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...

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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.

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!

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Avocado Q & A

Sensation: Avocado 2.5 y.o seedling just bloomed!

Ed's Avocado seedling blooming at age 2.5 years old... Go figure!

Q: Can I plant a seed from a store bought avocado and expect it to bear fruit?

A: Avocados grown from seed do not always come true, meaning being the same as the avocado that produced the seed being planted. Also, avocados grown from seed will take upwards of 8 years to flower and bear fruit unless grown by Ed Jones and his witchcraft. Ed Jones, the Avocado Guy... Yes, he is also the Mango Guy, and the Booster Guy... We don't know how he does it. He grows the most beautiful fruit trees, many of them from seed and they all seem to flower within two years! (See his blogs about his Star Fruit, Olive trees, and video about Shaping Mango Trees). All we know for sure, he uses Sunshine Boosters for all his plant experiments.
As far as Avocado , we recommend a grafted variety, where a scion, or branch tip, of a known cultivar is grafted to good rootstock. These trees will usually flower right away and bear good amount of fruit within a couple of years of being planted in the ground.
It's a good chance now to get a good grafted Avocado on our special Happy Value Sale while supply lasts, for only $59.95.

Happy Value Avocados

Limited 2 trees per customer. Limited time offer, while supply lasts.

Photo above: TopTropicals Avocados 2022

Is Ugly Betty mango ugly or awesome?

"...Hello my name is Gary, I bought your Ugly Betty Mango tree a little over a year ago. When I saw your photo I thought to myself why are they calling this mango ugly Betty? It doesn't look ugly at all to me. It was a deep yellowish orange with a little red to it round so what is so ugly about it? Once the fruit started developing on my tree I thought - now I understand, it's such an odd shape! However, it looks nothing like your photo and personally I thought this mango should be called Awesome Mango! I did not find it ugly at all. Here's a photo of what you call an ugly mango Betty..."

Sunshine Mango Tango.
Plant Food for every Mango to be Awesome

New Video:
Shaping your Mango Trees

by Ed Jones, the Mango Guy (and the Boosters Guy)

Learn how to shape your mango trees using a technique known as tipping. Tipping your mangos will help to develop more branches and will give the tree more places to flower and produce fruit.

WATCH NEW VIDEO >>

See more by Ed Jones:
How to prune mango trees for best shape and production

...Why should you prune your mango trees? There are at least 3 reasons.

1. A good foundation is the key to strong growth and a shapely tree.
2. If you get your mango tree started off on the right foot with a strong foundation, it becomes much easier to keep it shaped nicely.
3. It will be forced to produce more branches allowing for more places for fruit production.

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   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!

   WATCH NEW VIDEO >>

   

   See all available mango varieties from our store.

   

Mango Talk: How to prune mango trees for best shape and production

by Ed Jones, the Booster Guy

...Why should you prune your mango trees? There are a few reasons.
First, a good foundation is the key to strong growth and a shapely tree.
Second, if you get your mango tree started off on the right foot with a strong foundation, it becomes much easier to keep it shaped nicely.
And third - it will be forced to produce more branches allowing for more places for fruit production...

...We received our Mango tree in late February of 2020 as a relatively small plant in 3 gal pot...
...The opening photo was taken just last week and you can see that as she grows, her shape is very nice...
...She is now about 7' tall and just as wide. She has a great foundation and a lot of branches. We also have less grass to mow. She also got her very own marker painted on a brick:

...We have also enlarged the circle of mulched area under the tree to allow it to be able to get nutrients from it's SUNSHINE Boosters Mango Tango without having to compete with the grass. This is one mistake that I see frequently in my neighborhood with all trees...

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