Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 18 Oct 2019

Using SUNSHINE Complete Nutrition System

For hydroponics and potted plants

Q: I recently bought both the 5ml of the sunshine epi and the 100 ml advanced nutrition kit. I read on the paper for the Epi not to use any other strong fertilizers along with this but I was wondering if it'd be alright to use both this foliar spray and nutrition watering together?

A: All solutions in SUNSHINE Booster Nutrition System (NPK-macro and micro-boosters) are compatible.
The only exception is Sunshine-Epi - brassinosteroid bio-stimulant. Epi should be mixed with distilled water separately from other boosters. The reason is, it is very bio-active, and if mixed with other compounds, oxidizes quickly which may affect its performance.

Sunshine-Epi solution must be prepared using distilled water and applied as foliar spray only (it only works on contact with leaves and not through the root system). Epi shows extremely impressive results when you apply it before the application of other nutrients because it increases plant metabolism; so all boosters become even more effective if you spray Epi the day before.

When using Micro- and Macro-boosters, you may mix all components in one watering can/tank (except for Epi), using regular tap water. Besides watering root ball, the macro-micro solution can be also used for foliar spray. It is optional, as in some circumstances growers prefer to keep leaves dry at all times: to stay away from mold, fungus and other issues caused by the wet environment.

Here is an example of Sunshine Boosters Nutrition System application:
1. Daily watering in one can: NPK 25 ml/gal (one of 5, depending on growth stage) + Constanta 5 ml/gal + Ca-Support 5 ml/gal, mixed in tap water
2. Every 2 weeks: spray Sunshine-Epi 2.5 ml/gal - to boost the immune system and growth rate, mixed in distilled water
3. From daily to every 2 weeks: Sunshine-Power-Si 25 ml/gal to protect from diseases and keep pH at 5.5-6.5. Can be used as often as daily and mixed with a daily watering solution (1)
4. As needed: Sunshine SuperFood and GreenLeaf - for correcting deficiencies. Can be also mixed with the daily solution (1)

Make sure to prepare a solution right before use and do not store solution for more than 1 day. Keep concentrates and solutions protected from bright sunlight.

Here is also advanced information on Sunshine Boosters compatibility.

READ MORE >>>

Date: 9 Nov 2018

Taste of Mango

TopTropicals.com

Mango harvest season is over, and now it's the time to plant young Mango trees for the next year season of flowering and fruiting. When choosing a mango tree, researching your location for proper growing conditions is relatively easy. But refining your decision-making process based on the taste of mango is both easy and fun (and filling)! However, since it is often difficult to find a convenient source for sampling a wide variety of mango fruits; we at Top Tropicals sat down and tasted a handful of varieties for you... Just another opinion on taste!

Pickering - Sweet, juicy, fiberless, with a hint of an apricot fragrance. (A universal favorite amongst the group.)

Nam Doc Mai - A slightly fibrous marmalade-like texture, with a sweet and floral flavor.

Cogshall - Very little fiber with a slightly tart and piney flavor.

Florigon - A mild, even flavor. Not too sweet, not too tart, and fiberless.

Mallika - A fiberless cantaloupe-like consistency. Slightly tart, with some semblance to non-acidic orange juice.

Valencia Pride - Slightly fibrous, with a tangy near citrus flavor.

Glenn - Very mild flavor, less sweet compared to other varieties, but very refreshing.

Read more about Mango varieties...

Date: 23 May 2024

Index of TopTropicals Telegram Channel

Index of TopTropicals Telegram Channel

🗂 Index of TopTropicals Telegram Channel



Follow these tags to find your interests:

#Butterfly_Plants - Butterfly attracting plants.

#Container_Garden - Plants suitable for container garden and indoor culture.

#Fertilizers - All the truth about fertilizers, plant food supplements, and our recommendations for different types of plants.

🥭 #Food_Forest - Fruit trees, Spice plants, and Edibles.
Including: #Avocado, #Mango, #Papaya, #Guava, #Jackfruit, #Loquat

📖 #Fun_Facts - interesting plant facts and legends.

🌳 #Hedges_with_benefits - Practical approach to your landscape and how to properly select showy and useful plants for your yard.

♍️ #Horoscope - Plant Horoscopes and Cat Horoscopes. Did you know that cats also have their Zodiac signs?

🛠 #How_to - Q&A about growing plants, tropical garden lifehacks.

👀 #Nature_Wonders - Unusual, amusing, outrageous, bizarre plants...

🐈
#PeopleCats - our Favorite PeopleCats (and some PeopleDogs, too).

🌸 #Perfume_Plants - Fragrant plants and perfume trees.

✍️ #Quotes - Interesting quotes.

#Recipes - Exotic recipes for tropical fruit and edibles.

💊
#Remedies - Medicinal plants.

☁️ #Shade_Garden - Plants suitable for low light conditions.

🌼 #Tree
s - Spectacular flowering tropical trees.

🏆 #Win - Contests, Sweepstakes, and other specials.

Join and share with friends👇🏵
TopTropicals

Date: 13 May 2022

New Video:
Golden Sugar Apple - Pineapple Annona

In this video we talk about a rare hybrid of Annona - Golden Sugar Apple. This rare Annona is a species originally brought to us from Costa Rica. We believe it to be a natural hybrid between A. muricata and A. glabra...
Fast growing, it forms a nice bushy specimen. It has a large, up to 1 lb fruit, green when unripe, turning dark yellow to orange on ripening. The pulp is golden to orange when ripe, with a strong Pineapple scent, and resembling Jackfruit in texture. Flavor is like the custard apple but with pineapple, papaya, apricot and melon overtones. Note that some people dislike the taste, others find it good... The tree tolerates flooding. It is also cold hardy! The plant would be very interesting for rare fruit collectors as it offers a large, exotic fruit of unusual color and taste, and appears to be much more hardy and water tolerant than similar looking but sensitive A. muricata, A. montana and Rollinia.

Annona  -  Golden  Sugar  Apple  youtube  video

Subscribe to our Channel:

Stay updated with TopTropicals Videos by subscribing to our channel at YouTube.com/TopTropicals and get our latest video news of what is fruiting and blooming!

Date: 26 Sep 2021

Edible Landscape: fruit bearing hedge

Photo above: Biquinho Pepper (2 months old plant)

Q: My mom had to remove a hedge for some renovations and after being heartbroken about losing my little bird haven, I've decided to plan on a fruit bearing hedge that offers some privacy and places for the little fledgling to wait for food. Any suggestions? I was thinking blueberries or citrus but open to any ideas.

A: Below are a few suggestions for a fruit bearing hedge planted with fast-growing, tropical species. They will contribute to a nice edible landscape for both your family and the birds - they will be very happy!

Larger size hedge (small trees), grows full-size within 1 season:
- Loquats
- Dwarf Mulberries (very cold hardy too) such as Dwarf Everbearing

Medium size hedge (shrubs or vines), 2-3 seasons to grow full size:
- Black Surinam Cherry Lolita
- Blackberries and raspberries

Low hedge (4-5 ft tall, 1 season, fast growing):
- Biquinho Pepper
- Wiri Wiri Pepper

Citrus is probably not a good idea, not bird's favorite, and blueberries require a special acidic soil here in Florida, so they will need extra maintenance, special soil, and heavy mulching.

Blackberry hedge

Surinam Cherry Lolita, 2 year old plant

Loquat (5 years old bushy specimen)