Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 6 May 2020

The best Aquarium fish food ever - stikiStik

Everyone knows that Top Tropicals is good at unique, special novelties. And it is not a secret that most plant people also are pet people - cat people (with PeopleCats), dog people (with PeopleDogs) or at least fish people, right?
Today we are excited to introduce our new revolutionary Fish Food developed by our business partners at Floritin Aquarium Labs

Floritin stikiStikâ„¢ - Ultimate Aquarium fish food

StikiStik is a dry powder that you just mixed with water to create a sticky paste. The paste can be attached to any surface inside your aquarium.

Watch a cool video of fish having a stikiStik meal!

StikiStik is a patent pending fish food that does things which conventional fish food does not. It introduces picky eaters to a more natural feeding environment, does not pollute the fish tank, is easy to mix from its powder format and provides gradual feeding. It is easy to apply to any surface in the aquarium, such as interior glass wall, rocks or coral skeleton.

stikiStik advantages

- Easy to use. Just mix with a few drops of water and stik it in! Self adhesive paste can be applied to any surface. Stays intact for hours in aquarium. Does not pollute water
- Scientifically designed and proven for all types of aquarium fish, invertebrates, and corals
- Optimal and balanced nutrition. Contains vitamins and amino acids
- Natural. No hormones, no artificial colors
- Stimulates fish appetite and enhances fish color
- Promotes natural feeding habits. Helps training hard to feed fish. The perfect food to acclimate newly introduced fish, including Moorish Idol, finicky butterfly fish, such as Copperband Butterfly, Pearscale Butterfly, Mandarinfish, and many oithers
- Easy to store. Can be used immediately or frozen for future use
- Add any frozen fish food or medications to mix

See element contents / instructions and more information with videos on stikiStik website

"The stikiStik is the best Aquarium fish food ever - hands down!"
- Mr Booster -

Date: 25 Feb 2026

A Miracle in the Garden: Watching a Tiger Swallowtail Rebuild Itself on a Magnolia Champaka - Joy Perfume Tree

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

A Miracle in the Garden: Watching a Tiger Swallowtail Rebuild Itself on a Magnolia Champaka - Joy Perfume Tree 🐯

Tiger Swallowtail Metamorphosis: From Cocoon to Joy
  • 🏼 Nature’s most mind-blowing magic trick happened right here on a branch of our Magnolia champaka - the Joy Perfume Tree. Did you know that when a caterpillar enters its chrysalis (cocoon), it literally dissolves its body and rebuilds it from scratch?
  • 🏼 This Tiger Swallowtail chose the legendary Joy Perfume Tree as its nursery. It’s a match made in heaven—the "flying tiger" of North America born on a tree famous for the world’s most expensive perfume scent. While most people know the Champaka for its intensely fragrant flowers, few realize that even the leaves release a soft, sweet aroma when brushed against.
  • 🏼 In this video, you’ll see the rare moment of eclosion - where the butterfly emerges with soft, wrinkled wings and begins the slow process of pumping life into them before its first flight.
  • 🏼 It is a real gem in your garden - not just for fragrance lovers, but for wildlife that clearly loves it too.
Watch this Tiger Swallowtail butterfly being born on a Champaka - Joy Perfume tree!

🛒 Bring the miracle Joy to your garden - the perfume Champaka tree

📚 Everything You Need to Know About the Joy Perfume Tree:
· How to grow Magnolia champaca and get some Joy
🟡The Fragrance: What does Joy Perfume flower smell like?
· Which Champaka tree is better - White or Golden?
🟡More:

🎥

#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Trees #Discover

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 23 Nov 2025

🏡 To Use Your Garden Or Be Used By It

Two cats in a garden planting a young tree. Smokey, a black-and-white tuxedo cat, holds a small shovel and works the soil, while Sunshine, a fluffy orange tabby, sits smiling beside a bag of garden soil.

Smokey and Sunshine November Planting.

Smokey: Winter roots make spring easy. Keep that plant straight.
Sunshine: I am keeping it straight by not touching it at all.
Smokey: That is exactly what I was afraid of.

November is the month when the garden finally stops yelling at you. The heat backs off, the bugs calm down, and the weeds take a breath. This is when we get to take control again. And as gardeners, we know the truth: Either you use your garden, or your garden will use you in spring. Let me walk you through this, gardener to gardener.

"November is when the garden finally listens. Give it a little direction now, shape it, guide it, and prepare it for spring. It will reward you all year." - Tatiana Anderson, Top Tropicals Plant Expert

🌴 When The Garden Uses You

We have all lived this scene:

  • March weeds appear, and two days later it looks like a jungle.
  • One missed watering turns into five wilted plants and a full week of recovery.
  • A skipped feeding shows up as yellow leaves and panic searching online.
  • Bugs return fast, and suddenly you are washing leaves every other day.
  • Random plant purchases fill your yard with chaos and mismatched care needs.
  • When the garden takes control, spring feels like hard work, not joy.

