Date: 24 Nov 2021
Carambola - the Star of the orchard
from seed to flower... in less than 2 years?
by Ed Jones, the Booster guy
...My story starts on Dec. 2, 2019 when a co-worker brought a bag of
carambola. Well, being a crazy plant person, and being still fairly new to
Florida, you know I had to save a seed and plant it, right? Why not, it just might
grow. If it does, I may get my own star fruit someday. But when? Google
tells me that it takes 3 - 8 years to get fruit from a carambola that is planted
from seed. OK, I am good with 3 years....8, not so much, but I was willing to
give it a shot... Not really knowing what to expect, I planted just one
salvaged seed in some potting soil in a coffee cup and placed in on a shelf on
our lanai...
...Here is a picture of that plant FLOWERING and ready to fruit, taken at
the end of October 2021... Now, read the whole story...
CONTINUE READING >>
Grafted Carambola Trees available from our store are ready to flower and fruit right away. Some of them start fruiting right in a pot!
Date: 18 Nov 2021
7 reasons to get an Aroid Houseplant
1. It's almost Winter... You need something tropical in your home! Aroids have the most tropical look!
2. Aroids tolerate low light conditions of indoors.
3. Aroids require almost no care. Care is easy because if you watch for the
signals, the plant will tell you exactly what it needs
4. Aroids adapt to wide range of conditions. Many of them thrive in neglect
and survive even in sub-optimal conditions... Unlike most tropicals, Aroids
don't experience much stress when moving from indoor to outdoor settings and adapt readily to conditions inside the home.
5. Aroids are compact and easy to manage.
6. Aroids are fast growing while still being compact.
7. They are on sale now!
Check out our Philodendrons, Monsteras, Fancy Syngoniums, Alocasias, Colocasias.
Date: 18 Nov 2021
Philodendrons: from the Magic Rainforest...
by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats
...Tropical rainforests have been called the "jewels of the Earth" and
the "world's largest pharmacy", because over one quarter of natural medicines
have been discovered there... One of the most excellent representative of
this green world is a Philodendron... Taxonomically, the genus Philodendron is
still poorly known, with many undescribed species...
...Philodendron care is easy because if you watch for the signals, the
plant will tell you exactly what it needs. Even inexperienced houseplant owners
will have no trouble growing philodendron plants because the plants adapt
readily to conditions inside the home. This makes learning how to care for a
philodendron incredibly simple...
CONTINUE READING >>
Date: 10 Nov 2021
Cat of the Week:
Snitch, the Garden Boy
...According to the National survey, 80% of cats suffer misunderstanding from humans: "Every time I try to have a serious talk with him, he simply gives me food" - this was the most common opinion among cats who took the survey...
See more: TopTropicals PeopleCats
Date: 10 Nov 2021
Yerba Mate Tea from Argentina
(llex paraguariensis)
by Ed Jones, the Booster guy
...My first introduction to Yerba Mate happened many years ago when my stepson returned home for a visit after graduating from college and then touring with a vocal group from the school. One of the stops on their tour included the country of Argentina. While there, they took in the local customs, one of those being the sharing of a cup of tea made from this tree. He brought a bag of the dried tea home along with a special vessel that is used to steep and drink the concoction and gave it to my wife as a gift...
CONTINUE READING >>
...Yerba Mate is high in antioxidants, contains 24 vitamins and minerals and several amino acids...Find out more...