Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
Date:
The best Aquarium fish food ever - stikiStik
Everyone knows that Top Tropicals is good at unique, special novelties.
And it is not a secret that most plant people also are pet people - cat
people (with PeopleCats), dog people (with PeopleDogs) or at least fish people,
right?
Today we are excited to introduce our new revolutionary Fish Food developed
by our business partners at Floritin Aquarium Labs
Floritin stikiStikâ„¢ - Ultimate Aquarium fish food
StikiStik is a dry powder that you just mixed with water to create a sticky paste. The paste can be attached to any surface inside your aquarium.
StikiStik is a patent pending fish food that does things which conventional fish food does not. It introduces picky eaters to a more natural feeding environment, does not pollute the fish tank, is easy to mix from its powder format and provides gradual feeding. It is easy to apply to any surface in the aquarium, such as interior glass wall, rocks or coral skeleton.
stikiStik advantages
- Easy to use. Just mix with a few drops of water and stik it in!
Self adhesive paste can be applied to any surface. Stays intact for hours in
aquarium. Does not pollute water
- Scientifically designed and proven for all types of aquarium fish,
invertebrates, and corals
- Optimal and balanced nutrition. Contains vitamins and amino
acids
- Natural. No hormones, no artificial colors
- Stimulates fish appetite and enhances fish color
- Promotes natural feeding habits. Helps training hard to feed fish.
The perfect food to acclimate newly introduced fish, including Moorish Idol,
finicky butterfly fish, such as Copperband Butterfly, Pearscale
Butterfly, Mandarinfish, and many oithers
- Easy to store. Can be used immediately or frozen for future use
- Add any frozen fish food or medications to mix
See element contents / instructions and more information with videos on stikiStik website
- Mr Booster -
Date:
Healthy Plant Food
Q&A from Mr Booster
Plant food for a Star Fruit
Q: I have 2 Starfruit plants from you. One on the left is B10 has a lot of flowers but no fruit is developing. On the rite is Kenjeng. This one has no flowers at all. Both plants are growing very well. Plenty of sun and water. I am located in Boynton Beach Florida. So what to do?
A: Your trees on the pictures look very healthy, congratulations
with a great care!
Starfruit, as well as other grafted fruit trees (like mango, avocado, etc)
usually flower/fruit easily and readily while in pots in the nursery.
Sometimes, once planted in the ground, they may reduce flowering or even stop
flowering. What happened?
The answer is simple. In pots, we fertilize them on regular basis. In our
nursery, we have fertilizer injector inline with irrigation system that dozes
plant food with EVERY watering. In other nurseries, they may also use
slow-release fertilizers, but it is still a regular routine to provide plant food to
potted plants.
In the ground, especially in Florida poor soils, fruit trees may stop
flowering or delay fruiting due to lack of nutrients, or dis-balance of elements
in the ground. Without fertilizer, a tree may take extra time to develop
bigger root system to reach out for necessary elements, and eventually will start
fruiting anyway.
But we want it to fruit soon! The only way to fix the problem is to provide
fertilizer on regular basis for a young tree. It is especially important
during hot summer months when plant metabolism is fast due to high temperatures,
plus nutrients may get washed away with frequent summer rains (like we have
in Florida) even if you've added some fertilizer at time of planting.
You can use smart release fertilizer once a month during hot season,
this one or similar:
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster.
But the most effective way to get a tropical tree to flowering and
fruiting, is frequent applications of liquid fertilizer. We use Sunshine Boosters
with every watering on our plants. They work great even on hard cases and
weak plants, and you see the difference in a matter of weeks, sometimes even
days.
We recommend the following fertilizer that contains all necessary elements
for young fruit trees:
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster from Garden Series, or Combo Total Feed Collection - all nutrients in just one bottle, for fruit trees and edibles.
Date:
Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Sonya, the Co-Author
In our previous newsletter, you met our editor/photographer tandem - Tilda & Marina. Today we introduce our columnist assistant - Sonya. For the past decade, this True Norwegian Forest Cat has been a great helper and inspirational co-author for Alexandra, TopTropicals website writer and social media blogger.
Alex has been with TopTropicals since Day One (2003). In 2011, she got Sonya, a 3-month old kitten that someone kicked out: at that young age she already had quite a temper of a real Wild Cat. No one wanted to adopt her and Sonya was doomed to suffer a street life... So Alex invited her in the house... and it took her many months to teach Sonya some good manners! And Sonya turned into a beautiful and affectionate Purrrson as well as became the Boss in the house (what a surprise, duh) and Alexandra's dearest life companion. Sonya also discovered her talent in writing plant stories for TopTropicals, sitting on Alex's shoulder and whispering into her ear while she is typing Sonya's horticultural tips. And when Alex stares at monitors for more than 5 hours, Sonya lays on her keyboard saying: "Now get up and get some stretch lady! Let's go re-pot some plants for a change!"
We will be following up on Sonya's creative work, and you will hear from her again soon...
Check out and more Cat of the Day stories.
Date:
When to fertilize and prune tropical fruit trees?
Q: Can tropical fruit trees (Soursop, Mango, Star fruit, etc) be given plant food any time of year? Also can they be trimmed this time of year/summer?
A: True tropical plants (including fruit trees) need plant food most of the year in real Tropics, where temperatures have very little fluctuations, and active growth season is close to 12 months a year. In subtropical areas when temperatures in winter drop below 65F, plant metabolism slows down, so it is recommended to fertilize only during the warmest period (March through November). So yes, Summer is the perfect time for fertilizing your trees; their metabolism is at the highest point and they can use more food!
Trim your fruit trees right after harvesting. Obviously, you don't want to prune branches before or during flowering or fruiting. The specific time of the year for pruning depends on the plant - every tree has its own flowering/fruiting season. However, avoid pruning right before winter: young shoots promoted by pruning are tender and can be cold damaged.
Recommended fertilizers for fruit trees:
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
SUNSHINE-Honey - for sweeter fruit
SUNSHINE SuperFood - microelement supplement
Date:
PeopleCats amid COVID-Cat-20
- Mark Twain -
While the whole world is suffering the virus attack, cats are no
exception. They do not get COVID-19, but they have their own coronavirus - a
respiratory condition that may become very dangerous for them. And although cat
coronavirus does not affect humans, we can transfer it to other cats
through our hands/petting, shared bowls and bedding, etc.
At TopTropicals, we had several cats sick with the flu and it took us a
long time and long hospital bills to bring them back to health! Below we are
sharing with you a few tips from our own experience that may help you fight and
treat cat coronavirus, that we call "Covid-Cat-20".
How to treat Cat Coronavirus
When cats get a flu/virus/cold, they suffer congestion, sneeze and cough. Just like us humans. But for cats, stuffed nose is much worse trouble, because they can't smell food = they won't eat it! In tough cases, they won't even drink any water. Due to specifics of cat metabolism, if a cat doesn't eat and/or drink for more than a couple of days, it may become life-threatening. It is not the virus that kills a cat, it is dehydration, lack of nutrition, and possible secondary infections.
- Vet. During Covid-19 lockdown, many animal hospitals are
closed, but if you are lucky to find a vet, it is wise to give the cat a
long-lasting shot of antibiotic. You can't treat a virus with antibiotic, but it will
prevent secondary infections (like pneumonia, etc.)
- Water is absolutely essential! Make sure your Cat drinks water. If
he (she) doesn't want to drink on his own, you need to give him water with a
syringe. As often as you can. Little by little. Or, ask a vet to put a
"water pouch" under cat's skin. This will save the cat from dehydration.
- Food is the main key! Your cat must eat a normal size portion per
day in order to fight the illness. Because he can't smell, it's possible he
won't eat on his own. Offer him a smelly, soft/wet food of room temperature or
slightly warmer: usually tuna works well. Get Salmon Oil and put on top of the food: it is smelly, plus a great
vitamin supplement.
- Hand-feeding. If congestion is bad, even a smelly tuna may not
help. Mix a spoonful of pate with some water and try to hand-feed this "soup" to
the cat either using syringe, or a small spoon. Little by little. Remember,
his nose is stuffed and he can't swallow and breath at the same time, so it
must be tiny bites. (Wrap the entire cat tightly in a large thick towel to
save yourself lots of scratching damage, leaving out just the face. Guaranteed,
he won't like the procedure and you will be surprised how strong he is for a
sick cat.)
- Supplements. For an extra nutrition support, you may use Critical nutrition food and other protein supplements. Consult your vet
and you may want to try the following aids: High Calorie Liquid or Gel
(easier to administer), HomeoPet Nose Relief (for de-congestion), Lysine
Soft Chews, and Mirataz ointment (to promote appetite).
- Rest. Keep the cat indoors, in a warm place, away from drafts.
Cover with a towel to make comfy. Keep lights dimmed. Change bedding, towels,
blankets at least daily to keep clean, get rid of germs and drooling
accidents.
- Quarantine from other cats, the cat coronavirus is super
catchy! Find that spare room. Bleach, soap, alcohol and Hand Sanitizer - are your friends now to maintain germ- and virus-free
environment.
