Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 18 Apr 2026

Surinam cherry skillet glaze: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

Surinam cherry skillet glaze: quick-n-fun exotic recipes Surinam cherry skillet glaze: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

🍴 Surinam cherry skillet glaze: quick-n-fun exotic recipes


  • 🔴Halve ripe Surinam cherries, take the seed out
  • 🔴Cook in a pan with honey and a squeeze of orange. Simmer until syrupy.
  • 🔴Pour over grilled chicken or roasted vegetables.


🌿 About the plant:


Surinam cherry produces bright ribbed fruit that range from sweet to tangy depending on variety and ripeness.

🏡 In the garden:


A tough, adaptable shrub that can be trimmed as a hedge. Fruits multiple times a year in warm climates.

🛒 Plant Surinam Cherry in your garden

📚 Learn more:

Plant Facts

Eugenia uniflora, Eugenia michelii
Surinam Cherry, Pitanga, Brazilian Cherry
USDA Zone: 9-11
Plant used for bonsaiLarge shrub 5-10 ft tallSmall tree 10-20 ftSemi-shadeFull sunModerate waterRegular waterWhite, off-white flowersEdible plantFragrant plantSubtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time

#Food_Forest #Recipes

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 16 Mar 2026

🌱 💪 Green Magic + SUNSHINE Boosters: A Complete System for Strong Plant Growth

By Tatiana Anderson, Horticulture Expert at Top Tropicals with Smokey & Sunshine help

Nearly  dead  houseplants  (Dracaena,  Syngonium,  and  Spathiphyllum) 
 recovering  and  growing  vigorously  after  treatment  with  Green  Magic 
 fertilizer  and  Sunshine  Robusta  plant 
 booster.

Green Magic recovery test with SUNSHINE Robusta support: Dracaena, Syngonium, and Spathiphyllum revived from severe stress and growing vigorously.

☀️🌱 Sunshine Boosters: Complete Plant Nutrition

Sunshine Boosters provide complete plant nutrition, including Calcium and micronutrients that plants need for strong growth. Because nutrients are delivered in liquid form, plants can absorb them quickly and respond almost immediately.

The Practical Problem

Liquid feeding works well, but it requires frequent application. In real gardens, many growers simply do not have time to add liquid fertilizer with every watering.

Green Magic: The Foundation

Green Magic solves this problem by providing steady background nutrition through controlled-release fertilizer. It feeds plants gradually, so they continue receiving nutrients even between liquid feedings.

Why This Combination Works

Together, this system provides both complete nutrition and steady feeding. Sunshine Boosters supply fast nutrients and Calcium, while Green Magic maintains a stable nutrient supply between feedings.

✍️ How to Feed Your Plants

📅 Step 1 – Start of the Growing Season

  • Apply Green Magic around the root zone every 6 months.

    In ground:
    • Small Shrubs (1–3 feet): Use approximately 1/4 to 1/2 cup per plant
    • Established Trees: Use 1/2 lb to 1 lb of product per 1 inch of trunk diameter.
    • Small In-Ground Ornamentals: A common "spoon" rate is roughly 1 teaspoon per gallon of estimated root volume (or per sq. ft. of surface area).
    • Spread evenly around the dripline. Avoid piling the granules against the base or trunk of the plant. For best results, lightly rake the granules into the top 1–2 inches of soil.
    Container plants:
    • Apply 1 tea spoon per 1 gal of soil (mix in with soil) every 6 months during active growth period, or with every re-potting.
  • Water normally after application.
  • Adjustment for Temperature. Because Green Magic is temperature-controlled, adjust your rate if your local climate is extreme:
    • Cooler Climates (<60°F average): Increase the rate by 20% to ensure enough nutrients are released.
    • Hot Climates (> 80°F average): Decrease the rate by 20% to prevent over-releasing as the heat speeds up the process.

