Radio Top Tropicals Live Webcast upcoming event: Saturday March 25, at 11 am EST.
Topic: You need a brown thumb TO BE A GREAT GROWER!Manure, Sheeeeeee........it , Fertilizer, What ever you call it. Proper understanding of nutrient plant needs will give YOU great returns. At Top Tropicals, we know our Sheee..... uh, fertilizer. Our Host Robert Riefer - Internationally Certified Crop Adviser and Weed Scientist - answering all your gardening questions.

Listen to Radio Top Tropicals, every Saturday, at 11 am EST! You may use our website radio player DURING AIR TIME. To ask questions using live chat, you need to log in at Mixlr.com or simply call our office 239-887-3323 during air time!
If you missed a live webcast, you may listen to recording by following Showreel item link.

Check out our upcoming radio shows and get your gardening questions ready!

Aries Zodiac lucky plants

Aries - 3/21-4/19. Aries is a FIRE sign ruled by the planet Mars. Plants associated with this element and planet very often have thorns or prickles. They can be also spicy or bitter in flavor, or red in color. Because Aries rules the head, eyes and face, the plants for Aries purify the blood, stimulate the adrenal glands, and/or are high in iron (Mars rules the mineral iron). Mars-ruled Aries is assertive, energetic and fearless. Mars rules the red blood cells, the muscles, and metabolic processes, as well as the motor nerves and the head. These plants help you when you want more get-up-and-go and the courage to take on the world.

Aries Zodiac lucky plants: Governors plum, Hibiscus Karkade, Tapioca, Mamey Sapote, Ruda, Baobab, Euphorbia, Acanthus, Aloe, Caesalpinia, Erythrina, Opuntia, Dragon Fruit, Pachypodium, Pomegranate,Chilli peppers, Syngonium, Begonia, Geranium, Red Sandalwood, Jamiaca pepper (Pimenta, Allspice), Camphor, Jujube, Anise, Red Roses, Tiger Lily, Impatiens, Calendula, Tarragon, Ginger, Coriander, Basil,Ruda, Amaryllis, Wild Indigo, Gooseberries, Sesbania, Campsis, Red Oleander, Maple, Schotia brachypetala, Momordica, Coffee, Amla , Ephedra, Red Kapok.

For links to these plants and other signs information, see full Plant Horoscope.

Scorpio - 10/23-11/21. A WATER sign ruled by both Mars and Pluto.
Scorpio's plants are often found in remote places or on poor ground. They will likely have thorns, can be red in color, and grow under adversity. The good news is, most of these plants are nearly indestructible! This makes them desirable for every gardener.
The reproductive organs are ruled by Scorpio, so these are plants that balance the hormones, regulate the menstrual cycle, help with childbirth and pregnancy. Until this century, Scorpio was ruled by Mars, and the herbs associated with it had to do with the urogenital system and the colon. Many of the herbs related to Scorpio are cleansing and revitalizing. Now, astrologers assign Scorpio to Pluto, discovered in 1930 (Pluto is said by astrologers to be a higher octave of Mars). Physiologically, Scorpio involves the processes of catabolism and anabolism, the death and regeneration of body cells. Diseases of Scorpio are often involved with the slow buildup of toxic substances in the body (carcinogens, etc) or in the mind (anger, jealousy). Scorpio loves a spice with depth and complexity. Camphor Basil adds rich flavor to every dish it seasons, and its own aphrodisiac tendencies appeal to Scorpio's lusty nature.

Scorpio Zodiac lucky plants: Ceiba,  Baobab,  Pistachio,  Nutmeg, Black-eyed Susan Thunbergia, Combretums,  Dragon fruit,  Medinilla,  Camphor Basil,  Cuban Oregano, Vanilla orchid,  Hibiscus, Various  cacti and succulents,  Adenium, Honeysuckle,  Peppers,  Cordyline,  Spider plant,  Jasmine,  Gooseberries, Wild indigo,  Bougainvillea,  Aloe vera,  Raspberry,  Palmetto,  Horseradish tree,  Camphor,  Allspice and Bay Rum, Jujube,  Sweet Mimosa,  Agave, Milkweed,  Hong Kong Orchid Tree,  Pony Tail,  Dwarf Poinciana, Bottlebrushes,  Clusias,  Crocosmia,  Zig-Zag Cactus,  Dracaena,  Fire Bush,  Hoyas,  Jatropha,  Kalanchoe,  Sausage tree,  Devils Backbone, Pereskia, Red Plumeria,  Firecracker,  Rattlebox,  Rhoeo, Calendula, Geranium, Thistles, Mint, Sage, Catnip, Coriander, Sandalwood, Ginseng, Euphorbias, Acacias.

For other signs information, see full Plant Horoscope.

Aries - 3/21-4/19. Aries is a FIRE sign ruled by the planet Mars. Plants associated with this element and planet very often have thorns or prickles. They can be also spicy or bitter in flavor, or red in color.

Because Aries rules the head, eyes and face, the plants for Aries purify the blood, stimulate the adrenal glands, and/or are high in iron (Mars rules the mineral iron). Mars-ruled Aries is assertive, energetic and fearless. Mars rules the red blood cells, the muscles, and metabolic processes, as well as the motor nerves and the head. These plants help you when you want more get-up-and-go and the courage to take on the world.

Aries Zodiac lucky plants - Governors plum, Hibiscus Karkade, Tapioca, Mamey Sapote, Ruda, Baobab, Euphorbia, Acanthus, Aloe, Caesalpinia, Erythrina, Opuntia, Dragon Fruit, Pachypodium, Pomegranate, Chilli peppers, Syngonium, Begonia, Geranium, Red Sandalwood, Jamiaca pepper (Pimenta, Allspice), Camphor, Jujube, Anise, Red Roses, Tiger Lily, Impatiens, Calendula, Tarragon, Ginger, Coriander, Basil, Ruda, Amaryllis, Wild Indigo, Gooseberries, Sesbania, Campsis, Red Oleander, Maple, Schotia brachypetala, Momordica, Coffee, Amla , Ephedra, Red Kapok.

For other signs information, see full Plant Horoscope.

December Fest on Dec 10, mark your calendars!

Topic: Edible landscape. 10:00am - 2:00pm. Agenda:

Class @ 11:00am by Robert Riefer. How to keep pests off of maturing fruit.
Class @12:00pm Super foods by Zoe Merring. Benefits of Soursop, barbados cherry, goji, moringa. Benefits and recipes.

Discounts on all edibles
Prize giveaways at 12:00pm and 2:00pm (must be present to win)

20% off After-Cyber-Monday sale! Now that everybody is done with shopping for monitors and speakers, it is time to get some happy stuff! 20% off on all fruit trees, 1 day only! Enjoy your shopping and get the plants you always wanted at a low price!

Top Tropicals Video Presents: Doctor Noni

Top Tropicals Video Channel. We are happy to introduce to our customers our new project - Top Tropicals Video. Gardeners have been enjoying our Tropical Treasures Magazine with its unique stories on fascinating plants, their history, plant clinic and Do-It-Yourself projects. Now you can have more fun to visit actual tropical paradise by watching our short movies in your convenience - from your computer, or simply on your smart phone. In our future video tours, we will be showing both popular and rare exciting plants and how to grow them. We will be sharing little secrets of how to make these plants happy, so they will make your own life brighter and happier. Stay updated with TopTropicals Videos by subscribing to our YouTube channel at YouTube/TopTropicals and get our latest video news of what's fruiting and blooming! Our today's video story -

Doctor Noni - life sustaining plant. Many people have heard about the mysterious and miraculous Noni fruit, yet few know exactly what it is. This odd-looking fruit grows on a beautiful tropical tree from Polynesia - Morinda citrifolia, that actually belongs to a Coffee family! The Noni fruit, also called Cheese Fruit for its special odor, has unique health benefits. It is said that this plant food is to be used when we are feeling really ill or really old... Do you want to know how to have your own FREE fresh Noni juice year round? Check out this Movie: Doctor Noni - life sustaining plant...

Growing fruit trees in containers

Will it fruit in a pot? YES! Many tropical fruit trees can be grown in a pot. We get many calls from customers in cooler climates asking if our tropical trees can grow and fruit in a pot. The answer is yes!

Several plants fruit well in pots. Blackberries and raspberries, barbados cherries, blueberries and many more start fruiting even in their 1 gallon containers. We are especially excited about our new Pixie grapes, which are heavily laden with grapes even at only a foot long!

While some plants are small and will fruit easily in a container, others are large trees. For the tree type fruits, we recommend growing only non-seedling plants for pot culture. We have cuttings, air layers and grafted plants that are great options. These have the ability to fruit right away, as they are the same age as the parent tree. Some horticulturists recommend removing the first year fruit to allow the plant to focus on growth and establishing. If the plant is being kept in a pot, this is not necessary.

We also have several dwarf varieties of fruit trees that will thrive in a pot. For avocados, we carry the Wurtz variety which is a dwarf tree... read more...

Plants for happiness and joy

Plants as homeopathic remedies and happiness boosters. Many people know about health benefits of vitamin C which improves and boosts our immune system similar to SUNSHINE plant booster stimulating growth of plants. But not everybody realizes that this vitamin is responsible for overall happiness of our body, it brings many systems in balance. A number of tropical plants used in salads, as well as fruit with high content of vitamin C can play dual role in your life. You can use them as food, as well as enjoy their beautiful tropical appearance. Such plants will help you feel interest and joy in life when you feel apathetic and resigned to the situation you are in. Just to name a few:

Lychee
Barbados Cherry
Eugenias
Hibiscus Karkade

Try them out. Stay healthy and happy!

