Date: 31 Mar 2023 Top Tropicals Newsletter

Cat Horoscope

By Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

This year (March 2023) we are celebrating Alex's 75th Anniversary and her 20 years with TopTropicals. Here is a note from Alex...

Aries Cats 3/21-4/20

The astrological sign of a cat can be determined by either their date of birth or adoption...More >>

The Aries Cats are a highly competitive and may initiate fights with other cats. With a natural inclination for combat, they may even confront dogs, humans, or even a giraffe...
...Tickling an Aries Cat's tummy can lead to an attack as they're also known to be biters...
...Aries Cats are adventurous and love to challenge themselves physically. They'll seek out the highest spots in the house, even if it scares their humans...
...Aries Cats love tall, well-branched trees that are good for climbing, and are rather indifferent to bright flowers and fragrant plants... But on the other hand, they adore the soft, juicy grass on which it is so pleasant to lie down and rest after all their athletic feats and fighting duels...
...One of the best things about the Aries Cats is that they make their priorities clear. With them, you'll always know your place, as they believe they come first, and you don’t....
CONTINUE READING >>

Learn about Aries Cats
and their lucky plants

Plant Zodiac for humans

Aries lucky plants for humans

Date: 5 Mar 2023 Top Tropicals Newsletter

How to move plants from indoors to outdoors

Q: When moving my tropical plant collection outside in the garden, what do I need to know to get them adjusted to this change?

A: As a tropical plant gardener, it's important to assess the temperatures outside before moving your plants outdoors. Most tropical plants thrive in sustained temperatures above 60F.
Moving your plants outside during the summer creates optimal growing conditions for sun-loving plants, providing them with more light and warmth than they can ever get inside. This active time of growth, along with the outdoor conditions of humidity, heat, sunlight, and natural day length, gives the plant a chance to experience growth in an outdoor environment, making for a much stronger plant.
However, be aware of sun burn. Direct sunlight can burn patches of white or brown on the surface of the tender leaves, so it's best to move your plants outside by hardening them off first. Gradually increase the amount of direct sunlight they receive over several days before moving them into full sun.
It's also a good time to prune your plants and repot them if needed, providing better aeration to the root system. But avoid root pruning as it can make your plant susceptible to disease and shock.
Overall, moving your tropical plants outside encourages their natural bloom cycle and provides extra vigor for the upcoming indoor season. However, be aware that you may have to deal with insects when you bring your plants back inside in the fall, so use preventive sprays like Sunshine NoBug before bringing them back inside. Leaf drop is also common when plants come back inside, so make sure to provide a well-lit location.
When moving plants outside, it's important to provide them with proper nutrients through fertilization. Outdoor conditions can deplete the soil of essential nutrients, so giving your plants a boost of fertilizer before moving them outside can help them acclimate to their new environment. Apply Sunshine Boosters with every watering, include micro-elements and bio stimulants to boost their immune system.

Shop Sunshine Boosters

Date: 1 Feb 2023 Top Tropicals Newsletter

10 secrets of growing a perfect Mango tree

Grow Your Own Food

How to grow a healthy and productive mango tree?

1. Right variety. Select a vigorous grower for in-ground planting, or a condo mango cultivar for growing in container. More info on varieties.
2. Soil must be well-drained. If planted in the ground, plant on a little elevation (see How to plant a tree)
3. Full sun is a must. The more sun, the more flower and fruit.
4. Water. Keep mango tree on a dry side, water young trees regularly but let top of the soil dry before next watering. Mango trees don't like wet feet.
5. Air circulation is important for mango tree to eliminate diseases. Allow enough space from other trees and buildings.
6. Fungicide. Mango leaves are very susceptible do fungal issues, especially in humid climates likу Florida. Spray fungicide (Copper or similar) according to the label, once a month.
7. Fertilize year around with every watering with liquid fertilizer Sunshine Boosters Mango Tango. Apply Micro-elements once a month and use other good supplements.
8. Shape. Check out Video: Tipping your mango tree - to shape the most vigorous and productive tree.
9. Protect from hard freeze. Mango tree doesn't take freezing temperatures well. In subtropical areas Mango can be protected. Alternatively, it can successfully produce in container, if moved indoors during cold weather.
10. Fruit. Mango tree produces thousands of little flowers, many of them can set fruit. Do not let a small, young tree to keep more than 1-2 fruit, remove extra, to avoid exhaustion. Allow 2-3 years for the tree to establish until it produces a full crop. Apply Sunshine Honey supplement to your tree for sweeter fruit.

Shop Mango Trees

Watch the video:
Tipping a Mango Tree

Date: 8 Jan 2023 Top Tropicals Newsletter

Vietnamese Mickey Mouse Plant
Hoa Mai - a must for 2023 luck!

Easy Sunday Morning Deal 50% off!

It's our favorite day and another Easy stroll through Top Tropicals Garden with savings of up to 50% and MORE!

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. It will be celebrated soon - January 22. As we know, it is a Year of the Cat. So, all you will need is a Cat and... the Hoa Mai, the Mickey Mouse plant!

Mickey Mouse plant has 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.

Learn more about Mickey Mouse plant

Order Hoa Mai for good luck!

Date: 28 Dec 2022 Top Tropicals Newsletter

The food of the Gods:
A legend of the Guanabana

Grow Your Own Food

Guanabana, also known as Soursop, is a tropical fruit native to Central and South America. It is known for its sweet, juicy flesh and has a variety of medicinal properties.

According to legend, Guanabana was once a rare and coveted fruit that only grew in the highest reaches of the Andes Mountains. It was said to have mystical powers and was believed to be the food of the Gods. Those who ate the fruit were said to be blessed with good health and long life.

One day, a young shepherd boy came across a guanabana tree growing in a remote valley. He plucked a fruit from the tree and tasted it, finding it to be the most delicious thing he had ever eaten. The boy returned to his village and told everyone about the magical fruit he had discovered. Soon, word of the Guanabana spread far and wide, and people came from all over to try the fruit for themselves.

As the demand for Guanabana grew, the fruit began to be cultivated and grown in other parts of the world. Today, it is enjoyed by people all over the world and is known for its unique flavor and health benefits.

Download Article from Tropical Treasures Magazine: How to grow Guanabana indoors. Hand-pollinating and fruiting.

Buy Guanabana

Date: 25 Dec 2022 Top Tropicals Newsletter

Surinam Cherry Lolita and Bermuda Christmas Pie

By Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

Eugenia uniflora Lolita also known as Black Surinam Cherry, is a tropical fruit tree native to South America. Black fruited Surinam Cherry starts as red and turns black as it ripens and has exceptional flavor. The plant is vigorous and ready to fruit the same year. The fruit is very sweet, without aftertaste, large 1-1.2 inch, very juicy. The fruits are being eaten fresh, and also used in jams, jellies, and pies.

One popular use of Surinam Cherry is in Christmas cherry pie - Bermuda Pie, a traditional dessert served during the holiday season. The fruit is cooked down with sugar and spices to create a thick, flavorful filling for the pie. The dark red to really black color of the fruit adds a festive touch to the dessert.

In addition to being used in culinary applications, Surinam Cherry has a number of other uses. The tree is often grown as an ornamental plant due to its attractive foliage and bright ribbed fruit. The fruit is also used in traditional medicine in some parts of South America, where it is believed to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The pulp is a good source of calcium, and a fair source of phosphorus and iron. Its juice is fermented into wine or vinegar.

Despite its many uses, Surinam Cherry is not widely grown outside of its native range in South America. However, it is becoming increasingly popular in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, where it is prized for its attractive appearance and flavorful fruit. This tropical plant can successfully be grown in a pot indoors in the cooler zones.

See Video: Black Surinam Cherry Lolita

Buy Surinam Cherry

Date: 21 Dec 2022 Top Tropicals Newsletter

Heat [Cat] Pack for Winter shipping

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 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)

Add Heat Pack to your order

Date: 13 Nov 2022 Top Tropicals Newsletter

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

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.

Get Hoa Mai plant for good luck!

Date: 6 Nov 2022 Top Tropicals Newsletter

Annona montana - Mountain Soursop
Grow Your Own Food

Exotic fruit, a cold hardy alternative to a Soursop

Not only tasty, this exotic fruit has the most unusual looks! This exotic beauty grows up to a pound and just look at these curious and life-like spines! We guarantee that everyone who sees this fruit in your garden will ask for seeds even before they taste the fruit. And you will have lots of seeds to share because Mountain Soursop is very reliable producer with many seeds in each fruit.
Mountain Soursop tastes similar to regular Soursop (better known as the Guanabana), with slightly milder flavor. The pulp is highly scented, with good aroma. It is eaten out of hand or can be used in milkshakes and smoothies. The fruit is softball sized with orange-yellow flesh, somewhat smaller and rounder than the regular Soursop. The tree is medium sized, with beautiful, large, leathery dark green leaves that emit a strong aroma when crushed.

How to grow Mountain Soursop?

Mountain Soursop is a very easy to grow, medium size exotic fruit tree that is great for beginners. This species is much more cold hardy than the Soursop, established trees can take temperatures a few degrees below freezing, tolerating cold spells down to 24F when full grown. Mountain Soursop tolerates a variety of soil types and will grow well in dry conditions. Trees produce within just 2-3 years from seed, like many Annonas, and can happily grow and produce in a large container.

Buy Mountain Soursop

Date: 27 Oct 2022 Top Tropicals Newsletter

Add a little Sunshine
to keep your plants looking their best

By Ed Jones, the Booster Guy

...Just like people, a little sunshine goes a long way in keeping them happy. It is usually easier to keep a plant healthy than it is to fix it when it is not well. Proper plant nutrition is often times the issue. The good news is that it is easy to keep your plants looking good by following proper nutrition practices...
...Feeding your plants with micronutrients that they just don't get in regular fertilizers can prevent deficiencies. Let's get started on a regular program of using foliar sprays to help keep your plants looking their best...
We recommend using three products in combination - the Complete SUNSHINE Microelement Supplement Kit that consists of:

- Sunshine Superfood
- Sunshine Epi
- Sunshine Power-Si

How often do I need to treat my plants?

We are recommending a foliar spray once per week to maintain optimal health conditions. This is based on recent studies done in Ukraine by the scientist who invented Sunshine Boosters products...
Continue reading to see an easy treatment schedule that will provide your plants with:
- Increased photosynthetic activity
- Increased insect and disease resistance
- Reduced mineral toxicity
- Improvement of nutrient imbalance
- Enhanced drought and frost tolerance
- Enhanced plant growth

Sunshine Boosters are developed in Ukraine and manufactured in the USA. We support Ukraine fight for freedom. All profits from these fertilizers will be donated to support our Team in Ukraine.

Buy Sunshine Plant Supplement Kit

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