☀️🌿 Step 2 – Active Growing Season

  • Apply Sunshine Boosters during the growing season.
  • Regular feeding (maintenance): Mix with tap water according to the ratio on the label. For SUNSHINE Robusta use 25 ml (5 tsp)per gallon of water and spray leaves every 5-7 days during active growth.
  • Correction feeding ("medicine" dose): if plants show visible nutrient deficiencies, combine SUNSHINE Robusta with SUNSHINE Superfood and spray every 5–7 days until new growth appears healthy. All SUNSHINE Boosters products are compatible and can be mixed with water in the same sprayer.
  • Best time to spray: early morning or evening when temperatures are cooler and leaves can absorb nutrients efficiently.
  • Important: spray both the top and underside of leaves for maximum absorption.

Tacca  plant  (bat  flower)  showing  strong  vegetative  growth  and  flower 
 bud  development  in  the  same  season  after  feeding  with  Green  Magic 
 fertilizer.

Tacca (bat flower) showing vigorous growth and producing flower buds in the same season after feeding with Green Magic.
Swipe left/right to see all data ↔️

📊 Seasonal feeding schedule with Green Magic and Sunshine Boosters.

Season Product Method Goal
Spring (March) Green Magic Soil Surface 6-month steady nutrient base.
Growing Season Sunshine Boosters Foliar (Every 5-7 days) Calcium & Bio-available growth power.
Late Summer Green Magic Soil Surface Replenish foundation for Fall.
Winter Sunshine Epi Foliar/Drench Cold tolerance and shipping recovery.

Quick Dose Reference

  • Green Magic: 1 teaspoon per 1 gallon of soil volume.
  • Sunshine Boosters: 25 ml (5 tsp) per 1 gallon of water.
  • Pro Tip: Always spray in the early morning or late evening to prevent leaf scorch and ensure maximum absorption through the stomata.

❓Frequently Asked Questions: Plant Nutrition & Fertilizer

General Fertilizer Concepts

Why is the "Spring Fertilizer Rush" a problem?
Most gardeners apply a large amount of traditional fertilizer once in March. This creates a "roller coaster" effect where plants get a sudden spike of nutrients followed by weeks of starvation. This leads to inconsistent growth and potential "fertilizer burn."

What is "fertilizer burn"?
Traditional fertilizers are made of soluble salts. When too many salts accumulate around the roots, they actually pull water out of the plant tissues (osmosis), dehydrating the plant and damaging sensitive root tips and leaf edges.

Is there a difference between "Slow-Release" and "Controlled-Release"?
Yes.

  • Slow-Release: Relies on natural factors like moisture and soil microbes to break down. It is often unpredictable.
  • Controlled-Release: Uses engineered polymer membranes (like Polyon) to release nutrients at a specific, predictable rate based primarily on temperature.

Green Magic & Temperature

How does temperature affect my fertilizer?
Most fertilizers are lab-tested at 75°F. In hot climates (90°F+), the nutrients release much faster. A "6-month" fertilizer might only last 3 months in the summer heat.

How should I adjust Green Magic for my local weather?

  • Cooler Climates (<60°F): Increase the application rate by 20%.
  • Hot Climates (> 80°F): Decrease the application rate by 20% to prevent over-releasing.

The Calcium Gap

Why doesn't Green Magic contain Calcium?
Calcium salts are highly soluble and can destabilize the polymer coating used in controlled-release granules. Therefore, most high-quality granules leave Calcium out. You can provide Calcium by using SUNSHINE Boosters

Why is Calcium so important for new growth?
Calcium is the "bone" of the plant, building strong cell walls. Unlike other nutrients, it is immobile—the plant cannot move it from old leaves to new ones. If you don't provide a constant supply, new leaves and fruit will emerge distorted or weak.

Advanced Science & Troubleshooting

What makes Sunshine Boosters "Bioavailable"?
Unlike most liquid fertilizers that use EDTA chelators, Sunshine Boosters are amino-acid based. They use organic acids and glycine to escort minerals into the plant, allowing it to incorporate nutrients into its proteins almost immediately.

