Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date:

Cocoplum: secret fruit in your hedge. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Bahamas Cocoplum - Chrysobalanus icaco

🍒 Cocoplum: secret fruit in your hedge
  • 🍒 Most people think Cocoplum is just a boring hedge plant: Bahamas Cocoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco). Thick, green, easy to trim - great for privacy. But hidden in all that greenery? Super-sweet plum-like fruit that are edible and very tasty! They look like small plums and come in pink, purple, or white when ripe.
  • 🍒 Cocoplum is native to Florida and has been quietly feeding people for generations, long before it became a landscaping go-to. The fruit is mild, a little sweet, and great for snacking or making into jam.
  • 🍒 Cocoplum isn't just a tasty surprise - it comes with some health perks too:

▫️Rich in antioxidants - especially anthocyanins, which give the purple fruit its color and help fight free radicals in the body.
  • ▫️Good source of fiber - helps with digestion and keeping you full.
  • ▫️Contains vitamin C - supports your immune system and skin health.
  • ▫️Low in calories - great for snacking without guilt.
  • ▫️So when you bite into a Cocoplum, you're not just tasting Florida - you're getting a little wellness boost too.


🍯 Quick Cocoplum Jam:
  • 🔸2 cups ripe Cocoplums
  • 🔸1 cup sugar
  • 🔸1 cup water*
  • 🔸1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 🔸Mash it all up, cook on low 20-30 minutes until thick. Cool and enjoy!


*To make a delicious summer drink, add 10 cups of water and just get to boil. Let sit 2 hrs, mash up, drain fruit and cool to enjoy.

So next time you walk by a Cocoplum hedge, check for fruit. There might be a free snack waiting for you!

🛒 Get your edible hedge Cocoplum: privacy with perks

#Food_Forest #Recipes

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Date:

Ice Cream mango: tiny tree, big flavor! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Condo Ice Cream mango

Ice Cream mango: tiny tree, big flavor!
Mango Rainbow🌈
  • 🟡Ice Cream is the king of condo mangoes - and for good reason! This tiny tree stays under six feet and still gives you a full size fruit that tastes like mango sorbet.
  • 🟡The fruit may be small and green, but inside? Bright yellow flesh that's rich, sweet, and unbelievably smooth.
  • 🟡It is the perfect pick for containers, patios, or small spaces. If you want big flavor from a little tree, Ice Cream mango is the one.


🛒 Shop Mango varieties

📚 Previous posts: #Mango_Rainbow - varieties you should try

#Food_Forest #Mango #Mango_Rainbow

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On the superiority of the Cat over Futurism. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Cat Macaron on windowsill

Cat Macaron on windowsill

Cat Macaron yawning

Cat Macaron yawning

Sleepy Cat Macaron

Sleepy Cat Macaron

On the superiority of the Cat over Futurism🐾

(or why cat hair on your pants is better than progress charts)
  • 🐾"While they build charts and fly to Mars -

    • the cat simply lies on the keyboard and wins."
  • 🐾"The cat doesn't ask: 'What is the meaning of life?'

    • It KNOWS: the meaning is a warm window, a bowl, and you nearby."
  • 🐾"Futurism says: 'Soon everything will be better!'

    • The cat says: 'It’s already good. Pet me.'"
  • 🐾"Ideal systems collapse.

    • The cat remains. Soft, independent, eternal."
  • 🐾"When everything goes wrong - the cat starts to purr.

    • It's his way of saying: 'Hang in there. I’m here.'"
  • 🐾"Futurists dream of terraforming Mars.

    • The cat naps under a blooming jasmine and calls it paradise."
  • 🐾"While they plan vertical farms and biotech gardens -

the cat rolls in basil, digs up the mulch, and feels joy."

🐈📸 Macaron has been busy helping with plants and trying to show us the meaning of life.

PeopleCats.Garden  #PeopleCats

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☀️ When tropical plant takes a Summer break

Tropical landscape

Why your plants might stop growing in mid-Summer
and what to do about it

Q: Why some tropical plants stop growing when it gets too hot? Aren't they supposed to like the heat? Should I use more fertilizer during hot Summer?

You've been watching your tropical tree thrive all spring. New leaves, steady growth, maybe even a flower or two. Then July hits, and… nothing. The heat cranks up, and your once-busy plant just sits there. No new shoots, no blooms, not even a twitch. If it feels like your plant ghosted you - but don't worry! It's not dying. It's just hot!

Q: What happens to tropical plants when it gets extremely hot?

