Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 14 Jan 2025 Top Tropicals Telegram channel & chat

Feel the Rain

Feel the Rain

🐱 Feel the Rain...

“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet” - Bob Marley

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Date: 13 Jan 2025 Top Tropicals Telegram channel & chat

Who is in charge?

Who is in charge?

💻 Who is in charge?

Persephanie (Persephone, our Queen of the Underworld), took over the office...

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Date: 13 Jan 2025 Top Tropicals Telegram channel & chat

What are these beautiful trees blooming right now?

Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree, flowers

💌 What are these beautiful trees blooming right now?

🎈 If you happen to be in Florida during Winter months, you must have noticed Orchid trees in full bloom, and the most beautiful of them - Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree.

📚 More from previous posts:
The best shade tree
The most beautiful of all orchid trees
📱 How to grow Hong Kong Orchid Tree

🛒 Order Hong Kong Orchid Tree

#Trees #Fun_Facts

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Date: 12 Jan 2025 Top Tropicals Telegram channel & chat

Chuck Norris doesnt sleep

😎 Chuck Norris doesn’t sleep.
Sound on 🎤

"Chuck Norris doesn’t sleep. He waits." - Chuck Norris “facts”

🎥 Bob the Hamas is always ready...

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Date: 12 Jan 2025 Top Tropicals Telegram channel & chat

How to increase libido?

Cinnamon - Cinnamomum zeylanicum

Cinnamon - Cinnamomum zeylanicum

💋 How to increase libido?

Cinnamon helps increase libido and reduce anxiety, - says the Nutritionist.
This spice also has antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, it is widely used in cosmetology for hair care, enhancing shine and radiance while adding elasticity.

📚 Lean more from previous post:
What is Cinnamon made of?
About Cinnamon
Plants of Love: Aphrodisiacs of the plant world

🛒Grow your own Cinnamon tree

#Food_Forest #Perfume_Plants #Trees #Fun_Facts

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Date: 12 Jan 2025 Top Tropicals Newsletter

How to protect tropical plants in Winter

Winter tips and podcast

Photo above: wrapping plants with frost cloth

Winter can be tough on plants, especially on tropical varieties. But with a little preparation, you can protect your garden and keep your plants safe from the cold. Here's how:

Winter Care Tips for Tropical Plants

Cut watering: Reduce watering to prevent root rot. Cold + wet = dead roots.
Water before frost: Thirsty plants are more vulnerable. Water them before a cold night to prevent damage.
Wind protection: Wind is more harmful than temperature drops. Plant near structures like houses or trees for shelter.
Prepare for long cold periods: If cold weather lasts for hours, use all available protection, including Christmas lights and propane heaters.
Don't use dry fertilizer in winter: Heavy fertilizing encourages tender growth, which is more susceptible to cold damage. Sunshine Boosters liquid fertilizers are safe to use year around as their intake is controlled by reduced watering.
Use fabric covers, not plastic: Plastic can cook plants in the sun, while fabric allows better ventilation.

Photo above: we cover our plants in the nursery with a thin synthetic fabric (sintepon) called "frost cloth" or "strawberry cloth". It is light, breathable and allows light and water to go through unlike plastic that creates heavy water pockets.

Prepare for Cold Nights

Wrap plants: On cold nights, cover individual plants or trees with sheets or blankets to shield them from wind chill.
Use Christmas lights: A simple string of lights can add extra warmth, protecting your plants during frosty nights.
Use propane heaters: For added warmth in a larger area, place a propane heater near your plants. Make sure to follow safety guidelines and keep the heater at a safe distance from flammable materials. This can help maintain a few extra degrees of warmth, especially in more open garden spaces or temporary greenhouses. Always ensure proper ventilation to avoid harmful gas buildup.

Photo above: we use both propane and kerosene heaters at the nursery

Large Collections? Build a Temporary Greenhouse

Affordable winter greenhouse: For large plant collections, you don't need an expensive greenhouse. A mobile carport with plastic or fabric covering, costing around $200, can house up to 100 plants!

Photo above: Temporary wrapping around plant collection with a plastic or frost cloth protects from a windchill. It may also win you a few degrees even without a heater. In this particular case, according to our temp sensors, with 30F outside, it was 41F inside this "dome", no heaters used.

Southern Exposure and Garage Storage

Southern windowsills: Compact tropicals can thrive on southern-facing windowsills, getting plenty of sunlight during the day.
Move plants inside: If you have larger collections, move them into a well-lit garage for the colder nights or longer periods.

Photo above: using Christmas lights around plants while wrapping with frost cloth.

Key Factors for Survival

Cold duration: Tropical plants can survive brief cold spells but long durations, even above freezing, can be deadly.
Wind-chill: Wind chill can be harsher than the temperature itself.
Exposure: Southern-facing slopes hold heat longer, making them ideal for your plants.
Humidity: Proximity to lakes or oceans can create a milder micro-climate.
Gradual temperature Drops are safer. Plants adjust better to slow temperature changes than sudden cold blasts. Gradual cooling allows plants to prepare, reducing the risk of damage.

Strengthen Plant Hardiness

Health and maturity: Well-established, healthy plants are more cold-hardy.
Boost plant immunity: Use products like SUNSHINE-Epi to improve cold resistance. Apply it before and during cold snaps to protect your plants.
Healthy plant is hardy. Make sure to fertilize your plants on regular basis - healthier and stronger plants are more cold hardy.

With these steps, you can protect your plants and help them survive the winter months. Stay warm and keep your garden thriving!

Podcast with Horticulturist Mark Hooten:
How to Protect Tropical Plants in Winter

Date: 12 Jan 2025 Top Tropicals Newsletter

We ship year around!

Watch the weather and use a heat pack!

Q: Do you ship plants in Winter or should I wait to place an order until Spring?

A: We offer year-round shipping to all 50 states, with weather conditions at the destination in mind: when temperatures are above 35F in winter and below 100F in summer to ensure your plants arrive in the best condition.

If the weather in your area isn't suitable for shipping, we can hold your order until conditions improve. For extra protection during colder months, we recommend using heat packs.

To minimize stress on your plants, consider using FedEx Hold locations - these temperature-controlled spots ensure a safe, convenient pickup, and prevent your box from being left outside in extreme temperatures. You can find these pickup locations at FedEx stores, Walgreens, many Dollar General stores, and other retailers.

Date: 11 Jan 2025 Top Tropicals Telegram channel & chat

Discovering the jungle

Discovering the jungle

Discovering the jungle

🌳 Discovering the jungle

Our Sushi was in the tree today. She gets herself up there and cries because she can't get down. She was on the roof the other day too. We showed her a tree to get down from. She just kept crying. Will she figured it out eventually?

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Date: 11 Jan 2025 Top Tropicals Telegram channel & chat

Brown thumb? No problem

Peperomia x scandens - Emerald Girl

Peperomia x scandens - Emerald Girl

Peperomia x scandens - Emerald Girl

Peperomia x scandens - Emerald Girl

Peperomia x scandens - Emerald Girl

👍🏾 Brown thumb? No problem. This is how to get an indestructible massive indoor plant that is easier than a plastic plant!

🌿 Peperomia x scandens - Emerald Girl is the most exceptional plant we've ever seen.
- doesn't care about water
- doesn't care about light
- doesn't care about cats messing with it
- just keeps growing, and growing, and growing...

😵 It is an indoor miracle!

🛒 Get the plant no one can kill

#Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

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Date: 10 Jan 2025 Top Tropicals Telegram channel & chat

Dear Prudence

Dear Prudence

😨 Dear Prudence...

Jacques: "You were right, my guts couldn't hold that much food... I just thought you may be needing some napkins there... Sorry about the mess." 💵

🐱 Share your cats in comments!

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PeopleCats.Garden

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