Asian New Year started! Year of Down to Earth Dog...

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, started on February 16, 2018. It is the Year of the Yellow Dog, or the Earth Dog.

According to Chinese horoscope, in 2018, the corresponding element is Earth. Earth is also associated with the color yellow. The Year of the Earth Dog is therefore also known as the Year of the Yellow Dog. So what happens when you mix the Dog with the Earth Element?
The Dog is sincere, independent, and clever. Like man's best friend, they are extremely loyal and devoted and you can always count on them to stick by your side.
The Earth element, by its very nature, denotes origins and growth and is associated with practicality, harmony and hard work. The Earth seeks to nurture and be nurtured, it anchors you and provides stability.
A loyal and hard working Dog combined with the steady and sensible characteristics of Earth, heralds a secure, rewarding and profitable year. A year of blossoming, to achieve things, and to thrive. An Earth Dog combines the integrity and diligence of the dog with a very "down-to-earth" climate, perfect for longstanding projects requiring persistence and grit. Real estate is high in the agenda in the year of the Yellow Dog, whether you are contemplating any investments or purchasing a home, everything should align well for you this year.
The Year of the Dog follows an energetic and chaotic Year of the Rooster... An Earth Dog Year will welcome some much needed sense of harmony, peace and goodwill, a year of unity and understanding that will reward all of us for our hard work and diligence!
Lucky colors for 2018 are colors that symbolize the element Wood (green) and the element Water (blue). Just keep your plants green, and get some blue flowers!

For more information on Plant Astrology, see Plant Horoscope.

Fast-fruiting trees

Q: It would be easier for us buyers, if we could search for plants that produce fruit in 2 years or less... I don't have the patience to wait longer than that for fruit. I'm trying to buy for a fairly good sized garden but want some fast growers and fruit produced in 2 yrs. Can you help me out?

A: Fruiting time depends on many factors (growing conditions, fertilizing, and even specific variety), this is why we can not just put a simple icon "will fruit within 2 years". However, most grafted and air-layered fruit trees, including all Mango, Avocado, Loquat, Sapote, Sapodilla, Longan, Peaches and Nectarines - will fruit right away.
If you see in our store "grafted" or "air-layered" in plant description - these trees will fruit soon. Some of them are already flowering and fruiting!

Some non-grafted trees will fruit within a couple of years or even sooner (those from cuttings, root division or even seedlings) - such as: Annona, Artocarpus (Jackfruit), Eugenia, Guava, Banana, Dragon fruit, Mulberry, Blackberry/Raspberry. Banana, Mulberry, Dragon fruit, Blackberry-Raspberry - usually fruit within a year. You may refer to our store directory page for fruit specials.

Also, all spice trees like Bay Leaf, Bay Rum, Allspice and many more - will produce spice for you right away, so you don't need to wait at all!

Dwarf and Condo mangoes - easy mangoes

Q: We leave in zone 6a, could you tell us what is the list of different types of mango plants that could be planted indoor and that they can bear fruits?

A:There is a large group of mangoes called "Condo Mango" - they literally can be grown in your apartment! Those are dwarf varieties that can remain compact in containers with minimal pruning and successfully bear fruit providing bright light and proper care, including plant food.

The best dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties are: Carrie, Cogshall, Cushman, Fairchild, Graham, Ice Cream, Julie, Mallika, Nam Doc Mai, Pickering, Irwin, Jahangir, Juliette, Lancetilla, Little Gem, Manilita, Sia Tong, Torbert, Pim Seng Mun, Super Julie.

They produce juicy, fiberless sweet fruit. Julie is also a very popular dwarf variety, however, it is very cold sensitive and not the easiest to grow. If you get a 3 gal size mango, step it up to 7 gal when the plant reaches 4 ft; you may use a bigger container as the root system grows, up to 15 gal or even 25 gal, space permitting. Trim the tree under 6-8 ft after production season is over (summer-fall).

See more information on growing condo mangoes

RECOMMENDED FERTILIZERS:

Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
For sweeter fruit, use SUNSHINE-Honey - sugar booster