When the heat hits, plants hit pause. In the peak of summer, especially with temperatures above 90F, many tropical and subtropical plants go into heat survival mode. Growth above ground may slow down or stop entirely. It's not because you forgot to water or skipped a fertilizer dose - it's just too hot. The plant's energy shifts underground, where roots may still be growing. Think of it like a tropical version of a siesta - less margarita, more mulch. This stage might last a few weeks or longer, depending on how intense the heat gets. But the important thing is: it's normal.

Q: What NOT to do?

  • Don't drown it in extra water. That leads to root rot.
  • Don't dump dry fertilizer on it. That can burn the roots or just get flushed away. Use controlled release or liquid fertilizer dozed proportionaly to the plant's water usage.
  • Don't prune aggressively, hoping to jolt it awake.

None of that helps - in fact, it can make things worse.

Q: What you CAN do?

  • Water deeply in the early morning, and let the soil dry a bit between waterings.
  • Add mulch to help keep the root zone cool and reduce evaporation.
  • Provide temporary shade for potted plants or young trees.
  • Hold off on pruning or heavy feeding until you see new growth.

Just like you wouldn't run a marathon in a heatwave, your plant needs a break too.

Q: Why you shouldn't fertilize stressed plants with dry fertilizer?

Fertilizing seems like the obvious solution when a plant stalls, but in the heat of summer, it can backfire. When temperatures soar, roots slow down, and absorption becomes inefficient. You might pour in nutrients, but your plant can't use them - and what's worse, any tender new growth that does emerge can get scorched or sunburned before it has a chance to harden.

Feeding a plant with strong fertilizers during a heatwave is like telling someone to sprint in a sauna. It's not just unhelpful - it's risky. That's why you need a fertilizer that’s engineered for hot weather - not just any slow-release formula.

Liquid Sunshine Boosters mild formulas are safe to use year around. Controlled release fertilizer like Green Magic are safe as well, just make sure to follow directions and dosage.


Q: Why Green Magic fertilizer works in heat better that Osmocote?

Green Magic controlled release fertilizer

Not all slow-release fertilizers are built for hot summer. Some popular brands might seem like a good choice - but they’re optimized for soil temperatures around 70-75F. That's a mild Spring day in the South, but in real-world Florida or Arizona heat? Not even close.

Here's the problem: Osmocote releases nutrients based on moisture, not temperature. When it's hot and humid - or worse, when you water heavily - it can dump too many nutrients at once. That nutrient surge can:

  • Burn your plant's roots
  • Force tender new growth that gets fried in the heat
  • Leach straight out of the pot, wasting both fertilizer and money

It's unpredictable, especially in containers that heat up faster than ground soil. What you think is "slow-release" can behave more like a fertilizer bomb.

Green-Magic, by contrast, uses a temperature-sensitive polyurethane coating that responds gradually and consistently as the soil warms. That means:

  • No sudden nutrient spikes
  • No wasted runoff
  • And no risk of heat-triggered burn

It's designed to feed steadily and predictably - even when temps hit 90F and stay there. For potted tropical plants, that kind of control is the difference between stressed and thriving.

Q: How does Sunshine Boosters help with daily plant recovery in summer?

Once your plant begins to show signs of life again - maybe a new bud, or evening perkiness - it's safe to resume feeding. But skip the salts, and reach for something gentler: Sunshine Boosters.

These amino-acid based liquid fertilizers are designed for daily use, even in containers during the hottest days. They enhance nutrient uptake, even when roots are stressed or sluggish. Unlike synthetic chelators like EDTA, Sunshine Boosters won't bind nutrients or burn root system. They stay gentle, available, and effective. Learn more from this short video.

Use SUNSHINE Robusta for foliage support, or Ca-Support PRO for strong structure and recovery. It's like hydration and nutrition in one - perfect for tropical plants fighting through summer heat.

Q: How can I help my plants during extreme heat?

Don't fight the heat - work with it. If your tree looks stalled this summer, don't panic. It's following a rhythm older than all of us. Support it with smart watering, the right fertilizer combo, and a little patience. Before long, you'll see buds again - and know your plant made it through the heat.


Shop fertilizers and garden supplies


Read more plant care tips in Garden Blog

Date:

What is better - Lychee or Longan? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Longan - Euphoria longana - tastes a lot like Lychee

🍊What is better - Lychee or Longan?
  • 🟠 What is more productive than a lychee tree and just as delicious? The Longan tree - Euphoria longana.
  • 🟠 This fast-growing beauty is a breeze to care for and starts fruiting early. Longan produces clusters of sweet, juicy fruit with crisp skin and fragrant white flesh that tastes a lot like lychee - some even say better!
  • 🟠 It's tougher too: more wind-resistant, less fussy about soil and water, and fruits more regularly than its famous cousin. You can keep it compact with pruning or grow it in a container.
  • 🟠 If you want a tropical fruit tree thats reliable, prolific, and packed with flavor, Longan is the one to grow!


🛒 Add a Longan tree to my garden!

📚 Learn more:
The most prolific and as good as Lychee

#Food_Forest

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How to re-pot a plant properly? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Re-potting a plant quick guide

How to re-pot a plant properly?
  • ✔️ Take a pot a few inches bigger - just enough for the root ball.
  • ✔️ Add some well-drained potting mix at the bottom.

❗️Make sure the plant sits at the same level as before - this is the key!
  • ✔️ Add a good fertilizer at the bottom. We use professional Green Magic - controlled release.
  • ✔️ Turn the plant upside down and gently remove it from the old pot. Loosen up roots if root bound. Set it on top of the soil and check the level again.
  • ✔️ Add more fertilizer around the sides and fill in with soil, pressing around the edges.
  • ✔️ Check the level one more time.
  • ✔️ Water thoroughly - and you are done! Happy growing!


🛒 Shop top-quality supplies:

📚 Learn more:
How to Plant a Tree - A Fun Guide

#How_to

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Blooming Lobster Claw Show at TopTropicals. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Heliconia rostrata - Lobster Claw

Blooming Lobster Claw Show at TopTropicals
  • 🔻 Heliconia rostrata - Lobster Claw or Parrot's Beak - is one of the most iconic tropical plants, and for good reason. Its vivid, dangling blooms look like parrot feathers or lobster claws and last for weeks, making them perfect for garden displays or cut flower arrangements.
  • 🔻This bold beauty grows up to 7 feet tall, thriving in tropical climates or large pots in cooler zones. Surprisingly cold-tolerant, it can handle temps in the high 20s and still put on a spectacular show.


🛒 Shop Heliconias and Gingers

📚 Learn more:

#Hedges_with_benefits #Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders

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How to grow tropical fruit outside the Tropics. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Tropical fruit trees grown in containers

Tropical fruit trees grown in containers

How to grow tropical fruit outside the Tropics

👨‍� Can you grow tropical fruit in colder climates? Absolutely! The key is growing them in containers so you can move them indoors during cold weather. With the right plant selection, a bit of motivation, good plant food, and a little love, you can enjoy a delicious harvest of exotic fruit - enough to treat your family and even share with friends. Here's everything you need to start your own Tropical Fruit Garden in containers.

🏆 Top tropical fruits and expert tips for growing in containers

🛒 Shop top picks for your container tropical garden:

Condo Mango
Cold hardy Avocado
🍒 Tropical Cherries - Eugenias
⭐️ Carambola (Start Fruit)
🍉 Guava
🍈 Annona
🍍 Pineapple
🌶 Herbs and spices - tropical edibles right away
🕙 Fast-fruiting trees
🍊 Shop all fruit trees
Supplies and Boosters

#Food_Forest #How_to #Discover

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This is what we discovered inside Jackedak - the biggest fruit on earth! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Cheena - Jackfruit x Chempedak (Artocarpus x integer)

🍈 This is what we discovered inside Jackedak - the biggest fruit on earth!
  • 🍐Meet Jackedak - the superstar of the jackfruit world!
  • 🍐Originally grown from a seedling of Cheena (Jackfruit x Chempedak, Artocarpus x integer), this TopTropicals hybrid fruited in just 3 years and blew us away with its flavor.
  • 🍐Each massive fruit (20-25 inches!) is super sweet, crunchy, and rich, with hardly any latex - making it easy to prep and impossible to resist.
  • 🍐 Jackedak is also a garden hero: it fruits low on the trunk, so you can keep it short and tidy, and it's survived both light frost and 48 hours under 3 feet of floodwater during hurricane Irma in 2017, without breaking a sweat.
  • 🍐 If you want the best-tasting jackfruit hybrid we've ever tried, Jackedak is the one!


📚 Learn more from previous posts:

🛒 Buy Jackedak Cheena Tree - Delivered to Your Door

#Food_Forest #Jackfruit

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Timo is a good loafer. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Timo is a good loafer

Timo the cat is a good loafer at PeopleCats.Garden

⬆️ Timo is a good loafer

"Whatever you are, be a good one." - Abraham Lincoln

🐈📸 Timo at PeopleCats.Garden 

#PeopleCats #Quotes

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