- Mild cases. Some cats have mild symptoms (we've noticed that black
cats and tuxedo cats are more susceptible regardless of age). In this case,
do not panic - just give them time to recover. Lots of rest, privacy, and be
sure to monitor water/food intake!
- Tough cases. Most cats look lethargic when sick. At some point, if
within 3-4 days you don't see improvement and the coughing continues, you
need x-ray to rule out pneumonia.
Stay well and healthy, PeopleCats!
TopTropicals PeopleCat Club
Thank you everybody for supporting us in helping PeopleCat Community!
Make
your kind donation today and receive a surprise gift from us. Every little
bit helps! Thank you and God bless you and your pets!
Date:
Plants of Love. TopTropicals Webinars
Plants of Love - Valentines Day Sale. For Valentines day, look beyond roses for a plant that will last a lifetime! It is not a surprise that the most popular plants that has been ordered from TopTropicals for Valentines day for the past 3 years, are: Vanilla, Chocolate, Grape, Strawberry tree, Rose apple - all things you get for your Valentines!
This year we are celebrating Valentines day with our special local event - "Aphrodisiacs, or Plants of Love".
When: Saturday, February 11, 2017, from 10 am to 2 pm
Where: Toptropicals Garden Center, 13890 Orange River Blvd, Ft Myers, FL 33905
Agenda:
10:00 am - Explore the grounds: Customers can come in to look through the nursery and guided tours through gardens.
12:00 pm - Aphrodisiac plants. Class on plants used for aphrodisiacs throughout history.
1:00 pm - Plant giveaway. Must be present to win one of the aphrodisiac plants in lecture.
2:00 pm - sale ends.
Special Love Discounts for local visitors! Snacks and drinks.
Just a few examples of the most famous plants of love that we will be talking about -
Coffea arabica - in East Africa and Arabia it was a sacred beverage to African sufis. For aphrodisiac results mix in cardamom and honey.
Banisteriopsis caapi, Ayahuasca - giant liana from tropical Amazon forests psychedelic, ritual inebriant that promotes potency. Drink is made from the bark and is taken in love rituals to revive the mythical past of the tribe.
Areca catechu, Betel Nut - seeds have stimulating effect on the entire body and eros. It's a traditional aphrodosiac in Ayurvedic medicine and is counted among the eight types of pleasure in the Brahmanic tradition. It has magical and religious properties and used as an offering to the Gods.
Theobroma cacao, Chocolate - mild stimulant, beans contain aphrodisiac. Antient Indian "recipe of chocolati" will be shared at the event! Cocoa was considered the "food of gods".
Cinnamon - in Southern Asia used as stimulant, in food or massage oil for erotic stimulation.
Cola nitida, Cola nut - used in love magic, was used as currency in W Africa.
Cananga odorata, Ylang-Ylang - increases eroticism with oil inhaled. Prescribed to treat impotency and frigidity.
Butea monosperma, Flame of The Forest - is traditionally used to manage male sexual disorders.
Mimosa pudica, Sensitive Plant - significantly increases the libido and hormonal levels of testosterone.
Satureja Viminea, Kama Sutra Mint Tree - used for love gel...
- and much more!
TopTropicals Webinars. Welcome to Top Tropicals Webinar! Discover the world of Rare Plants and surround yourself with a Tropical Paradise! Our plant experts will be answering your garden questions. Our next LIVE air time is just before Valentines Day - Saturday February 11, at 2 pm ET, with a topic of... of course, Aphrodisiac Plants! Get your questions ready!
Date:
Helping Citrus and other fruit trees with Nutritional Supplements
Q: Can you recommended a product to help with my citrus? Combating greening and chlorosis.
A: Citrus greening is spread by an insect called the Asian citrus psyllid. The psyllid feeds on the stems and leaves of the trees, infecting the trees with the bacteria that causes citrus greening. Florida Citrus growers dedicated the last decade to researching citrus greening. Officially, currently there is still no cure, however, some Nutritional solutions have shown promising results. To slow the progression of citrus greening in infected trees, nutrients are applied to the leaves and to the roots. Providing better nutrition helps trees fight against citrus greening and enables them to continue to produce quality fruit.
We recommend the following products for use on regular basis:
SUNSHINE Epi is a natural Brassinosteroid plant hormone and a bio-stimulant that may be very effective as citrus greening treatment. It works through plant's immune system and shows amazing results of recovery of weak and sick plants.
SUNSHINE Superfood, a complex micro-element supplement, maintains plant's health and provides vigorous growth.
