Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 24 Jun 2018

TopTropicals

SUNSHINE-SuperFood for your plants health

We are getting very high interest from our customers to our new plant booster SUNSHINE-SuperFood as well as many questions. We continue experimenting with the Jasmine that you saw in our previous newsletter, that had pale yellow leaves and numerous deficiencies. Right now, after only 2 applications, it looks healthy green again. Click on the picture to zoom in and see leaves turning from yellow to green within less than a month. See also full plant photo of this jasmine.

Q: Is SUNSHINE-SuperFood a fertilizer?

A: Traditionally we call a fertilizer macro-elements (NPK - nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). Technically, SUNSHINE-SuperFood is a complex of micro-elements that are essential for plant's health. It provides such elements as Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B, Mo, S, and Amino-acids that our soils are usually poor of. These elements are responsible for proper development of leaves, roots, flowers, and overall plant vigor. Read more about role of these micro elements.

Q: Can I just get these additional elements in a dry form and add to soil like a fertilizer?

A: No. Some of these elements must present in extremely low concentrations (this is why they are called micro-). SUNSHINE-SuperFood is a liquid substance with very high bioavailability that has very complicated formula; it is not just a mix of the elements. The formula is developed with the maximum efficiency for a plant to absorb through leaves and a root system.

Q: Is it better to spray leaves or water the plant with the solution?

A: Foliar applications are always most efficient in regards of seeing a quick result. However, we recommend to also drench the root ball with SUNSHINE-SuperFood solution to deliver the necessary elements evenly to all parts of the plant through its natural metabolism.

Q: My gardenia looks very sad after winter - most leaves are yellow and some have pale spots. Should I use SUNSHINE-SuperFood more often and in higher concentrations?

A: We recommend to apply SUNSHINE-SuperFood once a month to maintain a general plant health. In difficult cases like with this jasmine on the photo, you can do twice a month. However do not exceed recommended concentration. The rule of thumb is, you can apply water soluble fertilizers and supplements more often, but with lower concentrations - this way a plant will be more responsive. Plant metabolism in general is rather slow, changes take days and weeks - don't try to speed it up. Your patience will be rewarded.

Try SUNSHINE SuperFood on sick looking plants, especially with leaves that are yellowing, deformed or have spots (see photos of different deficiencies). There are no miracles, but this one works like a Miracle! All you need is a few drops of SUNSHINE SuperFood - item 6000! We also have bottles 50 ml and 100 ml for large plant collections and yard/landscape applications. Read more about SUNSHINE SuperFood...

Date: 25 Oct 2025

How to create privacy with indoor or patio plants

How to create privacy with indoor or patio plants

🌳 How to create privacy with indoor or patio plants



"If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself." - George Orwell

🐈📸 Cats Timo and Cash enjoying their privacy with Calathea plants at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden.

#PeopleCats #Quotes

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Date: 18 Nov 2025

This giant red stared right back at me

Disocactus ackermanni, Red Orchid Cactus, Jungle Cactus

👹 This giant red stared right back at me

  • 🌺 Disocactus ackermanni, also called the Red Orchid Cactus, or Jungle Cactus - is one of those plants that surprises you even when you already know it well. It grows like a tropical fern, with flat, leaflike stems that hang and drape from a basket. Most of the year it looks calm and green. Then, without much warning, it opens a single huge, bright red flower that can reach up to 6 inches wide. The color is intense, almost glowing, and the bloom only lasts a short time, which makes it even more special.
  • 🌺 Despite being a cactus, it behaves nothing like a desert plant. This species is native to the tropical forests of Mexico, where it grows as an epiphyte in trees. It prefers shade or filtered light, and it enjoys regular watering. No spines, no trouble, just a very unusual growth habit and a spectacular bloom.
  • 🌺 The plant usually flowers from spring through summer, sometimes offering more than one flush. When it does, it always steals attention, and it is one of those plants visitors immediately point at and ask about. This makes it a favorite among collectors of epiphytic cacti and unusual hanging plants.
  • 🌺 If you grow it in a hanging basket and give it bright shade, humidity, and consistent moisture, it rewards you with one of the most striking red flowers you will ever see!


🛒 Add Red Orchid Cactus to your collection

📚 Learn more:


Red Orchid Cactus puts out the biggest bloom show
More epiphytic jungle cacti:
Epiphyllum oxypetalum - Queen of the Night
Pseudorhipsalis (Wittia) amazonica - Blue Flame
Epiphyllum guatemalense Monstrosa - Orchid Cactus, Curly Locks

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders

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Date: 8 Dec 2025

Floridians, mark your calendar: December 13, 2025 - Holiday Plant Market!

🎉 Floridians, mark your calendar: December 13, 2025 - Holiday Plant Market!


  • 🔴 Welcome to the Holiday Plant Market, proudly hosted by the #PeopleCats of TopTropicals.

