Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 20 Apr 2019

Growing mango tree in California

Q: I just ordered a mango tree. I live in Southern California and was wondering if you have any tips on how to acclimate the mango to our climate. I know it is coming from hot and humid Florida to hot and dry Southern California and don't want to kill it because of the differences in climate.

A: Mangos in fact prefer dry conditions rather then humid. It may be perfect conditions for a mango tree at your place. Plant your tree in a pot size of the root ball; give it ample water and then let the soil surface slightly dry before watering again. Keep the plant in bright shade and gradually move into full sun. Once the tree is recovered from shipping stress, you may plant it in the ground and make sure to protect from freezing temperatures in winter. Use Mango Food for quick establishing and better fruit production. More to read:
Mango boosters
How to grow Mango in hot climates
Growing Mango in Arizona.

Date: 11 Jan 2020

Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Tricky Lil S**t still rules the place!

Everyone knows Lil S**t because she is the first Purrrson you see when visiting our Garden Center, along with Marco. They are our official Greeters.
She not only hangs out at the gate, but also runs our Shipping Department along with Chief. Lil S**t has her purrrrsonal extra plates at the gate: she insisted to have them so she can demonstrate to everyone how empty they always are... that means the poor Lil Thing is always hungry, duh. Well if you preferrrr to believe her, you may bring some treats for her... and watch her eating them and bugging the next visitor 5 minutes later...
We don't mind her Lil tricks, because it seems like no matter how much she eats, she sure keeps her Lil figure slim without any diet! Maybe some day she can share her secret with us!

Check out and more Cat of the Day stories.

Lil S**t at the Front Gate claiming her rights for extra food... and complaining to visitors.

Date: 30 Oct 2019

Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Fearless Mr Barcy, the Boss

Mr Barcy is the Boss. He owns the property, the street, the neighborhood, and the City of Ft Myers. Once he told us that he owns the whole State of Florida too but he won't go any further... for political reasons he preferred not to disclose.
Along with Chief, Mr Barcy is one of the oldest cats of TopTropicals.
His story is, some 10 years ago, he was sitting in Animal Control shelter in Sebring, FL with no one wanting to adopt him... His "time" expired and he was supposed to be put down on Friday... Someone sent us his picture in a shelter cage and... on Wednesday, we picked him up (along with a few other "scheduled" cats). Since then, Mr Barcy has been living with us, running the business, and being the smartest Purrrson we ever met.
As a Boss, Mr Barcy has his own GPS tracker - and he walks 3-4 miles every day (not bad for a senior purrson ah?) around his premises, keeping operations under control, and himself in great shape.
In his leisure time, Mr Barcy prefers mice- and snake- hunting, keeping the neighborhood safe and monitored. He can walk a human without using a leash, and his tail is ALWAYS up!

Check out and more Cat of the Day stories.

Mr Barcy planning his business day

Don't interrupt my snake-snacking!

Date: 16 Nov 2019

Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Charlie, the Indoor Hunter

Carlie was a kitty drop off with LadyBug, Rickie, and Purry.
Charlie is Jamie's baby. She has an attitude of a teenager, one minute she loves you and the next - wants nothing to do with you. Carlie stays with the inside PeopleCats, she says it's too big in the outside world for her and she gets scared. Carlie has a fun game (fun to her): she plays around 2:00 am in the morning, she loves to drag random items down the hall (socks, toys, shirts, even blankets) in her mouth MEOOOWWWING as loud as she can. She then sets the items down on her human's bedroom rug and waits for her human to say thank you. We're pretty sure her hunting instinct is off...

Check out and more Cat of the Day stories.

2019, from Top to Bottom: Moe, Charlie, Bagheera, and Snitch. 2016: Charlie

From left to right: Purry, LadyBug, Charlie, and Ricki - 2016

Date: 3 Dec 2019

Ghost Cold Protection

Q: Has anyone ever tried using heat packs under frost blankets to protect tropical plants from frost?

A: The reality is, the heat packs used for shipping do not have enough heat capacity to create efficient warming effect. From our own experience, the best way is to use small 25W incandescent bulbs which produce lots of heat (considering observing all safety precautions and fire safety). Some gardeners use Christmas lights. See picture of our plants in the ground during a cold night. We called them Ghost Cold Protection! ;)

See more columns on cold protection:
Seven rules of cold protection for tropicals
About Cold Protection
Cold protection - winter action for your plant collection
Tropical Treasures articles

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