a fragrant-sweet Spring bloomer!
"...No Winter lasts forever, no Spring skips its turn.
April is a promise that May is bound to keep, and we know it..."
- Hal Borland -
Photo above: Ruttya Fruticosa - Rabbit Ears, Hummingbird Bush
Date:
...Looking for a handsome, unusual fruit tree for container culture with healthy and flavorful fruit? Or simply want an easy fruit tree that is hardy and undemanding? Psidium friedrichsthalianum (family Myrtaceae), the Costa Rican Guava or Cas Guava, is a perfect small guava tree that can be very rewarding. In Nicaragua it is called "Guava for Drinking" or "Fresco de Guava". Despite the tartness, the flavor is excellent with passionfruit and pineapple tones and is much more pronounced than the subtle flavor of the common Guava. These fruits are very much a part of the culture and cuisine of Costa Rica. Also it has been successfully grown in California now and can be grown in many subtropical regions or as a container plant - "condo" fruit tree...
Date:
...The most popular garden radio show Garden America is featuring Top Tropicals topic "5 most practical and rewarding fruit trees for subtropical areas".
1)
Jackfruit Orange Crush (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
...We recently obtained this variety and it is hands down the best Jackfruit we ever tasted. It is
crunchy, sweet, aromatic, with bright orange pulp...
2)
Dwarf Guava Hawaiian Rainbow (Psidium nana)
- A very small version of the favorite aromatic Guava.
- Grows only up to 5-6 ft tall with a short trunk and branching, bushy habit.
3)
Yellow Pitaya, Dragon Fruit (Selenicereus megalanthus)
- This particular species of Dragon fruit is the sweetest and has great
flavor unlike most pitayas
- doesn't mind regular water and rains but is also drought-tolerant
4) Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)
- Can be kept as a very compact tree, and fruits in a pot.
- Flowers and fruits right away. The plants are covered with flowers now
and setting fruit.
- Very cold hardy to upper 20's, drought tolerant, fast growing
5) Macadamia Nut
(Macadamia integrifolia x tetraphylla)
- The most delicious and popular sweet nuts that are usually so expensive,
can be produced in your garden!
- Cold hardy, fast growing, and very productive.
Date:
..."A ' ohe loa i ka hana a ke aloha.
Distance is ignored by love..."
- Toni Polancy -
It's time for our favorite day and another Easy stroll through Top Tropicals Garden with savings of
It may be cold where you are, so take a trip with us to the Hawaiian Islands. Tropical breezes,
soothing ocean waves and an unbeatable selection of tropical plant treasures...
This week we bring the Aloha to you. A guava that will bring a taste of the
Islands and a spectacular variety of Majestic Taro.
- Ready to fruit this year! -
This is a very small version of the favorite aromatic Guava - Hawaiian Rainbow Nana. It grows only up to 5-6 ft tall, perfect for limited space. It can be grown in a pot and fruits heavily almost year around. The flesh is sweet, aromatic, and varies from white to yellow to pink.
- Large Developed plants! -
Diamond Head is a spectacular variety of Taro is named after the volcanic cone on the Hawaiian island of Oahu - both the cone and plant are black and lustrous! Mature plants form a well-behaved clump and reach 3 to 4 feet tall, with leaves up to 2 feet wide! A must for black plant fanatics. Grows more compact that other Colocasias and no two leaves are the same!
Colocasia Diamond Head,
regularly $42.95,
is on Easy Sunday sale for only $21.48
Dwarf Guava Hawaiian Rainbow, regularly $52.95,
is on Easy Sunday Sale for only $26.48.
only $42.95 for both - one plant comes FREE!
Remember, the Easy Sunday Deal expires on Monday January 17th.
Date:
Photo above: Annona reticulata - Red Custard Apple
Q: More of a question than a review, but a review regarding your catalog, it would be easier for us buyers, if we could search for plants that produce fruit in 2 years or less, I don't have the patience to wait longer than that for fruit. I'm trying to buy for a fairly good sized garden but want some fast growers and fruit produced in 2 yrs. Can you help me out?
