Sugar grains on leaves?

by Mark Hooten, the Garden Doc

Q: On my Stemmadenia tree I noticed tiny drops (like white sand grain or sugar crystals) and wonder if this is a disease or some kind of insect and what can I do about it?

A: Sometimes certain vigorously growing (mostly tropical) plants develop suspiciously-looking tiny "growths" mostly on the undersides of their leaves. Without strong magnification, they can be easily mistaken for mealy bugs, scale insects, or any number of parasitic disease vectors.
However, according to plant pathologists, these are actually harmless excretions actually exuded by the plants themselves. A chemical analysis of these tiny granules shows that they are nothing more than polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are basically complex chains of sugar/glucose molecules which are simply a production of all plants undergoing photosynthesis. Polysaccharides are at the beginning of the entire food-chain. These odd tiny sugar-grained nodules are actually only semi-crystalline complex sugars which certain plants have over manufactured and have had no choice but to excrete through their stomata (breathing pores).
I have personally observed Cecropia, Psychotria, Spondias (Hog Plum), and Guavas doing this... there are many others. Nothing to worry about, they are harmless, but if they bother you - wash them off with a hose water.

When to apply super boost?

Sunshine Boosters: a breakthrough in Winter fertilizing

In the photo: plants are tough survivors. Life can't be stopped even by a brick road!

Q: Just wanted to know best time of day to apply super boost as spray and watering? Only listed to make sure night temp doesn't drop below 65F...

A: As a rule of thumb, plant's needs in fertilizers are very low in the cold season because they consume less nutrients during dormancy. For tropical plants, when minimum temperatures drop below 65F - we stop applications of dry (granulated) fertilizers until spring, to avoid root burn.
Liquid Sunshine Boosters are exceptions from this rule to a certain extent, for 2 reasons:
- they are amino-acid based which means, salts do not build up in the soil, and thus will not burn the roots even with slower plant metabolism.
- concentrations/formulas are mild and designed for as frequent as daily watering

Tips for winter fertilizing:

1) When a plant goes into full dormancy (drops leaves and does not show any new growth), you may stop fertilizing with any Macro NPK products (both dry and liquid)

2) If a plant is evergreen and continues growing during the cooler period, and especially if it is a winter bloomer, mild liquid fertilizers can be applied, depending on the stage of plant development.
Robusta and TotalFeed are used for vegetative growth and pre-flower.
Megaflor and C-Cibus are used for winter flowering/ fruiting plants during the bloom stage.

See full list of liquid boosters

3) Micro-elements can be used all year round for all plants that are not dormant (do not drop leaves)

4) Always use Sunshine-Epi as a foliar spray to activate immune system and unlock protective mechanisms, BEFORE applying other boosters. It is especially important during Fall-Winter for improving cold tolerance and disease resistance.

5) Always apply foliar spray and/or drench the soil with solutions in morning hours so the plant has time to process the nutrients during daylight when metabolism is the most active.

6) Avoid any dry fertilizers during winter

Grafted or seedling?

Photo: Mr Barcy meditating before planting Nutmeg seeds

Q: I planted an avocado seed and it sprouted quickly, it has been only a couple months and I already have a small plant. How soon will it produce fruit? Can I grow other tropical fruit from seed?

A: Unfortunately, some fruit trees, including varieties of avocado, mango, lychee, as well as apples and peaches - must be either grafted or air-layered in order to produce, for 2 main reasons:
- seedlings may take a very long time until fruiting, up to 10-15 years
- seedling gives no guarantee on the quality of the fruit or variety
These fruit trees should be propagated as "clones" - both grafted material or cuttings are actually copies of the mother plant and will keep the same fruit qualities. Grafted trees usually start producing immediately.
However there is a number of fruit trees that come true from seed, and take a very short time to start flowering. Jackfruit, Annonas (Sugar Apple, Guanabana, etc), Papaya, Icecream Bean, Eugenias start producing at a young age (3-4 years from seed).

Recommended fertilizers for fruit trees:

Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
SUNSHINE-Honey - for sweeter fruit
SUNSHINE SuperFood - microelement supplement

Full Sun Garden vs Shade Garden

"Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago." (Warren Buffett)

Q: I live in California and I have a large area of my garden in full shade. Are there any plants that will be happy there? I am looking for something colorful. I also have a smaller area in front of the house that has full sun almost all day long, but I am afraid this can be too hot for flowering plants? Can you recommend something?

A: Full sun gardens have a strong, bright look while shade gardens have cooler, subdued appearance. Both types of gardens are fun to design and maintain as long as you pick the right plants.
Full Sun Garden is the easiest to grow. Depending on exposure, it may require some plants that can tolerate the hottest summer days and the dry conditions in your area. The good news is, the majority of tropical and subtropical plants prefer full sun, so you have a large selection to pick from - fruit trees, flowering trees, shrubs, vines, and small perennials. The more sun, the more flowers and fruit you will get! However, keep in mind that sun gardens require more water, but generous mulching will help to minimize watering.
Shade Garden is much more restful in appearance, but sometimes may be a little more difficult to work with. As shade trees grow bigger and thicker, it may become too dark; nothing will grow in total darkness. In this case you need to prune back some branches to let more light in. Filtered sunlight or dappled light coming through the leaves of the trees is beneficial and considered light shade, which would be the best light conditions for shade loving plants to thrive. Although shady cooler spaces attract more insects and will require more attention to control them, they also have some advantages over sun gardens. You can enjoy working in cooler conditions, and your garden will require less water. Many foliage plants look more deeply colored and healthier than in full sun; white flowers shine instead of looking washed out!
Our favorite shade plants are fragrant brunfelsias , clerodendrums, and of course colorful gingers and heliconias. You may also consider ornamental foliage of Calatheas, lush Alocasias, Colocasias, and colorful Cordylines. Check out our shade loving plant list for more colorful suggestions. These are also great for indoor gardens!

On the photo: Calathea lancifolia Rattlesnake

SUNSHINE boosters for recovering plants after shipping

Q: I live in Garden City, NJ and have a sun room with a tropical plant collection that I keep at about 40-45 degrees in winter. I used Sunshine booster during winter for my plant collection and results were amazing! I haven't lost a single plant. Now I see you have more products and I am planning to purchase more plants, how should I use Sunshine boosters to help plants recover after shipping?

A: Spray SUNSHINE-E solution right after receiving a plant from shipping. It will boost up the plant and make it 50-60% stronger and easier to recover after shipping stress. After that, apply SUNSHINE-SuperFood microelement booster to provide everything necessary for the plant to grow vigorously and happily. SUNSHINE-E is indeed a wonderful plant stimulant and stress reliever, although it is not a "magic-cure-all" medicine where one can't find its active ingredient. The hormone (epibrassinolide) is well-known and used in different countries along with other hormones for promote growth, fruiting, blooming, rooting, etc. One of the most amazing properties of SUNSHINE is that it works in extremely low dozes. Only a few drops will be enough to make a solution in distilled water, to treat a large size plant. If you want to try it out, one 5 ml bottle will last for several applications. Large bottles of SUNSHINE 50 ml and 100 ml - great for small and big gardens. It is a good idea to start bi-weekly applications to improve your plants tolerance to Summer heat, drought and improve disease resistance. The formula works through plant metabolism within 2-4 days, repeat application not sooner than in one week. After application of SUNSHINE-E, don't forget to boost your plants with SUNSHINE-SuperFood .

Check out SUNSHINE boosters... We offer FREE shipping on them, so you can make your plants happy!