Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 3 Mar 2022

Top Tropicals Team in Ukraine

Top  Tropicals  Research  tem:  Fedor 
 


Shablij

The tragedy hits quite close to home for Top Tropicals as we have a number of friends and associates who are currently in the Ukraine. These kind and hardworking people have contributed significantly to the success of Top Tropicals, most specifically our line of Sunshine Boosters fertilizers...
Top Tropicals has a research and development center in Ukraine. Where we develop SB plant fertilizer and number of new and exciting products, including Carefree Garden Complete Greenhouse/Grow Room Controller...

Our Ukrainian Team members are:

Fedor Shabliy - a brilliant chemist. Under his supervision the Sunshine Boosters series was developed, and then tested by local farmers in the Ukraine.
Oksana Shabliy (chemist)
Anton Tkachenko (mechanical and electronic engineer)
Roman Bidyuk (software developer)
Igor Kayun (software developer)
Igor Sushelnitsky (software and electronic engineer)
Olga Ozerova (project manager)
They have families, kids...

CONTINUE READING >>

Top  Tropicals  Ukraine  Research  tem

Top  Tropicals:  Learn  more  about  this  subject

Ukraine  2022:  Protecting  windows  from  shuttering

Cardboard window shutters to protect against broken glass...

Sunshine Boosters Special

With all this in mind, we are earmarking a percentage of all Sunshine Booster sales for this team of friends to aid in their living expenses and full recovery. In order to give back to our team in Ukraine, we are offering the following Sunshine Boosters Garden Series items at a discounted price:

Your purchase helps support Ukraine!

Sunshine C-Cibus 1 gallon
Sunshine Mango Tango 1 gallon
Sunshine Megaflor 1 gallon
Sunshine Robusta 1 gallon
Currently priced at 33% off reg price!

In addition, we will also donate $5.00 from each purchase to help Support Ukraine.

Spring is the time to fertilize and all of you will be getting some food for your plants. So get your plants Sunshine Boosters - the Fertilizer that Works, developed in Ukraine. Help us to support our Ukrainian Research Team! As always, we appreciate the support of our loyal community of Top Tropicals customers and enthusiasts.

Top  Tropicals:  Shop  our  online 
 


store

Date: 6 Feb 2026

💘Rooted love lasts longer than flowers

Smokey  the  tuxedo  cat  and  Sunshine  the  ginger  cat  sit  in  a  greenhouse 
 


beside  a  Sweetheart  Hoya  with  heart-shaped  leaves,  a  tag  reading  rooted 
 


love,  and  a  cup  of  coffee  with  donuts  on  a  wooden 
 


table.
Sunshine: Valentine Day soon. We need flowers.
Smokey: Nope. Heart-shaped hoya. Flowers fade. Plants stay.
Sunshine: Alright. One for my Valentine. One for me, with coffee.

💖 Sweetheart Hoya: a Valentine gift that lasts

Sweetheart Hoya (Hoya kerrii) has thick, heart-shaped leaves and a compact form that fits easily on a windowsill, desk, or shelf. It does not need constant attention, bright sun, or frequent watering. In fact, it prefers a lighter touch.

This is a plant that works well indoors, grows slowly, and forgives missed waterings. It is comfortable in normal home conditions and does not require special tools or experience. That makes it a good gift not only for plant lovers, but also for people who have never kept a houseplant before.

Unlike flowers, it does not come with an expiration date. It becomes part of daily life and stays there quietly, doing its job. Over time, it feels less like a purchase and more like something chosen with intention.

For Valentines Day, Sweetheart Hoya is a simple, lasting way to give something real.

Sweetheart Hoya care: quick how-to

  • Light: Bright window light is ideal. Avoid harsh, hot direct sun.
  • Water: Let the potting mix dry between waterings. When you water, water thoroughly, then let it drain.
  • Feeding: Light feeding during active growth helps. A balanced fertilizer like Sunshine™ Robusta keeps growth steady and leaves healthy.
  • Pace: Slow-growing and patient. Do not overwater or overpot.

❓Sweetheart Hoya: quick FAQ

  • Is it good for beginners? Yes. It is forgiving and does not need constant attention.
  • Can it live indoors year-round? Yes, in bright indoor light and normal home conditions.
  • Does it need flowers to be special? No. The heart-shaped leaves are the main feature.
  • Learn more: What is the best Valentines Day gift that actually lasts?

