When Bigger means Better

Everybody loves shopping online nowadays, and plants are no exception. Buying plants by mail order is not uncommon anymore; it only takes one click, and luckily, there are many sources - from big shopping malls like Amazon to small backyard nurseries that sell their seedlings on eBay or Facebook - all delivered to your door. But plants are alive... So when doing your online plant shopping, you must ensure that you fully enjoy your experience and are happy with a healthy plant that a) doesn't die; b) recovers quickly; and c) starts growing fast, so you can see flowers and fruit as soon as possible.

The rule of thumb for shipping plants: bigger plants undergo shipping better, experience less stress, less leaf drop, and recover quicker than plants with smaller root systems. So when it comes to buying plants online, the bigger, the better. Unfortunately, many mail-order plant sources may sell you a tiny twig that has very few chances of surviving. Shipping is very expensive today, so shipping a bigger size plant may cost more than the plant itself.

Below is a piece of advice on how to make the best plant selection for your garden...

Photo above: Loquat trees in 3 gal containers.

5 important rules on how to buy trees online

1. Find a source with bigger plants. Check reviews, ask friends for recommendations, inquire from the company about the size of their plants and how they pack their plants for shipping.
TopTropicals offers well-established, strong plants with developed root system, in container sizes 1, 3, 7, 15 gallon, directly from a tropical Florida growing farm. Our unique plant-packing techniques are state of the art!

2. Price not always reflects the size and quality of the plant
TopTropicals offers many deals, discounts and sales, while still providing the biggest and strongest plants grown in real tropical conditions.

3. Most fruit trees must be grafted to produce good fruit. Make sure you are not purchasing a seedling when it comes to Mango, Avocado, Peaches and some other trees with named varieties that don't come true to seed.
TopTropicals offers only grafted - Mango, Avocado and a large number of other tropical cultivars.

4. Pick up when possible from the nursery your ordered from, or get a delivery, instead of shipping the plants. A drive to the nursery will save you more time and money in the future, plus you can hand-pick the biggest and healthiest specimens.
TopTropicals is open 7 days a week for your convenience. Visit our Ft Myers Garden Center or Sebring Farm to select the biggest plants.

5. Take advantage of X-Large size plant material if you live outside the tropical zone and are trying to zone-push your tropical garden. Bigger plants will establish faster and have more chances to survive cold winters. Again, it will save you money in a long run (although bigger plants may be more expensive, but their survival rate is much higher when it comes to cold nights).
TopTropicals offers X-Large flowering and fruiting trees (7-15-25 gallons), and most of the varieties you see in our online store can be custom-ordered in big sizes. Delivery and installation available.

Photo above: Avocado trees in 7 gal containers.

Photo above: Magnolia champaca - Joy Perfume Tree in 25 gal container.

Win Champaka - Joy Perfume Tree!
Tropical flowering plant contest

Post a picture of your flowering plant and win this perfume tree!

This is your chance to win a rare, expensive plant that everyone wants but not always can afford -

Magnolia champaca - Joy Perfume Tree
$69.95 Value + FREE shipping

yes, delivered to your door absolutely FREE!

How to become a winner? It's as easy as 1-2-3!

1 - Go to our Telegram Chanel
2 - Post a picture of your own favorite flowering tropical plant that you grow in container
3 - Get likes and become a Winner!

The entry that receives more likes (hearts, thumbs up, etc) wins the Contest.

Rules and terms:

1. Must be our Channel subscriber.
2. Only 1 post per participant. The post should contain: 1-3 pictures and a plant name.
3. A plant must be:
a) tropical grown in container: choose from trees, shrubs, vines, or any perennials, including house plants, as long as they have flowers!
b) flowering (fruit trees will have their chance in our future contests)
c) your own plant, not in a nursery or botanical garden
4. Delivery - USA addresses only. To receive the prize, the winner will be requested to provide shipping info.
5. Unclaimed prizes will be canceled after 2 weeks.
6. Deadline - June 1, 2024 at 3 pm, then we will count the votes and pick the Winner!
7. No purchase necessary to enter or win (see full rules PDF)

Good Luck!

Magnolia champaca - Joy Perfume Tree, Champaka - the most wanted and sacred tree of India and tropical Asia. The flowers exude a divine fragrance. They are used to make the world's most expensive perfume 'Joy' and smell like fruity bubble gum, you can't stop sticking your nose in this flower! Great perfume tree for both in-ground or container culture, this is hands down the best perfume tree for a Southern landscape.