Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
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Seven rules of cold protection for tropicals
Q: I was always wondering how you guys manage to grow true tropical trees in Florida? I live in Puerto Rico and we have Breadfruit trees growing here in a wild... but my sister lives not far away from you, in Orlando, which is much colder, and I wonder if I can get her a Breadfruit tree for Christmas?
A: Your
sister can grow a Breadfruit tree in Orlando either in a pot (and bring it indoors during
cold periods) or in the ground inside a structure (an elclosed conservatory
with heating system). See our customer's Greenhouse in Virginia. Cold protection of tropical plants is a lengthy
subject and we have many interesting publications about it in our managine
Tropical
Treasures and on the website. In a nutshell, when growing tropicals outside of
tropical climate, you need to follow these 7 rules:
1. Cut watering to a minimum. Cold+wet kills tropical roots.
2. Water thirsty plants before a cold night. Jucy leaves have fewer
chances to be cold-zapped.
3. Wind protection is more important than a temperature drop. Plant
tropicals close to a house or surrounded by other trees.
4. Duration of a cold period is more critical than the cold itself. If
expecting long cold hours, bring up all available protection resources.
Christmas lights or propane heaters - as long as there is a heat source,
everything helps!
5. Remove plastic covers during the daytime so plants don't get
"cooked" in the sun. Fabric covers are better than plastic.
6. Grow ultra-tropicals in containers and bring them inside the garage
or even indoors during the cold.
7. Use SUNSHINE plant boosters and feed your plants well during Summer to improve cold hardiness.
Related topics:
About Cold Protection
Cold protection - winter action for your plant collection
Improving cold hardiness before winter: fertilizer and micro-elements
Cold hardy tropical fruit trees
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Q: I am in Texas, it is getting cold, but I bought these seeds the last two packs, as I didn't want to miss them, was looking for a long time and found you had them. Should I wait until spring to plant them?
A: You can
grow tropical plants from seed year round and don't have to wait until warm
weather outside. It is, in fact, beneficial to start tropicals indoors in a
controlled temperature, moisture and humidity. Seeds of some species are very
sensitive to excess water and/or require a certain range of temperature for
germination... Besides, it's so much fun!
First, read the basics: Happy Hobby: growing tropicals from seeds
Advantages of indoor growing from seed
It is easier to keep under control indoors:
1) Temperature and Light. Although many tropical seeds require
higher temperature and bright light for germination (hot sun may help), it may
be hard to avoid overheating and drying out when you put trays in full sun.
Using heat pads and additional lighting indoors makes germination smooth, even
may take a little longer than in hot sun.
2) Soil moisture. If you ever lost your seeds or tiny seedlings
to a heavy summer rain, you sure will appreciate your own moisture-controlled
environment! Just make sure to use the right soil mix.
3) Air humidity. Indoor air is drier than outside. It may not be
best for some tropical plants, but definitely perfect for seed health - they
will never get moldy considering you keep your eye on the plantings.
4) Pre-treatment. Some seeds require scarification (sanding down
hard shell), others stratification (cold treatment), but all seeds will
benefit from
SUNSHINE-S soak before planting. It is easier to do in your home lab.
Based on our experience, using Sunshine pre-treatment reduces the risk of
fungal damage and improves germination from 30 to 65%.
5) After germination culture. Watching seedlings closely in your
home environment and giving them all that is needed for healthy, fast growth
- miscroelements and first fertilizer - will help to establish young plants just in time before
planting them out in Spring-Summer.
Read more: From Kristi - how to grow tropicals from seed.
Check out our seeds selection...
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Save Coffee from extinct!
The most popular kind of coffee for commercial production, Coffea arabica, is already on the endangered species list. According to research, Coffea arabica plant could become extinct in as little as 60 years.
Coffee requires a forest habitat for its survival. With so much deforestation going on around the world, wild coffee species are being impacted at an alarming rate. Coffee plants grow in very specific natural habitats, so rising temperatures and increased rainfall brought by climate change can make coffee impossible to grow in places the plants once thrived.
Read the whole article
See video: Top Tropicals Showcase: Coffee plant
To reserve a cup of coffee for yourself and your children, plant the Coffee tree now!
