Thank you from Top Tropicals PeopleCats

"Hold a true friend with both hands"
- Nigerian proverb -

Cat friends, thank you for your support!

"...Dear Friends at Top Tropicals,
Thank you for your Photo of Saint Gertrude of Nivelles. I did not know about her. Now I can meditate upon her to help all cats. Our pets, plants, and loved ones will help us during this world crises. My bees and garden certainly help me.
Again, thank you for your plant advertisements, (they are an education in themselves) and for your caring about I gatti! Saint Gertrude will help!
All best regards, auguri, di Frank La Rosa Mazza di Del Mar, California"

TopTropicals Cat Club

Thank you everybody for supporting us in helping PeopleCat Community! If you want to help, you may do so directly from our website. Check out the Video: and more Cat of the Day stories.

Mr B is saying Hi and for those asking about his GPS on his collar: he uses Tractive for his personal cell service. Mr B makes 2-3 miles a day, staying active and healthy. Not bad for a 13 y.o. cat!

Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: King the Hobo

"Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry." - Jack Kerouac

King, who has been famous with his ability to get in trouble, without a doubt is the Cat of the day, week, and month. His recent adventure went above and beyond our expectations. King decided to take a ride.
He jumped inside the truck of our supplier from Homestead, for very innocent reason: inspect the quality of plants delivered. No questions asked, he did his job.
Next thing we remember was the driver calling us on his way to Homestead: "Looks like I have your cat in my truck, and he is pretty happy with the ride!"
Luckily, the discovery of the Hobo happened pretty quickly, before the truck left Ft Myers area. So King did not get all the way to Homestead as he planned, his adventure was interrupted. He was dropped off at Edison Estate Botanical Garden. The director Eric happen to know TopTropicals well, just visiting us a few days before for the Leap Year Celebration event. He kept King in his office until Onika came to pick him up.
What an adventure!

Dear visitors of Top Tropical Garden Center! When leaving our Nursery, please check your vehicles for cats! Apparently, they like to travel!

Thank you everybody for supporting us in helping PeopleCats. Every dollar you spend on TopTropicals plants is split between plant growers and PeopleCats who help us become better people.

Check out the Video: and more Cat of the Day stories.

After his adventures, King is resting with his pet mouse. Mouse is alive, and no animals were hurt during the adventures.

7 reasons to get an Aroid Houseplant

1. It's almost Winter... You need something tropical in your home! Aroids have the most tropical look!
2. Aroids tolerate low light conditions of indoors.
3. Aroids require almost no care. Care is easy because if you watch for the signals, the plant will tell you exactly what it needs
4. Aroids adapt to wide range of conditions. Many of them thrive in neglect and survive even in sub-optimal conditions... Unlike most tropicals, Aroids don't experience much stress when moving from indoor to outdoor settings and adapt readily to conditions inside the home.
5. Aroids are compact and easy to manage.
6. Aroids are fast growing while still being compact.
7. They are on sale now!

Check out our Philodendrons, Monsteras, Fancy Syngoniums, Alocasias, Colocasias.

Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster

Dragon Fruit Magic Tricks

Q: I purchased two sweet red pitayas, that arrived and were planted on May 28, 2020, they were damaged but not serious. my question is this one pitaya is a beautiful green, and has grown 6or 8 " already, the other is bigger and is a grayish green and has not shown any sign of growth at all in six weeks, how long do I wait before I throw it out and buy another?

A: Being a cactus, sometimes Pitaya slows down its growth waiting for more favorable conditions. If one of your plants doesn't show any new growth, just give a it some more time and make sure the plant stays happy. To make pitaya happy, provide the following:
- Water. Unlike most cacti, Pitaya prefers regular watering (but not a wet soil). Make sure it is planted in well-drained media. Do not water again if soil remains moist, wait until it dries out on the surface. During hot weather, Pitaya enjoys light daily watering.
- Light. Unlike most cacti, Pitaya benefits from a filtered light especially while establishing. Try to create a temporary shade over the plant until it starts active growth (if grown in the ground), or move the pot in filtered light. Dull color or dry spots are signs of sun burn. Once the plant shows new growth, you may remove sun protection, or move the pot gradually into the full sun.
- Food. Pitayas are heavy feeders. Use the following fertilizer:
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster

Q: I've been growing dragon fruit cuttings from Okinawa, Thailand and Vietnam for several years in pots and cannot get them to fruit. Any fertilizer suggestions? I live in Northern Virginia so I bring the massive pots in the garage under lights and a heater for the winter but back outside once the temperature warms up.

A: There is a little trick to get Dragon fruit to flowering and fruiting. This plant likes flowering when it is attached to a strong support. In commercial plantations, they use special trellises/frames made out of logs, but you can make one yourself using simple materials.
See article: Do-It-Yourself Support Structure for Dragon Fruit.
And of course, don't forget a special plant food for tropical fruit - Sunshine C-Cibus.
You can successfully get your Dragon fruits to fruit in pots, providing bright light in Summer. In Winter, keep the plants on a dry side to give them some rest and a chance to hibernate before the next fruiting season.

Establishing Mamey Sapote

In the photo: Mamey Sapote lre-leafing.

Q: I purchased Mamey sapote last fall and am very excited about having it in my yard. It lost leaves during the winter, but then budded and put on a lot of beautiful leaves. I was hand watering since this covid stay at home event, and thought I'd put it in a larger container, 10 gallon. About 2 months after transplant and hand watering the leaves turned yellow. I cut back on watering, allowing some dryness between. Some leaves now have fallen off, but looks like new ones forming. What have I done and most importantly now, what do I need to do so she survives? I haven't yet decided exactly where to plant her... so hoping she can stay in container for a bit longer while recovering.

A: It is possibly a combination of over-watering and seasonal changes (re-leaf). During this time of the year, Pouteria sapote loses old leaves and grows new ones. This plant is semi-deciduous, which means, it drops leaves during unfavorable conditions (too dry, too wet, too cold, to hot, etc. = any stress). The new buds are healthy. Give it a couple of weeks. Reduce watering. Don't water again if the soil is still moist. If planted in the ground, it will be easier to control the moisture, as long as you plant it high enough (at least 3-4" above the surrounding area, like on a little hill, for a better drainage. See how to plant a tree.
Once you notice a new growth and healthy leaves, give the plant some food:
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster