Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Chief

Shipping Department Supervisor

Chief is one of the oldest PeopleCats at TopTropicals. And of course the most experienced one. So he is in charge of the Shipping Department.
Chief likes to chill out in front of the nursery gate together with Marco, Lil S*t and Dobi Duck.
Chief doesn't like car rides to his vet and when it happens, he is very loud. The sound he makes is "Oy-yo-yo-yooooy!!!"
Chief likes milk. He has a white spot on his black face - from drinking so much milk! No matter how much milk we buy for him, there never seems to be enough. Chief even has a refrigerator for his milk. If you come to visit Chief at TopTropicals Garden Center, you may bring him a small bottle of fresh milk!
Thank you for your purrrrrrchase for Chief!

Date: 14 Jul 2019

Dwarf and Condo mangoes - easy mangoes

Q: We leave in zone 6a, could you tell us what is the list of different types of mango plants that could be planted indoor and that they can bear fruits?

A:There is a large group of mangoes called "Condo Mango" - they literally can be grown in your apartment! Those are dwarf varieties that can remain compact in containers with minimal pruning and successfully bear fruit providing bright light and proper care, including plant food.

The best dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties are: Carrie, Cogshall, Cushman, Fairchild, Graham, Ice Cream, Julie, Mallika, Nam Doc Mai, Pickering, Irwin, Jahangir, Juliette, Lancetilla, Little Gem, Manilita, Sia Tong, Torbert, Pim Seng Mun, Super Julie.

They produce juicy, fiberless sweet fruit. Julie is also a very popular dwarf variety, however, it is very cold sensitive and not the easiest to grow. If you get a 3 gal size mango, step it up to 7 gal when the plant reaches 4 ft; you may use a bigger container as the root system grows, up to 15 gal or even 25 gal, space permitting. Trim the tree under 6-8 ft after production season is over (summer-fall).

See more information on growing condo mangoes

RECOMMENDED FERTILIZERS:

Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
For sweeter fruit, use SUNSHINE-Honey - sugar booster

Date: 5 Oct 2019

Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Wesley (Vasiliy)

Vasiliy is Russian Blue. Everybody calls him Wesley. Wesley is Marco's twin brother. They both were found as little kittens in a box that someone dropped off... right, under TopTropicals car.
Marco is long hair, and Wes is short hair, so Wes doesn't get a haircut like his bro. Although Wes is much bigger and fatter, he is not as brave as skinny Marco who fearlessly spends his days at the front gate. Wes is afraid of Thunder, Rain, and a Doorbell. So he is mostly hiding behind the scene... unless food is on the table!

In the photo: Wesley Roll - bikini shot

Date: 28 Sep 2019

Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Lil-S*

You know how it is, cats are like potato chips, they can't be just one. And they come to you, they adopt you. They always pick the right people. Every one of them has a story of their appearance.
Lil-S* came from a car engine. One cold winter morning of 2013 when we were about to start a car... lil "meow" squeaked as a warning... Thank God the engine wasn't started. She was hiding from cold under the hood right on the engine, probably still catching some warmth from it... She was 4" size kitten that fit in a palm of your hand... And she always has been a handful! That's why we named her Little Sh*t.

Lil-S* likes to hang out with Marco in front of TopTropicals gate, greeting the customers.

Date: 6 Dec 2018

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.

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