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Index > Garden Blog

Date:

Ten steps to Happy Gardening in 2023

Beginning of the year checklist

Lagerstroemia flowering tree on crossroads

To assist our customers in creating a happy and enjoyable gardening experience this year, we consulted with our horticulturist to compile a list of ten recommended items. Here are the results...

1. A favorite. Get yourself a favorite small flowering plant that is compact, manageable, and easy. Such as Ground Orchid. Keep it in a pot or plant in the ground by the entryway where it can be seen often and enjoyed.
2. A fruit of your labor. You need at least one (or one more) fruit tree for your garden, or for container culture if you live in colder climate. Growing and especially harvesting tropical fruit will make you happy. The Winner of the last year was Cherry Lolita - an easy, compact fruit tree that can produce almost year around. Some fruit trees will fruit right away!
3. Be exclusive. A rare plant is a must for every gardener. It can be a useful gem such as Noni Tree or an unusual-looking like a Bat Lily - Tacca. Show your friends and neighbors something different they have never seen!
4. Make it cool. Finally plant that shade tree by your driveway. Yes it takes time to grow, but the sooner you plant it, the sooner you get that shade! There are some fast growing species, some only take a couple of years to the mature size.
5. Beauty. If you have an ugly fence or unwanted view in your yard, cover it with a flowering vine. Look at the beauty every day and make your life better. Replace a boring standard hedge with colorful flowering shrubs that will make you smile.
6. Scent. Add some fragrant plants to your landscape and inhale their healing magic.
7. Tropical. For a shady corner, select a showy tropical with lush foliage such as Philodendron or Monstera, or all time favorite Banana. Get a feel of tropics.
8. Happiness of giving. Buy a gift plant for someone you care about but don't know how to thank them. Live plant is the best expression of love and gratitude. If you are unsure what plant to pick, ask our Team or simply buy a Gift Certificate that will never expire - let them chose the plant they like.
9. Food for all. A set of quality liquid fertilizers is a must - try Sunshine Boosters that can be used year around. They will make your plants healthy, strong, fast growing, cold hardy and disease-resistant. You can choose formulas for different plant types from our selection, or simply buy online a Nutrition Kit of 8 bottles that will cover all your needs and save you 50% on fertilizer cost!
10. Share. Subscribe your friend to TopTropicals Newsletter so they can get a weekly Piece of Tropics in their mailbox. Cool Cat Photos come as a bonus!

Sunshine boosters Robusta and C-Cibus with a bunch of bananas

Make sure to always have on hand at least 2 main formulas of Sunshine Boosters - Robusta for vegetative growth, and C-Cibus that will satisfy plant needs for both fruit production and profuse flowering

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Cold protection for tropical plants

greenhouse and cold protection covers on tropical plants

Pushing the limits of tropical gardening

The year is almost over but the winter is not. This Christmas weekend at our Sebring B-farm we had it down to 30F. As a tropical gardener, winter can be challenging, especially if you grow plants outside of tropical zones.

greenhouse with tropical plants

To protect your garden from the cold, consider the following:

1. Monitor freeze watches and be prepared to take action if necessary.
2. Create temporary structures like mini-greenhouses using PVC pipes, carport frames, or bamboo sticks to support covers.
3. Use covers such as frost cloth, cardboard boxes, blankets, and bed sheets.
4. Use Christmas lights and other heating elements, including propane heaters, to keep plants warm.
5. Add a layer of heavy mulch around plant trunks to protect them from the cold.
6. Apply plant boosters that improve cold hardiness, such as Sunshine Epi, Sunshine-Si, and Sunshine Superfood.

At TopTropicals B-Farm, we sprayed our plants with a special cold hardiness treatment Sunshine-Si and covered and wrapped everything we could. We also moved cold sensitive species inside greenhouses. All of our plants are looking great and happy!

Mulching mango trunks and using Christmas lights for cold protection

Photo above: Mulching mango trunks and using Christmas lights for cold protection

Read more about this special treatment plan: Cold Hardiness Improvement Kit.

Covering plants during cold night

Plastic warm house wrapping

Photo above: Temporary wrapping of a section of a greenhouse with a plastic or frost cloth protects from a windchill. It may also win you a few degrees even without a heater. In this particular case, according to our temp sensors, it was 30F outside, and 41F inside this "dome", no heaters used.


Sunshine Boosters:

Last chance to stock up
at a lower price!