An overgrown tropical garden with dense foliage and vines spilling over a walkway, showing how a garden can take over when not maintained.

Overgrown Tropical Garden Showing How a Garden Can Use You

📊 When You Use Your Garden

November flips the script. Plants slow down. Soil stays warm. This is the safest month to experiment, move plants, fix mistakes, and redesign.

What you do now pays off huge in March.

  • You map out sun zones and shade zones.
  • You mulch now so weeds do not explode later.
  • You move plants to better positions without heat stress.
  • You remove the high-drama plants before they start another season of complaints.
  • You pick what you want for next year instead of letting impulse buys rule you.

Spring becomes smooth instead of overwhelming. And honestly? It feels good to walk outside in March and see order instead of chaos.

A neat, organized tropical garden with trimmed plants, open pathways, and balanced landscaping, showing how a gardener can use and direct the garden.

In the photo: Every garden starts in small steps. Biquinho Pepper (front) in the garden.

What Benefit Do You Get Personally?

  • Less watering.
  • Fewer bugs.
  • Bigger fruit.
  • Better flowering.
  • Less money wasted.
  • Less time fixing problems you could have prevented now.

This is why experienced tropical gardeners adore November.

Garden

In the photo: Organized Tropical Garden. Firebush (lemon gold variety) and Cordylines (Ti Leaf) make colorful spots in the garden.

🐭 Start With Something Small Today (5 Minutes)

Pick one:

  • Add mulch to the driest spot in your yard.
  • Cut one dead branch from any tree.
  • Move one pot to a better sun angle.
  • Pull three weeds from the worst area.
  • Water deeply once this week.

Small steps now save hours later.

⭐ One Short Story

Last year we planted a Star Fruit in November. By March, it was already covered in flowers, and have been harvesting fruit non-stop since then! That is what winter planning does: it gives plants a head start you can actually see.

Young Carambola Star Fruit tree fruiting

🐍 Plants That Will Use You If You Let Them

These are great plants, but only if you plan before planting them:

  • Banana (thirsty)
  • Hibiscus (hungry)
  • Brugmansia (sensitive)
  • Passion vine (takes over anything it touches)

Place them wrong, and they become full-time jobs.

An overgrown passion vine covering a garden swing, showing how a fast-growing plant can take over when not maintained.

In the photo: Passion Vine taking over the swing.

🐰 Plants That Work For You

These feel like free upgrades to the yard:

Pick even one of these and your garden starts giving back.

A landscaped garden path with a Cattley Guava tree featuring a twisted multicolor trunk, surrounded by trimmed tropical plants and decorative garden elements.

In the photo: Cattley Guava brings not only tasty fruit but also a wonderful character with its amazing multi-color twisted trunk.

🌡️ November Advantage

You cannot ruin anything in November. This is the safest, calmest month to shape your garden the way you want. If you act now, spring becomes a victory lap. If you wait, spring becomes a rescue mission.

A landscaped tropical garden with a potted Adenium in full bloom, red Cordylines behind it, and neat mulched beds with decorative garden elements.

In the photo: Adenium is a colorful accent in the garden.

💐 Thanksgiving Tie-In

This is the season to reset, breathe, and be thankful for your outdoor space. A garden that works for you is one of the best gifts you can give yourself going into the new year.

Start your November plan today. Use your garden. Do not let it use you.

A neatly designed tropical garden bed featuring Megaskepasma, iris, Colocasia, colorful Crotons, Dracaena, and Ti Leaf plants arranged in mulched landscaping.

In the photo: Megaskepasma, Iris, Colocasia, Crotons, Dracaena and Ti Leaf bring instant tropical look to your garden.

Shop Fruit trees

Shop Flowering shrubs

Date: 6 Dec 2025

🌿 Bring the Jungle Inside: Winter Survival Guide Part 2.Temperature. ❄️

Smokey the tuxedo cat checks thermometers by a cold window while Sunshine the ginger tabby relaxes near a heater holding a room thermometer showing 74 F.

Smokey: Too cold. We need more heaters so the plants feel comfortable.
Sunshine: I feel comfortable.
Smokey: You are not part of my plant collection, but I am glad you are comfortable.

🌡️ TEMPERATURE: THE TROPICAL DORMANCY LINE

In Part 1 (Winter Survival Guide: Temperature) we covered the foundation: light, placement, and acclimation. That is the survival layer.