SUNSHINE-Honey is a basic nutritional complement, it contains essential plant micronutrients Boron (B) and Molybdenum (Mo). These elements are essential to vegetative and reproductive growth, cell expansion, tissue growth, and fertility. A very common problem for most unimproved garden soils is lack of Molybdenum and Boron as soil micro-component. This results in underdeveloped / low quality fruit and/or premature fruit drop. Applying SUNSHINE Honey on your fruit trees will fill that gap and help a fruit tree to form a healthy fruit.
Macro-nutrients should be applied in combination with micro-nutrients on regular basis:
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster (works great for all
tropical fruit trees)
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Ideal blend designed to improve fruit trees
health and vigor, and increase crop yield.
See SUNSHINE Boosters page for the complete list of plant boosters.
Date:
Best tasting white guava
Q: What's your best tasting white guava?
A: Our favorite white Guava is Viet Nam variety that is also very rare and hard to find. The fruit is
very large, up to 6" in diameter, the pulp is very sweet and somewhat
crunchy.
The seeds are small which makes it more pleasurable to eat out of hand.
Another great feature of this variety, it stays compact and branches do not
get leggy, unlike most guavas. It can be easily grown in a container,
trimmed to the desired size and it will produce fruit under proper care.
Another cool variety is Indonesian, it also has a large round fruit and very few seeds to compare with others.
And last but not least, if you prefer soft fruit to crunchy, the Peruvian variety is a great choice. The fruit is pear-shaped.
Remember to provide plant food for good production, especially if grown in a container.
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster
Date:
Chorisia speciosa - Exotic Pink Silk Floss Tree
by Onika Amell, tropical plant expert
When I stumbled upon my first Pink Silk Floss tree at the Naples Botanical Garden in Florida, it stopped me in my tracks. It was in full bloom and one of the most beautiful flowering trees I had ever laid my eyes upon. This tree has so much wow factor. Not only are the flowers of this native from the Amazon Rain Forest in South America spectacular, but the trunk, seeds and attractive, umbrella-like crown makes it exceptionally unique and interesting. This tree will stand out in any garden....
CONTINUE READING >>
Date:
Flavor of Feijoa Superfood
by Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist
Q: What exactly is Feijoa - Pineapple Guava? Does the fruit really taste like pineapple? I am curious to know if it is easy to grow.
A: Feijoa is certainly one of the easiest fruit trees to grow as it does
not require much care. It is an attractive, evergreen tree or large shrub with
dark green, oval, leathery leaves. It has an abundance of uses in the garden
and produces lovely edible flowers and fruit! The fruit is eaten fresh,
added to smoothies or fruit salad and is also commonly used to make delicious
jams and wicked chutneys. Feijoa fruit go a long way in flavor.
This plant is drought tolerant and will grow in almost any soil type. It
loves full sun or partial shade and is wind resistant. A lot of gardeners like
to grow it as a wind barrier for this reason. It can easily be shaped into a
dense, informal hedge or screen that needs very little pruning. Because of
this density, it provides excellent shelter for all kinds of wildlife.
Butterflies, birds, and butterflies will all love you for growing Feijoa!
Space the plant five feet apart to create a wind barrier hedge. Heat does
no not bother it at all and it will also withstand temperatures to 10 degrees
F.
The plant gets its names from the delicious perfume it emits. Some folks
seem the fruit taste like pineapple, with a slight minty undertone. Others feel
the flavor reminds them of juicy fruit gum! The texture is described as
smooth and slightly gritty - almost like a pear, but firmer.
If you prefer to grow this plant as a tree rather than a large shrub,
simply remove the lower branches up to one-third of the tree's height over a
period of time. The Pineapple Guava can grow up to 15 feet wide and tall. They
also do really well as a container plant on patios where you can truly enjoy the
lovely fragrance of the fruit. It prefers rich, organic, well-drained soil
and will need light fertilization every other month in most soils.
We recommend:
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
SUNSHINE-Honey - Sugar booster
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster
Pretty, pink, edible flowers will wow you from May to June, followed in late summer or fall by the delicious and fragrant fruit. An interesting thing about this fruit is that you don't pick it. It falls to the ground when it is ripe. Or simply place something under your tree, like a tarp, and shake the tree. The ripe fruit will fall off. You can store the fruit in your refrigerator for up to a week. And remember! The fruit of the Feijoa is not only a very rich source of soluble dietary fiber, but also an excellent source of Vitamin C, and very rich in antioxidants. They are also low in calories. Each fruit only holds 55 calories.