Sunshine Boosters are natural, amino acid-based liquid fertilizers made with only the highest quality ingredients. Starting in 2023, the pricing for Sunshine Boosters will be adjusting to reflect the increasing cost of supplies. This is your last chance to stock up on Sunshine Boosters before the end of the year! Sunshine Boosters are safe to use year around, with every watering.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to get the best value for your money!

Use discount for even better deal:

22FOR22
for 22% off orders $220+

Min order $220. Offer expires 12-31-22

Sunshine boosters for different plant types

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Heat [Cat] Pack for Winter shipping

James Coconuts and Riki staying warm and cozy

In the photo: James Coconuts and Riki are purrfectly hot People!

Not too warm on the way to your home? No problem! Heat Pack will help your plants to have a safe and warm trip from Top Tropicals to your house.

Heat pack

Heat Pack maintains warm temperature while shipping, and is good for 20+ hours. It is a must if temperature drops below 40F in your area. Large orders require 2-3 packs. When ordering large 3-7 gal size plants (especially sensitive ultra-tropical plants), you may need 1 pack per plant. Contact us for more information on particular species.

Alternatively, we can include a warm cat!
(subject to limited supply)

Date:

Plant Horoscope - Sagittarius
Zodiac Lucky Plants 11/22-12/21

Colocasia - Sagittarius Zodiac Lucky Plant

By Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...Of all three fire signs, Sagittarius is the least likely to care with growing plants.... In the short hours of rest, he will gladly look and smell, and taste, and even will delighted with them (if time remains), thinking: "Beautiful! I hadn't noticed before?" And, instructing someone to start growing the plants he likes, this tireless Archer will hurry further... Plants that can attract the attention of Sagittarius most often have large spectacular flowers with a pronounced scent, often they have large, elongated leathery leaves. And he also really likes fruits and nuts - he loves a deliciousness....
...Colocasia's and Alocasia's heart-shaped leaves,Β arrow-like (named also sagittate!) shoots, and overall rarity makes these plants stand out next to more traditional house plants. These plants are known as needing little more love and care, but also for being able to return these benefits to their gardener. Alocasias are so perfect for Sagittarius, he feels their vibrations, which are so necessary for him in achieving his goals. They are the real talisman for this sign...

CONTINUE READING >>

Heliconia rostrata (Lobster Claw) - Sagittarius Zodiac Lucky Plant

Philodendron Birkin
Striped Delight - Sagittarius Zodiac Lucky Plant

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B-Farm in Sebring is now open!
Every Friday and Saturday

B-Farm office entrance

Thank you everyone for visiting us this weekend at new Top Tropicals location in Sebring (B-Farm)! We met many new friends as well as old friends that now are closer.
Local gardeners in Central Florida are now excited to have a special place for their needs in rare tropical plants.

B-Farm banners on corner of FL 66 and McRoy Rd

Top Tropicals B-Farm conveniently located at the corner of FL-66 highway and McRoy Rd.

Parking at B-Farm

Sunshine Boosters at B-Farm

Many guests also purchased Sunshine Boosters liquid fertilizers. Sunshine Boosters are safe for daily use year around and ensure that you will have happy and healthy plants. Stash up for feeding your plants during the winter to make them strong, hardy and healthy!

At B-Farm, we offer free consultations on Sunshine Boosters. We can help you select proper combinations of fertilizers, micro-elements and special plant supplements, including those that improve cold hardiness of tropical plants.

Sunshine Boosters display at B-Farm

B-Farm Team

B-Farm Team

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This Friday: Green Friday...
and every Friday and Saturday!

Green Friday with orange cat

Welcome to TopTropicals B-Farm in Sebring FL

Starting this coming Friday, November 25, our farm in Sebring (B-Farm) will be open to the public every Friday and Saturday.
B-Farm is a 10-acre growing facility with hundreds of varieties of rare and much wanted tropical plants. Fruit trees, flowering trees, shrubs, vines, fragrant plants and rare collectibles - we grow the biggest selection of tropical plants known in cultivation.
Come over to select the best Mango, Avocado, any other fruit tree or rare spice for your edible landscape. Shop our biggest in the world variety of flowering and fragrant tropical plants - directly from our growing farm!

Conveniently located right in the heart of Florida, Highlands County, Top Tropicals B-Farm is within about an hour from most Florida destinations.

Welcome to Top Tropicals B-Farm

Welcome to Top Tropicals B-Farm

B-Farm:
9100 McRoy Rd, Sebring, FL 33875

Date:

Get your plants ready for winter:
Just spray this to improve cold hardiness...

Sunshine Plant Supplement Kit

How to improve plant cold hardiness?