Will these fertilizers affect the taste of my fruit?
No. Sunshine Boosters are made from pharmaceutical-grade components and contain no urea or harmful salts, ensuring your harvest (like Mangoes or Avocados) has a pure, natural flavor without a chemical aftertaste.

✨ Green Magic - 15% Off This Week

Give Your Plants a Strong Start This Spring
Green Magic - 15% OFF.

Build the foundation for the entire growing season with a steady, long-lasting nutrient base.

No coupon needed. The discount is automatically applied at checkout.
Offer valid through 03/21/2026. Discount applies to Green Magic products only. Not valid on previous purchases and cannot be combined with other promotions or discounts. Offer subject to change without notice.
Sunshine: So Green Magic feeds the plant for months. Does that mean I can forget about Sunshine Boosters?

Smokey: Not quite. Green Magic is the steady base diet. Sunshine Boosters are the weekly power drink during active growth.

Sunshine: Ah. Like my regular meals and donuts on top.

Smokey: Exactly. Plants eat slowly from Green Magic, and once a week they get a fresh boost.

Sunshine: Sprinkle once, then boosters every week. The plant grows, I drink coffee, and nobody forgets anything important.

Smokey: Except where you left the donuts.

Sunshine: Smokey... nobody forgets donuts. Ever

🛒 Feed your plants

✍️ Learn more about fertilizers

Date: 31 Oct 2025

👻 When plants grow wings...

Smokey  the  black-and-white  tuxedo  cat  stands  upright  holding  a  glowing 
 jack-o'-lantern  filled  with  tropical  fruit,  while  Sunshine  the  fluffy  ginger
    tabby 
 lounges  in  a  hammock  under  string  lights,  sipping  cocoa.  Around  them  are 
 pumpkins,  lanterns,  and  tropical  plants  under  a  warm  twilight  sky.

🌴 Twilight in the garden. Smokey is holding a glowing pumpkin. Sunshine is sipping cocoa.

Sunshine: "Smokey, why does that plant look like it wants to fly away?"
Smokey: "That’s the Bat Lily - Tacca. It’s rare, it’s weird, and it’s in bloom just in time for Halloween."
Sunshine: "Figures. You always find the spooky ones."

Meet the Bat Lily (Tacca)

Tacca is also called the Bat Lily or Devil Flower. This tropical wonder grows bat-shaped wings and foot-long whiskers. The black form (Tacca chantrieri) looks straight out of a gothic dream, while the white one (Tacca nivea) is ghost-like and elegant.

Some of our plants are blooming right now in the nursery — true Halloween magic! Blooms are delicate and may not travel, but the plants are strong and will flower again soon in your care.

Black  Bat  Lily  (Tacca  chantrieri)  plants  in  bloom  inside  the  Top 
 Tropicals  greenhouse,  showing  dark  maroon  bracts  and  long  pale  whiskers 
 rising  above  large  green 
 leaves.

Black Bat Lily (Tacca chantrieri) with dark maroon wings and long whiskers

Close-up  of  White  Bat  Lily  (Tacca  nivea)  plants  in  a  greenhouse  at  Top 
 Tropicals,  showing  large  white  bracts  and  long  trailing  whiskers  above 
 glossy  green 
 leaves.

White Bat Lily (Tacca nivea) in bloom with wide ivory wings

"The White Bat Lily (Tacca nivea) is bold and sculptural, with oversized ivory wings that command attention. Its pale bracts stretch wide above clusters of deep maroon flowers, and long, silvery whiskers spill gracefully through the foliage. In filtered light, the plant seems to glow from within — elegant, crisp, and perfectly balanced between the strange and the beautiful. If I could pick, I’d go with the White Tacca. It feels more architectural, more balanced — those oversized wings catch light in a way that shows off every vein and curve. It looks engineered by nature, almost like an alien design prototype that actually works.

