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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.
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.
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Photo above: Avocado Joey - very buttery fruit, cold hardy variety.
Q: I bought an anise leaf-scented avocado from you, and it is finally quite large and doing great. I live in California, the coldest temperatures we seem to get in some winters is around 25 to 28F, and it never lasts long. The tree might get a bit of frost nipping on the new growth, but it has done very well. It has flowered profusely for the last two years but hasn't set any fruit. What variety you might recommend to help with pollinating?
A: We are glad your avocado is doing great. Anise is one of our favorite varieties, with the wonderful smell of leaves and tasty fruit.
It is true that cold damage may affect avocado production, especially in setting fruit. To improve the tree's cold hardiness, make sure to provide balanced plant food, especially during the season of active growth. For our avocado trees, we use Sunshine C-Cibus year-round.
If you prefer to use dry (granulated, slow-release) fertilizers, make sure they contain micronutrients, or apply Sunshine Superfood microelement complex once a month.
To improve flower quality (including the ability to set fruit), we recommend a special micronutrient supplement called Sunshine Honey. It contains Boron and Molybdenum - elements that are responsible for setting fruit and for developing fruit (meaning not dropping at the early stage of development).
In general, every avocado tree is self-fertile, meaning it can produce some fruit with its own pollen and doesn't necessarily require a second tree for pollination. So even if you don't do anything, sooner or later your tree will set fruit. However, it is also true that the amount of fruit and crop reliability depends on pollination factors. One type of avocado classification is by flowering and pollination behavior - type A or B.
When both types of trees are grown in proximity to each other, their overlapping flowering patterns significantly enhance the chances of cross-pollination. This can lead to improved fruit set and higher yield, making it especially important for commercial production and, to a lesser extent, for home growers.
Therefore, it's advisable to plant different varieties of avocado in your garden - the more, the merrier! The greater the diversity of avocado trees with overlapping flowering periods, the better your crop is likely to be. If you're growing an avocado tree without other avocados nearby, it becomes helpful to have more than one tree with different flowering patterns (A and B) to increase yield in your garden.
Anise Avocado is type B. So to increase your crop, you may consider planting type A variety from the list: Bernecker, Black Prince, Catalina, Choquette, Day, Donnie, Fantastic, Florida Hass, Lila, Loretta, Lula, Mexicola, Mexicola Grande, Red Russell, Reed, Russell, Simmonds, Ulala , Waldin .
To learn more about avocado types, fruit characteristics, cold hardiness and much more, refer to our Avocado Variety Guide - a page with very convenient interactive chart allowing you to quickly sort types of avocado by requirements of your choice (just click on column header to sort data). You may also buy a Book or download a PDF.
Photo above: 15 gal Avocado trees for local pick up. Delivery and installation available!
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"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we
take,
but by the moments that take our breath away."
- Maya Angelou -
"...Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they
are not going to be around forever...
...Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe,
because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side...
...Remember to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that
is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a
cent...
...Remember to say "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones,
but most of all - mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when
it comes from deep inside of you...
...Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that
person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak, and give
time to share the precious thoughts in your mind...
...And always remember, life is not measured by the number of
breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
(A Life message from George Carlin after he lost his wife)
In the photo: Spathodea campanulata - African Tulip Tree
1. Throw out nonessential numbers, including age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay them.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
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Escape the ordinary and join us at Top Tropicals for the most anticipated event and the biggest plant sale of the year - the Holiday Plant Market! Immerse yourself in a kaleidoscope of colors as you stroll through a garden bursting with life. Uncover incredible one-day-only deals on tropical treasures...
30% OFF online price
Special discounts and offers on selected plants
Fruit tree specials: selected varieties as low as $45 Avocado and $60
Mango
Secret Garden: Super savings area 50-70% off
$5 and $10 plants, raffle
Free plant with any purchase as a token of our appreciation
Event discounts valid at both locations:
Ft Myers Garden Center: 13890 Orange River, Ft Myers, FL
Sebring B-Farm: 9100 McRoy Rd, Sebring, FL
Facebook event page - Download invitation
Our Garden Center and Farm both will be closed on Thursday Dec 14 for maintenance and preparation for the event.
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Photo above: Christmas time in Ukraine (left) and Florida (right)
Q: Are there any tropical plants that will do well if I order them in Winter? We just bought a house in New Jersey with a large sunroom, and I can't wait to fill it with tropical beauties! Should I wait until Spring, or do you have something for a Winter start?
A: This is indeed a very good question, as many tropical plant collectors grow their treasures outside the tropics. The short answer is - yes! You can start filling your tropical sunroom any time of the year, but some plants are easier to deal with in Winter than others. Below are some guidelines.
Winter bloomers today, left to right: Jatropha, Champaka, Brunfelsia, Calliandra, Leonotis.
1. Plants that prefer Winter shipping to avoid overheating stress:
- All plants with lush foliage such as Philodendrons, Medinilla
- Trees with fine feathery leaves such as Moringa, Jacaranda, Poinciana
- Some fruit trees sensitive to overheating during shipping: Papaya, Stawberry Tree, Starfruit (Carambola), Bilimbi.
2. Subtropical plants that are relatively cold hardy
- Fruit trees:
Loquats, Olives, Avocados, Tropical Cherries: Eugenia, Malpighia, Noni (more cold
hardy than you may think),
Canistel.
- Flowering trees: Champaka, Tabebuia.
- All Bananas
- see all relatively cold hardy
plants
3. Winter-dormant and/or deciduous plants: Adeniums, Plumerias, Gingers, Sugar Apple
, Peaches and
Plums, June Plum and Hog Plum.
See all deciduous/winter dormant plants.
4. Orchids, including Ground Orchids.
5. Winter flowers. Keep in mind that many tropical plants are
winter bloomers, and their flowering is most profuse in Winter months, so you
can enjoy the blooms right away:
Dombeya,
Thunbergia,
Gloxinia, Brunfelsia, Calliandra, Tibouchina, Barleria, Leonotis, Clerodendrums, Chinese Hat (Holmskioldia).
See all Winter bloomers.
Winter bloomers today, left to right: Clerodendrum minahasse, Variegated Malvaviscus Summer Snow, Kopsia fruticosa
6. Winter plant care. During Winter the daylight is shorter and temperatures are
cooler.
- Reduce watering
- Use only liquid amino-acid based fertilizer Sunshine Boosters (safe to use year around)
- Monitor insects.
7. Shipping in Winter. We ship year around. However, if it gets below freezing in your area, you may use FedEx Hold location, they are temperature controlled so you don't have to worry about a box being dropped off at your cold porch outside.
8. A note for mild climate residents. Most tropical plants can be planted in the ground year around. Some ultra-tropical tender species such Chocolate tree, Ylang Ylang, or small size Mango trees can be grown in pots until Spring and planted out once chances of cold spell are gone. Until then, they can be moved indoors for cold nights.
Think outside the box and bring tropical paradise indoors during the time when we need warmth the most! Tropical plants will brighten your short winter days and help you to have truly HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Winter bloomers today, left to right: Gloxinia, Barleria, and ever-bright Crotons...