Pland cold hardiness depends on several factors, including:

  1. genetics of specific species
  2. maturity of the plant, size of root system, stems and branches
  3. plant health and vigor which is supported by proper nutrition program and adding special plant hormones.

    While 1) and 2) may be out of our control, the 3rd factor is something that can be easily improved! It is important to feed plants during the season of active growth on regular basis by applying macro- and micro- elements. Liquid fertilizers and especially natural plant food like Sunshine Boosters can be applied year around to keep plants healthy and strong.


Besides the routine fertilizing program, just a few applications of special plant hormones can increase tropical plant hardiness big time! Before the cold is coming, spray your plants with these 3 magic potions and they will gain a few degrees in low temperature tolerance! It is recommended to make 2-3 applications.

- Sunshine Superfood
- Sunshine Epi
- Sunshine Power-Si

Cat staying warm on a stove

Date:

Vietnamese Mickey Mouse Plant...
Hoa Mai - for good luck!

Ochna integerrima (thomasiana) - Vietnamese Mickey Mouse plant, Hoa Mai, Mai Vang, black 
fruit

Ochna integerrima (thomasiana)

What is the yellow flower that brings good luck on Vietnamese New Year (Tet) Celebration? Why is it called Mickey Mouse Plant?

The most celebrated flower in Vietnam, Ochna integerrima, called in Vietnam Hoa Mai or Mai Vang, blooms profusely on the occasion of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. Commonly known as Yellow Mai Flower (Hoa Mai literally means "yellow blossoms"), this plant is considered the quintessential symbol of Spring. In Southern Vietnam, Hoa Mai are some of the first plants to flower.
This plant is a must for exotic plant collection. It is a rather slow growing, medium size shrub that can be trained into miniature tree. In winter the plant is covered with pretty bright yellow flowers, believed to bring good luck and prosperity. They are followed by cute shiny black berries on bright red sepals that resemble the face of Mickey Mouse.

The plant is easy to grow and relatively cold hardy to light freeze. Start fertilizing your Hoa Moa plant right now through the Winter to encourage early blooms. Luckily, we have a perfect bloom booster liquid fertilizer that is safe to use year around, including Winter months: Sunshine Boosters MegaFlor!

Lunar year 2023 will be a year of the Cat on the Vietnamese zodiac, from January 22nd, 2023 to February 9th, 2024. Cat is the fourth sign in Vietnamese Zodiac, taking place of the Rabbit in Chinese Zodiac.

Ochna integerrima (thomasiana) - Vietnamese Mickey Mouse plant, Hoa Mai, Mai Vang, yellow flowers

Vietnamese boy with Hoa Mai Mickey Mouse 
plant

Date:

Fertilizing indoor plants in Winter

Sunshine boosters for indoor palnts

What is the best fertilizer for indoor plants?
Can I fertilize house plants in Winter?

The best fertilizer for indoor plants is liquid fertilizer Sunshine Boosters (TM). It is amino-acid based, natural, and is safe to use with every watering and year around. Unlike dry fertilizers that are not recommended to use during Winter, Sunshine Boosters formula is mild and scientifically balanced. Your houseplants will consume exactly as much nutrients as they need even during cooler months of less active growth. Sunshine boosters will not burn roots and won't create nutrient lockup (excessive salts that often caused by dry fertilizers). Sunshine Boosters is a perfect food for all kinds of plants, and different boosters available for different plant types (flowering, fruiting, even for orchids). Check out Sunshine Boosters selection.

Arundina graminifolia - Bamboo Orchid, Bird Ground Orchid

Grow Purple! In the photo: Arundina graminifolia - Bamboo Orchid, Bird Ground Orchid - Winter flowering orchid that grows in regular soil. These plants are in bloom right now, picture taken this week!

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Fragrant Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow
Brunfelsia from Brazil

Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow, Brunfelsia

Grow Purrrple! Purrrfect houseplant...

by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...The magic of this flower is, Yesterday it opened deep purple, Today it changes color to pale lavender, and Tomorrow - will turn white!...
...One of the greatest features of all brunfelsias is shade tolerance. Most species prefer filtered light, stay happy and bloom indoors even in low light conditions; they are also great candidates for shade locations where other flowering plants may not bloom. They add a great color and fragrance to every shade garden...
CONTINUE READING >>

Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow, Brunfelsia from Brazil

Photo above: Brunfelsia pauciflora compacta - Dwarf Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow - very compact grower, great for indoor garden.

Purple Flower Cat