Most tropicals stop growing below 70 to 75 F. They stay green, but their engine shuts down.

Below 70F:

  • Water intake drops.
  • Roots slow down.
  • Fertilizing becomes risky.
  • Root root becomes easy.

If you WANT your plants to grow in winter, you must take care of everything: Warmth, light, humidity, water. It all works together.

  • Aim for 75 F with bright light. Water lightly. No fertilizer.
  • Watch out for drafts. Cold windows. Door blasts. Garage entryways. Even one gust can trigger leaf drop.
  • Vents are the opposite problem: hot, dry, dusty air. That gives you crispy edges and mites.
    • Root zone temperature matters just as much as room air. Your thermostat may say 72 F, but your pot on a tile floor may be sitting at 55 F. Fix this by elevating pots on boards or stands. Use Styrofoam. Never keep pots directly on cold tile o windowsill
  • Extra winter heat: Space heaters are fine if used smartly. Do not blow hot air directly on plants. Keep heaters away from cords, trays, and water. Oil filled radiators are the safest option for plant rooms.
  • Use a humidifier if you want growth or want to prevent spider mites. But do not blow mist directly onto leaves. Always place the unit lower than the plant canopy.
  • Grouping helps. Put tropical plants close together to share humidity. Do not mix succulents with humidity lovers.
  • Cats and dogs love to knock over lights and stands. Secure your fixtures. Trust us.
  • Airflow: Light airflow is healthy. Direct fan blast is not. Still, dry corners invite mites.
  • A mild night drop is OK. A big one below 55 F will stop growth completely.

Pink mandevilla vine blooming indoors in a white pot on a shelf.

A mandevilla thriving indoors with bright pink blooms and glossy green leaves.

☂️ PLACEMENT: MICROCLIMATES RULE EVERYTHING

Indoors is one big tradeoff: light but cold near windows, warm but dim away from them. The winning combo is a warm room with supplemental light.

Best zones to keep plants in winter:

  • South or east windows with additional light
  • Warm living spaces
  • Bright bathrooms for natural humidity

Worst zones to keep plants in winter:

  • Behind curtains
  • Directly on windowsills
  • Near heaters or vents
  • Against cold exterior walls
  • Dark corners without supplemental lighting

Large philodendron vine growing indoors across a window and dresser.

A vigorous indoor philodendron stretching across the window.

💨 ACCLIMATION

Moving a plant from outdoors to indoors is a shock. Light drops. Humidity drops. Airflow stops. Soil cools. Even healthy plants may drop some leaves for a few weeks. That is normal.

Before you bring them inside:

  • Rinse foliage to remove dust and pests. We recommend Sunshine NoBug - and organic, safe solution.
  • Check for ants.
  • Trim weak branches.
  • Treat soil if fungus gnats are present.

Try to bring plants inside before the first cold front, not after. If you are reading this too late, do the prep now and expect a little leaf drop.

If you nail light and temperature, winter becomes simple. In the next mail-list we will cover watering, fertilizer timing, humidity, and other indoor tricks that keep tropicals happy till spring. Stay tuned.

Indoor bathroom garden with tropical plants under a skylight and an orange cat walking in front.

Cat Bob is inspecting his indoor garden around the tub with a bright skylight


✔️ WINTER INDOOR FAQ: TEMPERATURE AND PLACEMENT

Q: Why are leaves dropping only on the window side?
A: Cold glass. The room may be warm, but the glass surface can be much colder.

Q: Is a cold room OK for tropicals?
A: They may survive, but they will not grow below about 65F to 75F. When nights stay below 65F for a week, many plants enter dormancy.

Q: My room feels warm. Why is my plant still not growing?
A: Check the soil temperature. Pots on cold tile can be 10 to 20F colder than the air.

Q: Can plants sit directly on the floor?
A: Not on cold tile. Always elevate them on boards, stands, or trays.

Q: Is it OK to keep plants near a heater or vent?
A: No. Vents and heaters blast hot, dry air and cause crispy leaves and mites.

Q: My plant is dropping leaves after coming indoors. Why?
A: Normal acclimation to reduced light and humidity right after the move.

Q: Can I keep plants in a bright bathroom?
A: Yes. Bathrooms can have good humidity. Just keep pots off cold tile.

Q: Do I need a humidifier?
A: Not for survival. Yes if you want better growth and fewer pests like spider mites.

Q: Do I need a grow tent?
A: No. A bright LED plus a warm room is enough for winter holding.

Q: Should I fertilize in winter?
A: Not now. Winter fertilizer rules will be covered in the next mail-list.

Q: Should I water the same as in summer?
A: No. Indoor plants need much less water in winter. Watering rules also coming soon.

