Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
Date: 2 Feb 2020
Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: James Coconuts progress report
Many people asking about James Coconuts who used to be in charge of our Office and Customer Service team. What is he doing now? Did he get a promotion? We addressed this question to Coconuts and here is what he's got to say:
"Hi folks, I am doing just fine. Yes, I got a promotion and currently working in Sunshine Boosters Lab together with Mr Booster (I just call him Mr B). We are developing a revolutionary Sunshine Plant Nutrition Program. It is important that your plants have good food! I can tell from my own experience. When these nice people at TopTropicals picked me up from the street couple years ago, I was nothing but bone and skin... not even much fur. And look at me now! I am still working on my work out, and my resolution for 2020 is to become even more fluffy, just like that chick in the calendar! I think everyone should eat good... and do good... Like someone said:
"Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good!" (Minor Myers Jr).
Check out and more Cat of the Day stories.
Date: 10 Nov 2025
❄️ How to Prepare Your Tropical Garden for Winter
Smokey and Sunshine Wrap Up the Garden with Frost Cloth Before the Chill.
Smokey: "Thermometer says 45. Time to wrap the bananas!"
Sunshine: "You wrap the bananas. I’ll guard the mulch… from this
sunny spot."
Smokey: "Teamwork, Sunshine. Teamwork."
🌡️ Cold nights are coming - but your tropicals do not need to shiver!
Even in sunny Florida and other warm zones, one cold snap can undo months of growth. Preparation is everything. Tropical plants can handle a lot, but they dislike surprises. Let’s make sure your garden stays safe, strong, and happy all winter long.
Tips from Tatiana Anderson, Top Tropicals Plant Expert
👉 Group and Check Your Plants
You already know which plants are in pots and which are in the ground. What matters now is prioritizing by cold sensitivity. Identify the tender tropicals – papaya, banana, plumeria, adenium, heliconia – and decide which ones get covered first when temperatures drop. Keep frost cloths or old sheets near those areas, ready to grab fast. If your garden is large, label protection zones or mark plants that always need extra care. The goal is to have a plan, not a panic, when the cold alert hits.
Once you know your priorities, you can plan the rest of your protection strategy.
👉 Feed and Mulch
Stop using high-nitrogen fertilizers by late fall. They push soft new growth that freezes easily. Add compost around the base of your plants and top with 3 to 4 inches of mulch. Mulch acts like a blanket: it keeps warmth in, protects the roots, and keeps soil moisture steady. Just make sure the soil drains well; cold and soggy soil leads to root rot. In raised beds, check that water flows away easily.
After you feed and mulch, it is time to look at how your local zone changes the game.
👉 Zone-by-Zone Tips
Moving Tropical Plants Indoors for Winter Protection
- Zone 10: You are lucky! This is mostly a maintenance season. Watch for root rot after heavy rain, trim lightly if needed, and protect tender young trees during surprise chills. Keep some frost cloth ready just in case.
- Zone 9: This is the main action zone. Nights can dip into the 30s. Deep-water your trees once before cold nights to insulate the roots. Apply heavy mulch, and have frost protection ready to go. If you grow tropical fruit like mango or guava, consider wrapping young trunks in burlap or foam pipe insulation.
- Zone 8: This is where tropical gardening becomes creative. Stick to cold-hardy tropicals such as loquat, guava, or cold-hardy avocado varieties. Use portable greenhouses, wrap trunks, and move smaller plants indoors or to a heated porch when frost threatens.
Now that the garden beds are set, let’s look at your pots and containers – your most mobile plants.
👉 Container and Patio Plants
Potted plants are the easiest to protect but also the quickest to freeze. Start reducing watering now so roots do not stay too wet in cooler weather. Before moving them, check for insects hiding under leaves or in the soil. Group your pots close to a wall for reflected heat and wind protection. If you plan to bring them indoors, do it gradually. Move them closer to the house for a few days before bringing them all the way inside to help them adjust to lower light and humidity.