King is on gate duty (checking every car, as usual).
Paisley is rearranging plants for the tenth time this morning because he wants them perfect.
Snitch is already relaxing in a chair, supervising with a cup of iced tea.
Persephone is under the tables, greeting guests from the Underworld.
Sushi and Loki are grooming - getting ready for the guided tours.
Together they invite you to stroll the gardens, snack on a donut, enjoy holiday music, and pick out something tropical and beautiful to take home.

  • 🔴 Why you should come


It is December in Florida - warm breeze, sunshine, and perfect planting weather. While the rest of the country is scraping frost off windshields, you're choosing which banana tree to take home. Come enjoy a colorful Saturday surrounded by plants, music, snacks, and friendly #PeopleCats. This is your holiday escape, your plant-hunting adventure, and your chance to bring home something amazing before the season ends.

  • 🔴 What makes this event special


We bring out the biggest, rarest, most impressive plants we grew all summer.
Trees with developed branches, vines ready to take off, fragrant blooms that stop people mid-walk.
Everything looks better by December in Florida, and this is the day we put it all on display!

🔴 Holiday extras



- 30% OFF online prices
- FREE plant with purchase
- $5-10 specials
- Mini donuts and holiday treats
- Cold drinks, iced tea, citrus-infused water
- Tropical Christmas music playing all day
- Cat-guided tours from our PeopleCats (they know the garden better than we do) - Subject to Purrrson's schedule/availability
- Exciting Raffle prizes
- Fruit tasting table (subject to enough ripe fruit in the morning!)

  • 📱 Event discounts and specials valid at both locations:


Ft Myers Garden Center: 13890 Orange River, Ft Myers, FL
Sebring Farm: 9100 McRoy Rd, Sebring, FL

🎁 Learn more about this Event, Holiday deals and extras

📱 Watch this bird-eye video from the past events:



Date: 25 Dec 2025

Do not throw out your poinsettia - 4 simple tips how to keep it alive for next Christmas

Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima veriegated leaves

Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima veriegated leaves

Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima - white, pink and red

Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima - white, pink and red

Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima - white and red

Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima - white and red

Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima - in a pot

Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima - in a pot

🎄 Do not throw out your poinsettia - 4 simple tips how to keep it alive for next Christmas



Poinsettias - Euphorbia_pulcherrima - are tender perennials, not one-season plants. After the holidays they naturally fade, rest, and regroup. With a few simple care tweaks, a healthy plant can live all year and rebloom next winter.
  • 🎄 1. Let it rest after the holidays


  • ✦ Flowering ends naturally - faded bracts and some leaf drop are normal.
  • ✦ Prune when bracts fall: cut stems back by 1/3 to 1/2, leaving 4-5 inches.
  • ✦ Wear gloves - the sap can irritate skin.
  • ✦ Move to a cooler, bright spot for 4-6 weeks.
  • ✦ Ideal temp: 55-60°F
  • ✦ Reduce watering.
  • ✦ Water only when the top 2 inches of soil are dry.
  • ✦ Avoid soggy soil.


🎄 2. Repot in late spring

  • ✦ New growth usually starts in late spring.
  • ✦ Repot at this stage to refresh nutrients and give roots space.
  • ✦ Use a well-draining, slightly acidic potting mix.
  • ✦ Choose a pot only slightly larger, with drainage holes.
  • ✦ Loosen roots gently and remove old compacted soil.
  • ✦ Water lightly, then place in a bright, warm spot.
  • ✦ Resume regular watering and light feeding through spring and summer.


🎄 3. Adjust care during the growing season

  • ✦ Increase temperature gradually to 64-68°F.
  • ✦ Water more often once growth resumes.
  • ✦ Wilted or curling leaves signal thirst.
  • ✦ Water thoroughly and evenly.
  • ✦ Bright light is key, but avoid harsh direct sun.
  • ✦ Use sheer curtains or a grow light if needed.
  • ✦ Fertilize periodically with a balanced houseplant fertilizer.
  • ✦ Pinch back new shoots in late spring for a fuller, bushier plant.


🎄 4. Preparing for winter color

  • ✦ In fall, poinsettias need long nights to bloom.
  • ✦ Provide 12-14 hours of complete darkness nightly for 6-8 weeks.
  • ✦ This triggers colorful bracts in time for the holidays.


❓ Quick FAQ



Can it go outside?
Yes, in warm months only. Bring it indoors before temps drop below 50°F.

Winter outdoors?
No - poinsettias are cold-sensitive and must stay inside.

🎄 Poinsettias don't die after Christmas - they just take a nap. Give them rest, light, and patience, and they will reward you next year.

✍️ Expert reference: Homes and Gardens

🛒 Explore plants for containers

📚 Learn more:

Plant Facts

Euphorbia pulcherrima
Ponsettia, Poinsettia, Christmas Plant, Poincettia
USDA Zone: 9-11
Large shrub 5-10 ft tallSemi-shadeShadeModerate waterOrnamental foliageIrritating plantSeaside, salt tolerant plant

#How_to #Container_Garden

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