Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 27 Feb 2022

New Exotic Adeniums

Saving on your favorite plants is Easy.
Easy like Sunday Morning...

It's time for our favorite day and another Easy stroll through Top Tropicals Garden with savings of

up to 50% and MORE!

The Flower of Prosperity and Good Fortune...

The Adenium obesum, Desert Rose, is a highly prized ornamental plant, perceived in some cultures as a sacred symbol of prosperity, abundance and good fortune. Since the Desert Rose is strong and adaptable to climatic conditions, it represents strength, persistence and resilience. We could all use a little more of these qualities in our lives...

Adeniums (Desert Roses) are the easiest plants in cultivation yet they bring you so much joy with their colorful flowers and showy caudex. There are hundreds, if not thousands of amazing colors and new hybrids are created every year. Many gardeners want to collect them all! And we can help you to grow your collection. We have many new varieties in stock and are offering two special Collection Deals!

Special Deals for Desert Rose Collectors

The plants are well developed, with large caudex, grown in 1 gal pots, normally $42.95 each,
with Collection savings of $30 and $65!

3 Adeniums Collection

Regularly $128.95,
Collection price $98.95 - savings of $30 per set!

Varieties included in this collection:
RED Adenium Red Wine
WHITE Adenium Jasmine
BLACK Adenium Black Widow

5 Adeniums Collection

Regularly $214.95,
Collection price $149.95 - savings of $65 per set!

Varieties included in this collection:
PURPLE Adenium Mee Stang
LIGHT YELLOW Adenium Yellow Gold (Vanilla Gold)
STRIPED PINK Adenium Bua Champoo
ORANGE Adenium Yellow Gift (Sai Thong)
RED-BLACK Adenium Red Dragon

Now wait... Save even more with Easy Sunday:

Combine both collections and save ANOTHER $15! Use this limited time offer coupon:

ADENIUM15

Remember, this Easy Sunday Deal expires on Tuesday 3-1-22!

Date: 5 Sep 2019

How to get Jasmines to flower

Q: On the picture, these are a few of the jasmine plants that I have from Top Tropicals. I have bought so many plants from you over the years, not just jasmine. I have several varieties of jasmine. They were all doing very well. However this year I didn't get a single flower. There are a lot of buds... But before the buds open they become brown and withered. I bought fertilizer from you. Fertilized the plants once a month like I always do. I water the plants once a week. I repotted the plants hoping that would take care of this problem. Some of the jasmine plants I pruned... the plants came back vigorous growth with a lot of buds... BUT it is the same problem! Please help.

A: One of the possible reasons why they have flower issues is - maybe they don't have enough sunlight. They need to be in full sun all day long for profuse blooming and proper flower forming. However since the buds are forming, there may be just enough light. In this case, dropping buds may be a sign of overwatering.

Important steps - how to make Jasmine Sambac flower:

1. Soil. Use only well-drained soil

2. Water. Keep plants on a dry side and never over water. If the top of the soil is still moist, do not water.

3. Sun. Keep in full sun all day long. The more sun, the more flowers.

4. Bloom booster. Use Flower booster fertilizers:
Pink N Good Daily Plant Food - Flower Booster
Fragrant Plant Special booster, this 90-day Smart-Release container plant food:
Plumeria Top Dress - Smart-Release Booster
Do not use fertilizers with high Nitrogen (1st number in NPK formula) - those will promote more leaves instead of flowers.

5. Micro-elements. Use Apply micro-elements, they will help the plant to develop healthy and long-lasting flowers:
SUNSHINE SuperFood - plant booster

Here is more information on growing Jasmine

Date: 9 Aug 2021

Care of Desert Roses

Q: I am looking forward to my three desert roses I just ordered from you and I am wondering how to take care of them, especially during winter time. Should I put the pots in full sun or shade? What kind of soil do they like? How often should I water them? When it gets cooler, should I bring them inside? We do have occasional frost here during winter.

A: Here are a few tips for your desert roses:

1. When received Adenium from mail-order, unpack carefully; branches are fragile. Plant in well-drained potting mix. Cactus mix will do, but we recommend special Adenium mix. If using regular acidic peat-based potting mix, you may add sea-shells on top of soil to neutralize acidity: adeniums prefer alkaline soils. Using clay pots is beneficial. Water once and do not water again until soil gets dry. Place in bright shade until new leaves sprout, then the plant can be moved to full sun.

2. Adenium is a succulent, but not a cactus. It needs watering, however let soil dry before waterings. Reduce watering during cool season and discontinue when plant gets dormant (drops all leaves in winter).

3. Bright light is the best for profuse flowering. However, adeniums look much healthier in slightly filtered light rather than in all-day full sun.

4. Fertilize and spray leaves with liquid fertilizer SUNSHINE Megaflor - Nutrition Bloom Booster. Phosphorous is responsible both for flowering and caudex development. Avoid caudex, spray over foliage only. Dry fertilizer can be used only during hot months.

5. Watch for spider mites during hot and dry season.

6. Give plants a break during winter dormant season. Keep in bright shade and reduce watering to 1-2 per month or stop watering if temperature is below 65F.

More info on growing Desert Roses:
What you need for successful growing Adeniums
Overwintering Adeniums outside of tropics
Growing Exotic Adeniums - Growing Exotic Adeniums

Date: 9 Jul 2019

Growing desert roses

Q: I purchased a Desert Rose and planted it in Adenium mix. I keep it in full sun with once a week watering assuming this is a desert plant that likes lots of sun. Some leaves turned yellow and now I am not sure should I move it into shade or need to water more? Or maybe fertilize with something?

A: Desert Rose - Adenium, unlike cacti and other succulents, prefers filtered light. It can grow in full sun but leaves look healthier in light shade. Watering must be very moderate, however don't let soil harden like a rock: water again right after the soil gets dry. We suggest to use special Adenium Mix. Cactus mix may work well, as well as regular potting mix, in which case it is recommended to add a bit of limestone (we simply put sea shells on top of the pot - it looks very pretty!) - because adeniums prefer slightly alkaline soil (while most of tropical plants like acidic soils). If leaves turn yellow, this may be a sign of underwatering. Use water soluable fertilizer with high phosphate as foliage spray, and only on healthy plants, according to label dosage. It helps both caudex growth and flowering. Make sure to avoid fertilizer contact with a caudex.

Read more about growing Adeniums:
What you need for successful growing Adeniums
Growing Exotic Adeniums

Date: 10 Oct 2020

Trimming and treating Adeniums in winter

Q: My desert rose below dropped leaves after I replanted it in a bigger pot. I noticed that one of the branches that had been pruned is black at the tip. Please let me know if the section of the branch that turned black needs to be cut. I also wasn't sure how often to water it since the leaves have all dropped. None of the other dessert roses have dropped their leaves but they are all younger plants. Any advice would be much appreciated.

A: Your plant looks healthy and vigorous overall. Dropping leaves after repotting, or shipping, especially at this time of the year, is normal in Adeniums. They are deciduous and stay leafless from Fall to Spring. Some individual specimens can go into dormancy sooner than others - all depends on conditions: temperature, light, exposure, etc. and individual plant's "clock".
The black spot on the cut branch may be a sign of a fungus as a result of excess water. You may carefully clean/rub it with a paper tower dipped in Hydrogen Peroxide (pharmacy grade). Then rinse with fresh water.
Keep the plant warm and in a dry spot. Once leaves are dropped, it doesn't need much water. Once a week watering is enough.

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