Seeds germination in summer

Q: What is the best way to germinate seeds in summer? Should I keep trays indoors or put them outside?

A: Summer is the best growing season for plants, and for their propagation. Seed germination process of tropical plants usually benefits from warm, and even hot temperatures, so keeping pots with seeds outside in full or partial sun can be the best way. However some seeds may be more sensitive than others, or require slightly cooler or higher temperature for germination. These are a few tips that may help:

- For seed germination, use only well drained mixes, containing either peat moss or coconut fiber to retain moisture. Some succulents may require adding sand to the germination mix. You may also try our Professional Formula Seed Germination Mix.

- Large tropical seeds, like palms, or seeds of Fabaceae (Bean) family, can be grown in full sun. Their germination will benefit from higher temperatures (up to 90-95F). Make sure to keep soil moist. Cover them well, with 3/4 to 1 inch of soil.

- Fruit seeds (large size) should be germinated either in individual cells or small pots (3-4" diameter).

- Small to medium size seeds can be grown in so-called community pots. Seedlings can be separated after they establish their first roots.

- Tiny seeds should be planted closer to the surface, covered with only 1/4-1/8 inch of soil; some seeds require bright light for germination, so full sun will be a plus. Some small seeds like Ficus for example, prefer to be broadcasted on the surface, uncovered. Put containers with such seeds in bright shade, as you don't want the surface of the soil to dry out.

- Once your seeds sprouted, move them in filtered light - bright to medium shade depending on tenderness of the species. (Gingers prefer shade, while succulent sprouts can stay in brighter light). Regardless of water/sun needs of the species, all young sprouts and first leaves are sensitive to hot sun and may get burned or even killed. Once a baby plant has a few leaves and well-branched root system, you may start moving trays into a brighter light.

- Do not overwater young seedlings, keep soil slightly moist but not soggy.

See full list of available seeds.

Condo Mango

Q: I was curious about indoor fruiting mango trees. I live in upstate New York and was thinking about trying to grow an indoor tree for fruit. I have a small heated greenhouse. Is there a variety that can be grown from seed that would suit my purposes and if not what is the most economical way I could obtain a cutting or small grafted plant? I keep my greenhouse around 60F in the winter and have no supplemental lighting. Are there any varieties that may work in a sunroom or other well lit indoor location?

A: There are many dwarf varieties of mango suitable for container culture. They are called "condo mangoes".
The most popular condo varieties are: Carrie, Cogshall, Cushman, Fairchild, Graham, Ice Cream, Julie , Mallika, Nam Doc Mai, Pickering. You may read more about them in our online catalog. You may also look into variety Lancetilla which is also a compact tree, and produces one of the biggest size fruit, up to 5 pounds. If you want some rare variety that hardly anyone else has - try Baptiste, an exotic Haitian dessert mango.

Your greenhouse should work for the winter time. Mango trees can take as low as mid 40s during winter and even lower as long as that cold is occasional. If you keep the temperature around 60, this should work well for over wintering. Just make sure to reduce watering to a minimum, because cool temperatures, low light and wet soil - is a bad combination for tropical plants, especially for mango trees which prefer to be kept on a dry side.

Many indoor gardeners have fruiting mango trees in their collection. However, keep in mind that the most important requirement for a mango is full sun. While you may over winter the plant for a few months in a low light conditions, in order for it to flower and produce fruit it needs lots of light. If moving the tree into full sun your yard during the summer is possible, this would be the best solution.

We always recommend SUNSHINE boosters for both over wintering tropical plants in colder climates, and for indoor gardening. SUNSHINE applications will help your tree to cope with cool temperatures and low light conditions. This will also dramatically increase flowering and fruiting performance. Another important factor for keeping your container plant healthy is quality of your potting soil. We offer a special professional mix that contains lots of good stuff: coconut fiber, peat moss, pine bark, and perlite. Fertilizing potted plants is also very important during the warm season, because this is the only way for them to get nutrients (which in the ground can be reached by spreading root system).

As far as seedlings vs. grafting - the only way to have a nicely fruiting mango tree is to plant a grafted variety. Seedlings start producing only after 8-15 years, and the quality of such fruit may be questionable. Only grafted plants can guarantee the desired taste of a variety. Besides, grafted mangoes start producing immediately - you may see fruit forming on plants as small as 3 ft, in 3 gal containers. However, during the first 1-2 years you will need to remove extra fruit and leave only 1-2 fruit so the plant doesn't get exhausted and has enough energy to establish strong root system.

For fun stories about growing mango, check out our Radio Show recording YO Tango Mango!