A: Fruiting time depends on many factors (established size,
growing conditions, fertilizing, and even specific variety), this is why we can
not just put a simple icon "will fruit within 2 years".
However, most grafted and air-layered fruit trees, including all Mango, Avocado, Loquat, Sapote, Sapodilla, Lychee/Longan, Peaches and Nectarines - will fruit right away. If you see in our store
"grafted" or "air-layered" in plant description - these trees will fruit
soon. Some of them already flowering and fruiting.
Some non-grafted trees or seedlings like Annona, Artocarpus (Jackfruit), Eugenia, Guava, Banana, Dragon fruit, Mulberry, Blackberry/Raspberry - will fruit within 3-4 years from seed or even
sooner (Banana, Mulberry, Dragon fruit, Blackberry-Raspberry - within a year).
Usually it says in description that this plant can produce fruit soon.
Bigger size plants are more established and have more energy to produce, so
try to get larger size plants if your budget permits, and especially if you can
pick up bigger plants rather than shipping them - obviously, shipping has size
limitations.
In addition, all spice trees like Bay Leaf, Bay Rum, Allspice and many more - they will
produce spice for you right away, so you don't need to wait at all!
If you have questions about fruiting time on any specific plant you put
your eye on, don't hesitate to ask!
Photo above: Pimenta dioica - Allspice
Date:
Q: It would be easier for us buyers, if we could search for plants that produce fruit in 2 years or less... I don't have the patience to wait longer than that for fruit. I'm trying to buy for a fairly good sized garden but want some fast growers and fruit produced in 2 yrs. Can you help me out?
A: Fruiting time depends on many factors (growing conditions,
fertilizing, and even specific variety), this is why we can not just put a
simple icon "will fruit within 2 years".
However, most grafted and air-layered fruit trees, including all Mango, Avocado, Loquat, Sapote, Sapodilla, Longan, Peaches and Nectarines - will fruit right away.
If you see in our store "grafted" or "air-layered" in plant description
- these trees will fruit soon. Some of them are already flowering and
fruiting!
Some non-grafted trees will fruit within a couple of years or even sooner (those from cuttings, root division or even seedlings) - such as: Annona, Artocarpus (Jackfruit), Eugenia, Guava, Banana, Dragon fruit, Mulberry, Blackberry/Raspberry. Banana, Mulberry, Dragon fruit, Blackberry-Raspberry - usually fruit within a year. You may refer to our store directory page for fruit specials.
Also, all spice trees like Bay Leaf, Bay Rum, Allspice and many more - will produce spice for you right away, so you don't need to wait at all!
Date:
Q: What exactly is Feijoa - Pineapple Guava? Does the fruit really taste like pineapple? I am curious to know if it is easy to grow.
A: Feijoa is certainly one of the easiest fruit trees to grow as it does
not require much care. It is an attractive, evergreen tree or large shrub with
dark green, oval, leathery leaves. It has an abundance of uses in the garden
and produces lovely edible flowers and fruit! The fruit is eaten fresh,
added to smoothies or fruit salad and is also commonly used to make delicious
jams and wicked chutneys. Feijoa fruit go a long way in flavor.
This plant is drought tolerant and will grow in almost any soil type. It
loves full sun or partial shade and is wind resistant. A lot of gardeners like
to grow it as a wind barrier for this reason. It can easily be shaped into a
dense, informal hedge or screen that needs very little pruning. Because of
this density, it provides excellent shelter for all kinds of wildlife.
Butterflies, birds, and butterflies will all love you for growing Feijoa!
Space the plant five feet apart to create a wind barrier hedge. Heat does
no not bother it at all and it will also withstand temperatures to 10 degrees
F.
The plant gets its names from the delicious perfume it emits. Some folks
seem the fruit taste like pineapple, with a slight minty undertone. Others feel
the flavor reminds them of juicy fruit gum! The texture is described as
smooth and slightly gritty - almost like a pear, but firmer.
If you prefer to grow this plant as a tree rather than a large shrub,
simply remove the lower branches up to one-third of the tree's height over a
period of time. The Pineapple Guava can grow up to 15 feet wide and tall. They
also do really well as a container plant on patios where you can truly enjoy the
lovely fragrance of the fruit. It prefers rich, organic, well-drained soil
and will need light fertilization every other month in most soils.
We recommend:
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
SUNSHINE-Honey - Sugar booster
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster
Pretty, pink, edible flowers will wow you from May to June, followed in late summer or fall by the delicious and fragrant fruit. An interesting thing about this fruit is that you don't pick it. It falls to the ground when it is ripe. Or simply place something under your tree, like a tarp, and shake the tree. The ripe fruit will fall off. You can store the fruit in your refrigerator for up to a week. And remember! The fruit of the Feijoa is not only a very rich source of soluble dietary fiber, but also an excellent source of Vitamin C, and very rich in antioxidants. They are also low in calories. Each fruit only holds 55 calories.
Date:
Q: What's your best tasting white guava?
A: Our favorite white Guava is Viet Nam variety that is also very rare and hard to find. The fruit is
very large, up to 6" in diameter, the pulp is very sweet and somewhat
crunchy.
The seeds are small which makes it more pleasurable to eat out of hand.
Another great feature of this variety, it stays compact and branches do not
get leggy, unlike most guavas. It can be easily grown in a container,
trimmed to the desired size and it will produce fruit under proper care.
Another cool variety is Indonesian, it also has a large round fruit and very few seeds to compare with others.
And last but not least, if you prefer soft fruit to crunchy, the Peruvian variety is a great choice. The fruit is pear-shaped.
Remember to provide plant food for good production, especially if grown in a container.
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster
Date:
Q: Can you tell me how your Guava trees are propagated? Grown from seed vs. air grafted, etc.? I'm interested especially in the Barbie variety. In particular, I'd like to know how long it takes them to bear fruit - I live in Southern California zone 10b, with good sunlight.
A: Guavas can be propagated by seed, air layers, or grafting.
Propagation method depends on the species.
Cattley guavas - Psidium littorale - are usually grown from seeds and start flowering
and producing as early as in 2-3 years from seed. Tropical guavas, Psidium guajava - especially named varieties, are propagated usually by
air layers, and the rarest varieties like Variegated Honey Moon are often grafted, although they will come true
from seed (it's just takes them longer to fruit). Both air-layered and grafted
plants start producing right away, usually on the same year of planting or
next year, depending on growing conditions.
Barbie Pink is a superior variety, very popular among fruit lovers. It
produces large aromatic fruit with a bright pink pulp and very few seeds. This
variety is air-layered; in our nursery, these plants start flowering and
setting fruit in 3 gal containers.
Plant this tree in full sun and provide regular watering, guavas don't
like to dry out. Use fertile soil, with at least 50% of compost, and add some
soil conditioning components for better drainage: bark, sand, perlite, etc.
Mulch well, just make sure to keep mulch 2-3" away from the trunk. Follow our
detailed planting instructions that come with every plant, and you are good
to go!
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
Date:
Q: I’ve just moved to Louisiana and have been wondering whether it would make sense to plant some tropical fruit trees in our garden. Average lows in New Orleans are 41 deg F in January and February, although we did hit 25 once with the Arctic vortex. I’m interested in litchi, longan, rambutans, and persimmons. Do you have varieties that can tolerate Louisiana’s temperature range? I’d love mangosteen but I don’t suppose they will survive. Do you have any suggestions on tropical fruit trees that I could try?
A: Average temperatures are for statistics only; it is actual temperatures that may hurt your cold sensitive plant. This is what you should keep in mind when starting your tropical fruit collection: