Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date:

Alarm clock? Thats just my snack timer! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Alarm clock? Thats just my snack timer!

📢 Alarm clock? That’s just my snack timer!

"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted." - John Lennon

🐈📸 Cash the cat set his alarm clock to remind him it's still a nap time at PeopleCats.Garden

#PeopleCats #Quotes

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Giant mango Keitt never quits! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Giant mango Keitt never quits!

Mango Keitt

Giant mango Keitt never quits!
Mango Rainbow🌈
  • 🟡This is Keitt a late-season monster. It is the largest mango we've ever seen - no kidding! Some of these weigh up to five pounds!
  • 🟡And the best part? They just keep coming from July all the way through fall.
  • 🟡The flavor is sweet, smooth, super juicy, and barely any fiber. You can eat it ripe, slice it green, or make an awesome mango pickle.
  • 🟡This tree's a total champ - crazy productive and super reliable.


🛒 Shop Mango varieties

📚 Previous posts: #Mango_Rainbow - varieties you should try

#Food_Forest #Mango #Mango_Rainbow

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

How to build a home from scratch: scratch-scratch! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

How to build a home from scratch: scratch-scratch!

Philemon the cat

💩 How to build a home from scratch: scratch-scratch!

"Home is where the heart is." - Pliny the Elder

🐈📸 Philemon the cat makes a comfy setting at Top Tropicals Bfarm and PeopleCats.Garden

#PeopleCats #Quotes

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

We Cut Open a 37 lb Jackfruit - You Won't Believe What's Inside! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

We Cut Open a 37 lb Jackfruit - You Wont Believe Whats Inside!

🍈 We Cut Open a 37 lb Jackfruit - You Won't Believe What's Inside!

📱

  • 🍈 Cutting into a 37-pound Jackedak Jackfruit with Chiane and Ashley!

  • 🍈 Join us at Top Tropicals as we explore one of the largest fruits on Earth - the mighty Jackfruit. From sweet, tropical fruit to edible seeds and even a meat substitute known as the "rag" - this fruit does it all!

  • ✔️Learn how to cut and clean a jackfruit
  • ✔️See which parts are edible (you might be surprised!)
  • ✔️Discover why it's a favorite for vegan pulled pork
  • ✔️Hear our taste-test reactions: bubblegum, custard, pineapple?

  • 🍈 Whether you're into exotic fruits, cooking, or growing your own tropical trees, this is one tasty experience you don’t want to miss.

  • 🍈 Want to grow your own Jackfruit? We’ve got you covered


📚 Learn more:
🟡about #Jackfruit

🛒 Buy Jackedak Cheena Tree - Delivered to Your Door

#Food_Forest #Jackfruit

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Anthurium Collector Set

Giant Bird's Nest, Long Leaf, and Black Dragon Anthuriums side by 
side, showcasing their dramatic foliage and size

These aren't your typical tropicals - they're collector-grade Anthuriums grown for foliage and texture. Each one brings something different, but they all thrive in the same kind of setting: shade or filtered light, warmth, and humidity. Perfect for growing in containers indoors or out.

Anthurium Black Dragon

This is the most dramatic of the trio. Upright, leathery leaves shift from dark green to nearly black depending on light. Instead of bright flowers, it produces a dark brown spadix and glowing red berries. A hybrid not found in the wild, it's grown from seed - no two are exactly alike.

  • Best for: Indoor focal plant, shaded patio, black ceramic pot
  • Height: 2–4 ft in container
  • Texture: Thick, architectural leaves
  • Highlight: Color shifts with light intensity

Grow Your Own Black Dragon

Read more about Black Dragon Anthurium

Anthurium hookeri – Giant Bird's Nest

This one's about scale. Broad, crinkled leaves with a cardboard-like texture form a bold rosette. It can get huge with time - up to 6 feet across. Perfect for gardeners who want the "instant jungle" look.

  • Best for: Shaded garden, large pots on porches
  • Height: Up to 5 ft; width even more
  • Texture: Wrinkled and leathery
  • Highlight: Bright red berries in maturity

Buy Giant Bird's Nest Anthurium

Read more about Giant Bird's Nest Anthurium

Anthurium vittarifolium – Long Leaf Anthurium

Graceful and rare, this species sends out narrow strap-like leaves that can reach 5–6 ft long. Ideal for hanging baskets or mounting. Bonus: it produces small pink fruit against deep green foliage.

  • Best for: Hanging displays, vertical planters, bright bathrooms
  • Height: Leaf length, not upright height - up to 6 ft
  • Texture: Smooth, ribbon-like
  • Highlight: Cascading growth and color contrast

Buy Long Leaf Anthurium

Read more about Long Leaf Anthurium

✅ How to Care for Anthuriums

  • Light: Bright, indirect light is best. Avoid direct sun, especially mid-day. These plants evolved in rainforest understory - think "dappled light under trees."
  • Water: Keep the soil lightly moist but not soggy. Let the top inch dry before watering. They hate wet feet.
  • Humidity: These are tropicals - they'll do fine in 50-60% humidity, but thrive at 70%+. Use pebble trays or place near other plants. Bathrooms with windows work great.
  • Soil: Use an airy mix: orchid bark + perlite + peat or coco coir. Drainage is key. Never use plain potting soil.
  • Fertilizer: Feed with SUNSHINE Robusta every 2–4 weeks during warm seasons. It's formulated for aroids and won't burn roots.
  • Potting: Use shallow, wide containers. Repot only every 2–3 years, or when roots crowd the pot. They don't like frequent disruption.
  • Temperature: Ideal: 65–85 F. Short dips to the 30s F are tolerated by mature plants, but avoid cold drafts.

Shop All Anthuriums

Date:

Shady spots aren't a problem - they're an opportunity

Niki and Cash, the PeopleCats.garden rescued cats, lounging on a pink towel in front of a bathtub surrounded by tropical houseplants. The room is filled with lush green foliage, hanging vines, and potted plants, creating a peaceful indoor 
jungle.

Photo above: Niki and Cash, the Top Tropicals PeopleCats-in-residence, lounging in a lush indoor jungle

Most tropical gardens have at least one corner that gets morning light, filtered sun, or just bright shade - and that's exactly where Anthuriums thrive, along with many other shade-loving plants. That makes them ideal for spaces where other tropicals struggle.

Don't have a greenhouse? You don't need one. Anthuriums do beautifully on a shaded porch, in a screened lanai, or even indoors near a north or east-facing window. They're perfect for:

  • Bathrooms with natural light
  • Bright kitchens with indirect sun
  • Shaded entryways or under eaves
  • Hanging baskets under tree cover
  • Mounting on cork or wood in humid areas

Even a small space can feel like a tropical conservatory with the right plant - and Anthuriums bring that look without being demanding. They grow slowly, stay manageable, and don't need constant pruning or repotting.

Best of all, they reward consistency. Keep them warm, give them some humidity, water when the top inch feels dry, and they'll stay healthy for years. No drama - just quiet, lasting beauty. If you've never grown tropicals in the shade, this is where to start.

Shop Shade Garden

Date:

Operation of life. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Operation of life

Operation of life
🔥 Operation of life

"Alcohol is the anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life." - George Bernard Shaw

🐈📸 Mr B is chilling at Top Tropicals PeopleCats.Garden

#PeopleCats #Quotes

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

The morning glory that sleeps in? Alamo Vine - the noon-blooming mystery. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

The morning glory that sleeps in? Alamo Vine - the noon-blooming mystery

Ipomoea sinuata - Alamo Vine

🌞 The morning glory that sleeps in? Alamo Vine - the noon-blooming mystery
  • 💮 Ipomoea sinuata - Alamo Vine or Woodrose isn't your average morning glory.
  • 💮It's a fast-growing, very fine vine with feathery, soft-textured leaves that look like they belong in a fairytale.
  • 💮 And its white pretty blooms? They're a little rebellious! Opening around noon instead of morning, then closing again before sunset.
  • 💮 Perfect for trellises, fences, or even a container if you want a vine with personality. Attracts butterflies and bees.
  • 💮 It's fast, it's different, and it's ready to cover a small fence or trellis.


🛒 Add this noontime bloomer to your garden

#Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_Plants

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Big energy for small spaces. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Big energy for small spaces

Cats Scooby, Timo, James Coconuts and Matilda

🐈 Big energy for small spaces

"May your home always be too small to hold all your friends." - Irish blessing

🐈📸 Scooby, Timo, James Coconuts and Matilda showing off at Top Tropicals Bfarm (PeopleCats.Garden)

#PeopleCats #Quotes

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Why tipping mango trees makes them fruiting machines (DIY Garden Tip) A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Why tipping mango trees makes them fruiting machines (DIY Garden Tip)

Why tipping mango trees makes them fruiting machines (DIY Garden Tip)

📱

🌳 Want more mangoes from your backyard tree?
In this step-by-step guide, Ed from Top Tropicals in Fort Myers, Florida, shows how to tip mango trees to boost branching, improve structure, and increase fruit production. Whether you're growing Valencia Pride, Orange Sherbet, or Glen mangoes - this method works!

✔️ You'll learn:

  • ▫️When and how to tip branches
  • ▫️ What tools to use (and how to clean them)
  • ▫️Real before-and-after results from trees in our Florida garden
  • ▫️Tips for shaping young trees for long-term success


🛒 Get your own mango trees

🌱 More garden tips and tropical fruit care

#Food_Forest #Mango #Mango_Rainbow

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals