Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 10 Aug 2025

Tuxedo cat planting tropical tree with Sunshine Boosters bag, orange cat waving to kitten with backpack by school bus in sunny garden 
scene.

🌺 Back to School and Back to Planting – Cats in the Garden

Back to School, Back to Planting – Why August Works for Tropicals

Planting Season Isn't Over Yet

August is still a good month for planting tropicals in warm climates. The soil stays warm enough to push root growth, and late-summer weather gives plants time to settle in before winter. In drier areas, regular watering will keep them moving along just fine.

Tropicals in warm climates aren't usually harmed by cooler Winter weather, but as days get shorter, growth may slow down. This is why planting in late Summer-Fall lets roots grow during this last warm stretch, so the plant enters winter already established.

By spring, those roots are ready to drive new shoots, flowers, and fruit. There's no lost time to transplant shock - plants can get straight to blooming and fruiting earlier in the season.

August Planting FAQ

How can heat be prevented from harming new tropicals?

Water in the morning so plants start the day hydrated. Warm soil is good for root growth, but don't let it dry out.

How should new plants be protected from strong sun?

For the first couple of weeks, use a shade cloth or even a white bed sheet to soften midday sun and prevent leaf scorch.

What fertilizer works best for planting in summer heat?

Controlled-release types are best. We use professional grade Green Magic. You may pair it with Sunshine Boosters for steady, gentle feeding through the warm months.

Which tropicals grow best when planted in August?

Most tropical plants do well when planted in warm end-of-summer conditions, including Mango, Avocado, Guava, Jackfruit, Annona, Bananas, Orchid Trees, Jasmines, Allamanda and most of flowering trees, shrubs and vines.

Can tropical trees planted in August produce fruit next year?

Many can, especially fast growers, since they have established roots by the time spring growth begins.

How can tropicals be kept healthy when planting in August?

Mulch around the base to help prevent soil from drying out too quickly. Water deeply in the morning to help plants handle the heat.

Shop Flowering trees

Shop Fruit trees and edibles

Date: 9 Aug 2025

Lilys fresh start: from bullied to beloved!

Cat Lily (Lilimon)

Lily’s fresh start: from bullied to beloved!

Remember Josephine's adorable kittens? You've met her famous son - dashing Philemon, now say hello to his sister, Lily - Lilimon!

Lily spent three happy years at our Ft Myers Garden Center, living the good life... until one day her siblings, brother Loki (aka Charlie Jr) and sister Sushi, decided to form a "no Lily allowed" club and started picking on her. Can you believe it? Sweet, gentle Lily - bullied!

But Lily’s no pushover. She packed her paws, waved her tail goodbye, and set off for our TopTropicals Bfarm in Sebring. And guess what? She's already mingling with the other #PeopleCats and making new friends. Now she’s settling in, and proving that fresh starts can come with purrs and sunshine.

Stay tuned - this story is just getting interesting!

🐈📸 Cat Lilimon at her new home at Top Tropicals Bfarm. 

#PeopleCats

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Date: 9 Aug 2025

Anthurium with leaves longer than you!

Anthurium vittariifolium- Long Leaf Anthurium

🍃 Anthurium with leaves longer than you!
  • 🌿 Ever seen an Anthurium with leaves longer than you are tall? Anthurium vittariifolium - Long Leaf Anthurium - is a true rainforest treasure from South America. Its strap-like leaves can reach an incredible 6 feet in length but stay only about 2 inches wide, creating elegant green ribbons that drape down like a waterfall.
  • 🌿 Grow it in a hanging basket and you’ll get a cascading curtain of foliage that instantly turns any space into a jungle hideaway.
  • 🌿 As if the leaves weren’t enough, this rare beauty produces clusters of bright pink berries that pop against the deep green leaves, adding an unexpected splash of color!
  • 🌿 It's rare, it's dramatic, and it's the kind of plant that makes people stop and ask, “What on earth is THAT?”


🛒 Grow the 6-foot leaf Anthurium

📚
Learn more:

#Nature_Wonders #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden
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Date: 8 Aug 2025

Bohemian Catsody (Rescue Edition)

James Coconuts, Cash, Scooby and Timo - rescued cats

🎭 Bohemian Catsody (Rescue Edition)

🎶 Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
😵‍ Caught in a catnipslide - no escape from herbal reality.
👀 Open your eyes, look up to the skies… and see James, Cash, Scooby and Timo floating through shroomy bliss... 🌿

🎉 Happy International Cat Day!

🐈📸 James Coconuts, Cash, Scooby and Timo - all are rescued cats, now living their best lives at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden

#PeopleCats

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Date: 8 Aug 2025

Why your gut is begging for papaya

Papaya fruit and trees (Carica papaya)

🍊Why your gut is begging for papaya
  • 🌴Papaya (Carica papaya) is more than just a tasty tropical fruit - it's a natural remedy for your gut. Thanks to an enzyme called papain, it helps with digestion, bloating, and even supports immune health with high levels of vitamin C and A.
  • 🌴But here's what makes papaya a must-have in every garden: it's fast, space-saving, and super productive. Many trees start fruiting within a year!
  • 🌴Dwarf varieties only reach 6-8 feet but still give you full-sized fruit that's easy to harvest.
  • 🌴Grow it in the ground or in a container - it thrives in sun, handles light freezes, and even stands strong in high winds.
  • 🌴Low effort, high reward. Sweet fruit, strong plant. What more do you need?


📚 Learn more from previous posts:

🛒 Your gut will thank you - plant Papaya

#Food_Forest #Papaya
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