Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
How do we ship plants, Part 3: its Christmas - unwrapping is fun?
How do we ship plants, Part 3: it's Christmas - unwrapping is fun?
- 📦 In the previous videos (Part 1: prepare the plant and Part 2: packing in the box), we showed you how we ship the plant to you.
- 📦 Every order comes with planting instructions. Read them first!
You received the package - what is next?
How to take care of your mail order plant (potted plant)
When your plant arrives, carefully remove it from the box and water it right away.
- ▫️Place it in bright light but out of direct sun for the first few days so it can recover from shipping.
- ▫️Keep the soil evenly moist, not soggy.
- ▫️After about a week, gradually introduce it to more sun or move it to its permanent spot.
- ▫️Read detailed instructions.
🌴 How to plant your mail order plant in the ground
- ▫️Don't put a new plant straight from the box into the ground!
- ▫️First, pot it up and let it recover and grow strong for a few weeks.
- ▫️Once it's well established, choose a sunny, well-drained spot outdoors.
- ▫️Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot, place the plant at the same depth, and backfill with good, rich soil.
- ▫️Water thoroughly to settle the roots and add mulch around the base, keeping it away from the stem.
- ▫️Keep watering regularly until the plant takes off.
- ▫️Read detailed instructions.
🎥 Part 3 shows you how to unpack a plant. Happy Gardening!
🛒 Shop plants online
📚 Learn more:
- ▫️Shipping information page
- ▫️Planting instructions
- ▫️How do we ship plants? Part 1: prepare the plant
- ▫️How do we ship plants? Part 2: packing in the box
#How_to
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Why Sphynx cats always need a sweater?
😺 Pelmen is a Sphynx cat. Sphynx is the famous hairless cat breed. He looks bald, but really has a soft peach-fuzz coat that feels like suede.
😺 Look, this summer Pelmen even got a suntan! His head is tanned while the rest stayed pale. Why? Because he was wearing a sweater outside! (Yes, he owns a whole wardrobe… the definition of a spoiled baby)
😺 Why a sweater? Sweaters aren’t just for fashion. Since Sphynx cats lack a fur coat, they need extra warmth, regular baths to wash off skin oils, and sun protection.
😺 The Sphynx may look like a little alien, but they’re really velcro cats - clingy, cuddly, and people-loving. The breed began in 1966 when a hairless kitten named Prune was born in Canada. From that quirky start, the Sphynx became one of the most affectionate cats around.
🐈📸 Cat Pelmen is a friend of TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden.
#PeopleCats
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals
10-minute recipe Bo La Lot with a leaf youve never cooked before!
Bo La Lot recipe with Vietnamese pepper Lalot (Piper sarmentosum)
- 🌮 Forget boring tacos - this wrap will blow your mind! In Vietnam they call it Bo La Lot - beef wrapped in peppery Lalot leaves.
- 🌮 It started as grape leaf wraps in the Middle East, but in tropical Asia grapes don’t grow, so people swapped to Lalot. Way more flavor than grape leaves!
- 🌮 Grilled beef, garlic, onion, lemongrass - all can be tucked into these shiny green leaves. Smoky, juicy, and so good you’ll wonder why you didn't try it sooner! It's better than grape leaf wraps, because it has so much flavor!
- 🌮 Most large leaf pepper plants will work for this recipe - Vietnamese pepper Lalot (Piper sarmentosum), Betel Leaf (Piper betle), or even large leaves of the traditional Black Pepper plant (Piper nigrum).
🌯 BO LA LOT RECIPE
✔️ Ingredients
- · 1 pound ground beef or turkey
- · 2 tablespoons chopped lemongrass (optional)
- · 1 tbsp spice powder
- · 1 tbsp curry powder
- · 1 tbsp finely minced garlic
- · 1 tbsp oyster sauce or fish sauce (optional)
- · 1 tsp ground black pepper
- · 1 tbsp finely minced shallots
- · 1 tbsp soy sauce
- · 2 tsp sugar or honey
- · 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- · 1/2 tbsp salt
- · 10-15 fresh Lalot leaves
- 👉 Directions
- · Preheat the grill.
- · Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
- · Wrap about 2 tablespoons of the mixture into each betel leaf.
- · Spear 3 to 4 betel leaf wraps onto a skewer and grill until the meat is thoroughly cooked.
- · Be sure to eat immediately.
🛒 Grow Leaf Pappers for tasty, peppery recipes
📚 Learn more:
- ▫️Lalot beef wraps: Quick-n-Fun exotic recipes
- ▫️Vietnamese Pepper - Lalot food wraps BBQ recipe
- ▫️How to grow your own Pepper plants. Five most valuable Pipers
- ▫️How to to get Pepper leaves large and green
📱 Growing Lalot Pepper
#Food_Forest #Recipes #Container_Garden #How_to
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Moringa omelet: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
Moringa omelet
- 🟡Whisk eggs with chopped Moringa leaves, garlic, and a dash of soy sauce.
- 🟡Pour into a hot pan with some cooking oil and cook for a minute or two until fluffy and golden.