When the chill starts, many gardeners rush to move everything inside at once – but a smooth transition works much better.
👉 Indoor Plants
When bringing plants inside, give them a good rinse to remove dust and bugs, and flush the soil to wash out salts from summer fertilizing. Keep them separate from your houseplants for a week to make sure no pests come along. Expect some leaf drop – it is normal as they adjust to lower light. Give them bright light near a window, and cut watering by about half until spring. Avoid misting too much; good airflow matters more than humidity during winter.
Many tropicals, like hibiscus, brugmansia, and crotons, may look tired for a while, but they will bounce back quickly once days get longer.
👉 Timing Is Everything
The key is to prepare before the first cold warning. Check your weather app regularly once nights start dropping into the 50s. Keep covers, mulch, and supplies ready so you are not running outside at midnight with a flashlight and a frozen hose. Have your frost cloths labeled by plant group and stored in an easy spot. A little organization now saves a lot of stress later.
Many tropicals, like hibiscus, brugmansia, and crotons, may look tired for a while, but they will bounce back quickly once days get longer.
Remember: the goal is to help your plants rest safely. Many gardeners prune or fertilize too late in the season – we will talk about why that can be risky next week." — says Tatiana Anderson, Top Tropicals Plant Expert
Coming next mail-list: The best gadgets for cold protection (lights, heaters, frost covers) and what NOT to do in winter.
📚 Learn more from Top Tropicals Blog:
Cold protection - winter action for your plant collection
What plants are good to order in Winter?
How to take care of house plants in Winter
How to protect tropical plants in Winter
How to take care of a mango tree in winter
How to protect Avocado from cold
Overwintering Adeniums outside of tropics
Protecting Tropical Plants with Frost Covers at Top Tropicals Nursery
Date: 6 Dec 2019
Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Kevin Coconuts, brother of James Coconuts
Many of you know well James Coconuts who has been in charge of our Customer Service. Only recently James discovered a twin brother! Kevin Coconuts lives with Sue and Mark (our horticulturist) and helps Mark to grow all his exclusive rare plants. Here is Kevin's story told by Sue...
"...One fall day about a year ago we had a visit from a gangly little stray who seemed drawn to our home. We originally thought he was the kitty from across the street, as his markings are almost identical. We repeatedly shooed him off but the next day, there he was again. His unassuming, humble personality drew us in. Upon closer observation we could see he was a male, while the one across the street is female, so we realized he did not belong over there. He seemed to have nowhere else to go...
With his silly playful attitude, Kevin wormed his way into our hearts
and we decided to accept him as one of ours. Upon entering our house for the
first time, he seemed to know his way around, and within a couple hours he was
fast asleep on the couch. Our two other cats (Amun & Midnight) did not seem
perturbed, which is very unusual for CATS, as anyone with cats knows! We have
enjoyed Kevin's warm and comical demeanor and could not imagine life without him. He is a bright light that lifts the hearts of all who meet him!"
Check out and more Cat of the Day stories.
Date: 16 Nov 2019
Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Charlie, the Indoor Hunter
Carlie was a kitty drop off with LadyBug, Rickie, and Purry.
Charlie is Jamie's baby. She has an attitude of a teenager, one minute she
loves you and the next - wants nothing to do with you. Carlie stays with the
inside PeopleCats, she says it's too big in the outside world for her and she
gets scared. Carlie has a fun game (fun to her): she plays around 2:00 am in
the morning, she loves to drag random items down the hall (socks, toys,
shirts, even blankets) in her mouth MEOOOWWWING as loud as she can. She then sets
the items down on her human's bedroom rug and waits for her human to say
thank you. We're pretty sure her hunting instinct is off...
Check out and more Cat of the Day stories.
2019, from Top to Bottom: Moe, Charlie, Bagheera, and Snitch. 2016: Charlie