♥️ Shop Sweetheart Hoya

Valentine  Sweetheart  Hoya  Plant

Date: 15 May 2020

Harvesting from a young mango tree

Q: About a year ago we bought a mango tree from you folks and planted it in our backyard in Estero. It has done well. It now has several mangoes and I am wondering if the tree is strong enough to support the fruit or if I should just cut off the fruit and wait until next year when the tree is a bit stronger. I am attaching some pictures. I am most concerned about the branch on the right which seems to be sagging. If you do not suggest that I cut off the fruit, can I wait until they ripen on the tree and eat them. They seem to be a bit on the small side for eating.

A: Your mango tree looks very healthy and happy, congratulation with a great job! For young mango trees, it is always recommended to minimize a number of fruit to 2-3 so the tree has enough energy for vegetative growth rather than fruiting. In your case, as we can see from the pictures, your tree is very well established, has a strong root system, nice symmetrical shape, and vigorous new growth. In our opinion, you can save all these fruit and let them ripen on the tree. To support the plant's energy, make sure to fertilize it during summer with slow-release Mango Food, and year around - with Mango Tango booster. Use Sunshine Honey supplement for sweeter fruit.
Secure the heavy fruit branch with a v-shape stake (a big branch may work), it can definitely use the support otherwise may break under strong Florida winds. You are all set to enjoy your first crop and be rewarded with fruit of your excellent work!

In the photo above: Mr B is harvesting Mango Pim Seng Mun after his successful Sunshine Boosters fertilizing program.

Date: 30 May 2020

How to prevent mango fruit drop

Q: My mature mango tree is fully grown 15 yrs old and each year it fully blooms, sometimes twice. Shortly thereafter, all the baby mangos and flowers fall off providing no mangos for the season. I have tried fertilizing, spraying the tree for fungus or other insects, to no avail. I give up, any suggestions?

A: Dropping fruit in pretty common issue with mango trees. There may be several reasons, or a combination of reasons.
1. Fungal disease (anthracnose), and/or powdery mildew. To avoid fungal disease problems, spray your tree when it just begins to form the flower spikes. Treat foliage with Copper fungicide. There is also another one, very effective for anthracnose: Thiophanate methyl.
2. Inadequate nutrition. Feed your tree with a combination of granulated fertilizer Mango-Food, liquid booster SUNSHINE Mango Tango and micro-elements Sunshine Honey and Sunshine Superfood
Check out pictures of our mango tree problems that were fixed within a month by using Sunshine Boosters.
3. Too much rain or heavy dew during blooming and fruit set (see 1 - use preventive treatment for fungus)
4. Cold. Sometimes the cause of premature fruit drop is from the cold weather during bloom and fruit set. Usually the most affected varieties are the early bloomers including Glenn, Haden. The cold damages the developing embryo in the seed. The fruit starts to develop but because of ethylene gas given off by the damaged embryo, the fruit is triggered to drop before maturity. To see if cold temperature was the cause for your fruit dropping, cut open the fallen fruit. Even if there is a small speck of brown in the seed, that's enough damage to stop fruit development.
To learn more how to care for your mango, please read this publication.

Date: 24 Jun 2018

TopTropicals

New 2018 release: SUNSHINE SuperFood

"Two out of every five people on Earth today owe their lives to the higher crop outputs that fertilizer has made possible." (Bill Gates)

Micronutrient Supplement and Plant Health Booster
Misshapen, small fruit or no fruit?
Poor root growth?
Pale or yellow leaves?
Die backs?
Curled leaves?
Slow growth?
Don't let your plants starve... SUNSHINE SuperFood is your answer to all these problems!
Read more why your plants need SUNSHINE-SuperFood - Essential Element Complex that has them all: N-NH2, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B, Mo, S...
SUNSHINEâ„¢ SuperFood is a revolutionary new product released in 2018. It is a super micro-element supplement (Amino Acid Chelated Micronutrient) containing microelements, ultra-microelements, glycinates, as well as SUNSHINE-Honey ingredients. It shows amazing results in plant development, treating different element deficiencies, and improving fruit trees production.

GREEN-EARTH-ECOLOGY FRIENDLY! And it is GREEN color!

Buy SUNSHINE Superfood... item # 6000!