- 🟡A green power-packed breakfast!
Moringa Omelet
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup fresh Moringa leaves (chopped)
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 1 tomato (diced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp oil or butter
Instructions
- Beat the eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a pan, sauté onion, garlic, and tomato until soft.
- Add the chopped Moringa leaves and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the beaten eggs and cook until set, flipping once.
- Serve hot with rice or bread.
🛒 Plant Moringa tree and harvest superfood year around
#Food_Forest #Recipes
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Date:
Guava Tree Plant Care
Tips from Top Tropicals Plant Expert - Tatiana Anderson
Where to Plant Outdoors
Guavas love full sun — aim for 6–8 hours of direct light. They’re adaptable to many soils but do best in well-drained, organic-enriched mixes. Plant them in a spot where you can water easily; guavas are thirsty trees during fruiting.
Container & Indoor Growing
Don’t have space or live in a cooler climate? Guavas thrive in large pots. Use well-drained potting mix. LINK TO OUR SOIL Keep them on a sunny patio during warm months and bring them indoors when nights dip below freezing. Compact varieties like Dwarf Hawaiian Rainbow or Tikal are especially good for pots.
Winter Care
Mature guavas can handle a light frost (down into the high 20s F), but young plants need protection. If planted outdoors, cover them with frost cloth on cold nights. Container guavas can be wheeled into a garage, greenhouse, or bright indoor window until the weather warms.
Watering and Fertilizing
Water deeply once or twice a week, more often in hot weather or when fruit is developing. They don’t like soggy soil, but they won’t complain about short floods either. Fertilize 3–4 times a year during the growing season with a balanced fruit tree fertilizer. Guavas especially love potassium and phosphorus for strong flowering and heavy crops. We recommend liquid crop booster Sunshine C-Cibus and balanced controlled release fertilizer Green Magic.
Pruning
Prune after fruiting to keep them compact and open up airflow. Remove crossing or dead branches. In containers, trim back vigorous shoots regularly to manage size and encourage more fruiting wood.
Pests and Problems
Guavas are generally tough and pest-resistant. The main thing to watch for in humid or rainy climates is mealybugs - those cottony white clusters on leaves or stems. They're easy to manage with neem oil or a quick spray of horticultural soap.
Fruit time
Guavas fruit young - often within a year or two.
Pollination
Guavas are self-pollinating, so you'll get fruit even with a single tree. Planting more than one tree, however, often boosts harvests and gives you a longer fruiting season.
If you've ever wanted instant gratification from a fruit tree, guava is it.
🍴 Guava Recipes
With all that fruit, the next question is always: "What do I do with it?" Here are our favorites:
Cas Guava: Make Agua de Cas
Boil halved Cas Guava fruits with sugar, simmer, strain, and bottle. Dilute with water when serving. The concentrate keeps for months in the fridge.
Check out the recipe.-
Hawaiian Gold: Make Drinks
Perfect for Mojitos or Margaritas. Sweet, tangy juice pairs beautifully with lime and mint. Learn more
-
Araca Pera: Guava Wine
Famous in Brazil, where the fruit is turned into a vibrant rosу wine. Locals say it’s the taste of summer in a glass — and yes, you can make it at home too. Learn more...
-
Quick snack: Guava Grilled Cheese
Spread guava paste or fresh mashed fruit with cheese, grill until golden. Sweet and savory heaven. Learn more...
-
Simple Guava Juice
Blend ripe guavas with water, ice, and a little sugar if you like. Instant refreshment.
✅Ready to Grow? Whether you want fresh juice, sweet fruit, or even your own guava wine, we’ve got the best varieties in stock right now. Your future self, sipping guava juice on a hot summer afternoon, will thank you.
![Growing Lalot Pepper](
<iframe class="ttBlogFrame" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AYSm6Z1pZ4w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>
<script type="application/ld+json">{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "VideoObject"
,
"uploadDate": "2025-09-28T19:02:31Z"
,
"@id": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aysm6z1pz4w",
"license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
"acquireLicensePage":"https://toptropicals.com/license.htm",
"creditText":"Top Tropicals",
"creator": {
"@type":"Person",
"name": "Tatiana Anderson",
"@id": "https://toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/tatiana_anderson.htm#person"
},
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"@id": "https://toptropicals.com#organization",
"name": "Top Tropicals",
"logo": "https://toptropicals.com/img/core-img/logo_600.png"
},
"copyrightNotice":"Top Tropicals",
"name": "10-Minute recipe Bo La Lot with a leaf you ve never cooked before!",
"description": "10-Minute recipe Bo La Lot with a leaf you ve never cooked before! - video.",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://img.youtube.com/vi/AYSm6Z1pZ4w/hqdefault.jpg",
"embedUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/embed/AYSm6Z1pZ4w"
}
</script>
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@id": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aysm6z1pz4w",
"isPartOf": [
{ "@id": "https://toptropicals.com#organization" },
{ "@id": "https://toptropicals.com#webpage" },
{ "@id": "https://toptropicals.com#website" }
]
}
</script>
){kind=link}