The Black Bat Lily (Tacca chantrieri) feels alive with shadow. Its dark maroon wings and wiry whiskers make it look like something that fluttered out of the jungle at dusk. The bloom’s layered structure and near-black sheen give it a quiet power — mysterious, understated, but impossible to ignore. But if I were designing mood lighting for a greenhouse at night, the Black Tacca wins. It’s subtle, mysterious, like a secret only visible up close. Together, they’re perfect opposites — yin and yang of the tropical underworld: white for daylight, black for moonlight." — says Tatiana Anderson, Top Tropicals Plant Expert

Special Offer: Discounts on Rare Tacca Plants

Grow your own Bat Lilies — White or Black — at a special Halloween price!

Get 25% OFF Tacca plants with code

TACCA2025

Min order $25 (excluding S/H), valid online only, cannot be combined with other offers.

Hurry, offer expires November 03, 2025!

🎃 Storewide Halloween Sale – For Everything Beyond Tacca

Not into spooky plants? Enjoy savings on all other tropical plants across the store!

Get 15% OFF tropical plants with code

HALLOWEEN2025

Min order $100 (excluding S/H), valid online only, cannot be combined with other offers.

Hurry, offer expires November 03 2025!

👉 Collect Tacca plants:

Black - Tacca chantrieri

White - Tacca nivea

Green - Tacca leontopetaloides

Date: 24 Sep 2025

The SECRET growers never tell you: simple trick how to bring plants back to life and keep green

Green Magic Fetilizer makes plants green

🌳 The SECRET growers never tell you: simple trick how to bring plants back to life and keep green

  • 💚 Green Magic is plant food that really works. It keeps your plants green, strong, and growing steady.
  • 💚 We call it Magic - because it even brought back plants we thought were gone! So thу Green Magic can bring dead to live!
  • 💚 The secret is slow release. Most dry fertilizers dump everything at once, burn the roots, then disappear. Green Magic feeds little by little for six months straight. No burn, no guesswork, just steady food that plants love.
  • 💚 It's perfect for potted fruit trees, ornamentals, and houseplants. One handful is all it takes, and your plants stay fed for half a year.


✔️ How to use:


Mix in 1 teaspoon per gallon of soil when potting, or sprinkle on top once every six months. That's it!

✔️ Why it works:

  • Feeds slowly and evenly for six months
  • Keeps leaves green and plants healthy
  • Strong growth, even for weak or struggling plants
  • Works in any climate, indoors or out
  • Great for containers, trees, and ornamentals
  • This isn’t a flower booster. It’s a growth booster. The kind of steady food that builds strong plants for life.

  • 👉 Watch your plants come back to life and thrive with this professional-grade, controlled-release fertilizer - Green Magic. Even struggling plants can turn lush and green again.
Give it a try - your plants will thank you!

🛒 Buy once, feed for 6 months!

📚 Learn more


#Fertilizers #How_to
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 8 Feb 2024

Mark your calendars: March 2, 2024

March  2,  2024  -  SATURDAY  -  Spring  Plant  Market:  March  into  Spring!

Plant Festival "March into Spring!"
Saturday, March 2, 9 am - 4 pm

Save the date! On March 2, 2024, join us for our vibrant Plant Festival, "March into Spring!"
Dive into a world of lush greenery, blooming delights, and rare fruit trees at our garden event. Discover unbeatable sales, exclusive deals, delightful gift bags, and receive free plants with every purchase.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to embrace the beauty of spring and elevate your garden to new heights!

Highlights of the event:

30% OFF online prices, one day only! (excluding 15 gallon material and rare plants)
Gift bags - for first 25 customers with $50 order
Secret Garden: Super savings area 50-70% off
$5 and $10 plants
Raffle
Free plant with any purchase as a token of our appreciation

Event discounts valid at both locations:

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

Facebook event page - Download invitation

Cat  with  plants  in  a  bag