🛒 Shop Indoor Garden


Indoor plants


📚 Learn more:


Date: 6 Dec 2025

🌿 Bring the Jungle Inside: Winter Survival Guide Part 1: Lighting ❄️

Smokey the taxedo cat adjusts an indoor grow light while Sunshine the ginger tabby sits holding a hygrometer he does not understand.

Smokey: "Winter lighting must be precise. I need this light exactly at 14 inches."
Sunshine: "Sure. I am holding this… little number thing."
Smokey: "It reads humidity. Your main job is to look cute."

🌞 LIGHT, TEMPERATURE, PLACEMENT

Winter indoors is a different kind of battlefield. Dark rooms. Dry air. Cold windows. Random drafts. Weak light. Sad plants. We've been talking about keeping your tropicals alive outdoors previously. But some of you have no choice this time of year. You have to bring the jungle inside.

If that is you, then this is your plant survival guide.

Indoor wall of tropical houseplants, including cascading vines, variegated foliage, and mixed aroids arranged on shelves.

☀️ LIGHT: THE WINTER LIFELINE

Light advice here comes straight from our in-house expert, Michael Dubinovsky, a high-tech lighting engineer with over 30 years of hands-on experience. If he says brightness beats hours, trust him.

Here is the truth: Indoor light in winter is 10 to 50 times weaker than outdoors. Short days. Low-angle sun. Windows filtering half the useful light. It all adds up.

Tropicals need 10 to 12 hours of real brightness. Winter sun cannot do that on its own. Not even in a big window. So we help them.

Use bright LED shop lights or utility lights. 5000K to 6500K CCT. High lumen output. Skip decorative bulbs. Skip purple grow fancy toy lights. If you want a single plant light, even a clamp lamp is fine if you screw in a bright daylight LED bulb.

Panels work best for plant clusters. Bars for shelves. Bulbs for single plants. And grouping plants under one bright panel always beats spreading them out.

Distance matters: keep LEDs about 12 to 18 inches above the leaves. Too close: leaf burn. Too far: stretching, weak stems.

Leaves reaching up? Light is too high or too weak. Leaves curling down? Light is too close.

If you want a reality check, download any smartphone lux meter app. Most indoor corners are 50 to 200 lux without supplemental light. Tropicals want much more

And a quick tip about windows: winter sun comes in sideways. A spot that looks bright at noon can go dull by 2 PM. Don't count of window light

Indoor grow setup with bright LED lights illuminating shelves of tropical plants.

Bright light or long hours

People try to fix weak light by running it for 16 or 18 hours. That does not work. Plants care more about light intensity. A few hours of strong light beats all-day dim light. If the light is weak, adding more hours will not change anything except your electric bill.

Simple rule: Short duration but bright is always better than long duration but weak. - by Michael, Top Tropicals lighting expert

No need for fancy horticultural panels

You do not need purple grow lights. You do not need special horticultural fixtures. You do not need expensive panels unless you want real winter growth.

For winter plant holding till spring, the inexpensive solution works great:

  • Bright LED daylight bulbs (5000K to 6500K) from hardware store
  • High lumen output
  • Inexpensive clamp lamps
  • Aim directly at the plant from 12 to 18 inches

This setup keeps tropicals happy until spring without buying anything fancy. Save the money for soil, pots, or your next plant.

Indoor plant lighting safety note:

  • Use timers. Keep cords dry. Do not overload outlets.
  • Do not hang lights over humidifiers.
  • And do not put fixtures on piles of books to raise them. People do this.

Indoor plants


✔️ WINTER INDOOR FAQ: TEMPERATURE AND PLACEMENT

Q: I am in Home Depot. Which light do I buy?
A: LED shop light, daylight color (5000K to 6500K), high lumens. Skip fancy plant bulbs.

Q: Can I use clamp lamps or floor lamps for plants?
A: Yes. Clamp lamps with a bright daylight LED bulb work great for winter holding.

Q: Do I need special horticultural grow lights?
A: No. A bright LED daylight bulb works fine for winter. Save the fancy lights for real growth projects.

Q: How far should the light be from the plant?
A: About 12 to 18 inches above the leaves. Too close burns. Too far stretches.

Q: Can I run weak lights for 18 hours to compensate?
A: No. Weak light plus long hours still equals a weak plant. Brightness matters more than hours.

Q: How do I know if a spot is bright enough?
A: Use a free phone lux app. Most indoor corners are much too dim for tropicals.

Q: I have a huge window. Why do I still need LEDs?
A: Indoor winter light is weak, short, and filtered by glass. Plants want intensity, not just a big window.

Q: My window faces north. Now what?
A: North windows are decorative only. Use supplemental lighting or move the plant.

📚 Learn more:


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