Date: 11 Aug 2018
From Anna Banana: Shipping and planting during hot weather
Q: I received email notification that my order was delayed due to hot weather. Why? And do I need to do anything special if I plant when it is hot?
A: When plants are shipped via FedEx Ground, it is hot in the truck! According to our FedEx area manager information, if outside temperature is 100 degrees, inside the truck it can be 130! We don't want to put your plants through that much stress. We monitor the weather at destination, and as soon as it cools down a little bit, your order will be shipped.
Planting during
hot weather:
1. For a mail-ordered plant follow planting instructions and never
plant it from the box directly into the ground. Keep it in a pot the size of a
root ball until the plant recovers from shipping stress, re-grows root system
and adjusts from several days of darkness to a bright light. Move the pot
gradually into brighter light, eventually into a spot of its permanent home. Do
not over water the pot. Once you see new growth - the plant is ready to be
transplanted into the ground.
2. Use only quality soil, containing lots of organic matter (compost, peat
moss); soil conditioner is beneficial (pine bark). Plant it on a little hill,
so growing point is elevated 1-1.5"above the rest of the surface.
3. Put a good layer of mulch around the plant, at least 1-2" thick, and not
too close to the trunk as it may cause stem rot on contact.
4. Water daily with a garden hose until the plant shows active growth -
then watering may be reduced every other day or less, or you may rely on
sprinklers and/or rains.
5. If the sun is too hot, use shade cloth (or simply a white bed sheet) to
cover the plant for the first few days (use bamboo sticks for support). It
will help the plant to establish without heat stress. If leaves start dropping
- this may be a sign of excessive light and heat. Shading is the way to
reduce it.
6. Use SUNSHINE booster
Date: 16 Nov 2025
Tropical almond brittle: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
🍴 Tropical almond brittle: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
- 🟢Caramelize sugar, stir in roasted tropical almonds (Terminalia catappa), spread thin.
- 🟢Let cool, harden, and break into crunchy, nutty shards.
Tropical Almond Brittle
Ingredients
- 2 cups roasted tropical almonds (Terminalia catappa)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp butter
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat until sugar caramelizes to a golden amber color.
- Remove from heat and quickly stir in roasted tropical almonds.
- Pour onto parchment paper and spread into a thin layer.
- Let cool completely, then break into brittle shards.
🛒 Grow your own almonds
📚 Learn more:
Where do almonds come from?
#Food_Forest #Recipes
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Date: 31 Jan 2026
Pitomba pop cups: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
🍴 Pitomba pop cups: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
Pitomba Pop Cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitomba pulp
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon water
- Fresh mint leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Scoop pitomba pulp into a small bowl.
- Mix with honey and a little water to soften the texture.
- Spoon the mixture into small cups or molds.
- Freeze until icy-soft.
- Serve topped with fresh mint for a refreshing tropical snack.
🌿 About the plant:
Pitomba (Eugenia luschnathiana) is a tropical fruit native to Brazil, prized for its bright, citrusy pulp with a sweet-sour kick. The flavor is often compared to a mix of apricot, citrus, and mild resin, making it refreshing and snack-worthy straight from the fruit.
🌱 In the garden:
Pitomba grows as a small to medium-sized slow growing tree with glossy evergreen leaves. It thrives in warm climates, prefers full sun to light shade, suitable for USDA zones 10-11, it can also be grown in large containers and responds well to pruning, making it manageable for home gardens.
🛒 Plant exotic Pitomba cherry in your garden
📚 Learn more:
Eugenia luschnathiana - Pitomba - in Plant Encyclopedia
#Food_Forest #Recipes
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Date: 26 Feb 2026
Stop Sugar Crashes: 5 Tropical Fruit Hacks for Healthy Dessert
Exotic Tropical Fruits for Blood Sugar Management. Stop the sugar crash cycle. Learn how to manage glucose levels and insulin spikes using tropical fruits, healthy fats, and metabolic hacks for healthy dessert.
🍨 Stop Sugar Crashes: 5 Tropical Fruit Hacks for Healthy Dessert
The smarter way to handle sugar cravings - no restriction required
Tired of the post-cookie slump? Sugar cravings are a physiological response to blood glucose fluctuations, not a lack of willpower. Refined sugars trigger an insulin spike followed by a hypoglycemic crash, trapping you in a cycle of fatigue and hunger.
The secret to metabolic health is managing glycemic load. By choosing nutrient-dense tropical fruits, you satisfy your sweet tooth while maintaining stable energy homeostasis.
The solution is not to give up dessert. It is to change what dessert means. Here is how to use tropical horticulture to hack your biology and regulate insulin:
🍭 1. Choose fruit that comes with fiber
Whole tropical fruits deliver sweetness wrapped in fiber, water, and nutrients. That slows sugar absorption and keeps energy steady.
Try:
· Mango, chilled and sliced
- · Sapodilla - naturally caramel-sweet
- · Mulberries by the handful
- · Loquat halves straight from the fridge
- · Dragon Fruit for light, clean sweetness
🍭 2. Pair sweet with fat to blunt the glucose spike
Healthy lipids are a biological hack for your metabolism. Fats slow gastric emptying, ensuring a steady glucose release rather than an inflammatory spike. Furthermore, lipids trigger cholecystokinin (CCK) - the hormone that signals satiety to the brain - effectively "turning off" cravings at the source.
· Avocado blended into a chocolate-style mousse: The monounsaturated fats create a creamy texture while blunting the sugar response.
- · Banana with nut butter: Combining fast-acting fruit sugars with dense protein and fats.
- · Pineapple with raw nuts: The bromelain in pineapple aids digestion, while the fats in nuts provide long-lasting satiety.
- · Mango mixed into full-fat yogurt: The combination of probiotics, protein, and lipids turns a simple fruit into a complete, low-glycemic snack.
🍭 3. Use naturally rich fruits in place of sugar
Some tropical fruits taste like dessert already.
· Jackfruit has candy-like sweetness
- · Sapote is creamy and custard-like
- · Guava brings floral depth
- · Cherries add brightness
- · Mash Banana into baking instead of white sugar.
- · Blend Mango into yogurt instead of syrup.
- · Top oatmeal with Mulberry instead of brown sugar.
🍭 4. Balance sweet with tart
Adding contrast reduces the urge to overeat sweetness.
· Carambola adds crisp tang.
- · Pineapple brightens the palate.
- · Loquat gives gentle acidity.
🍭 5. Start the day right
Skipping breakfast increases late-day sugar cravings.
A morning smoothie with Avocado, Banana, and Mango prevents the afternoon energy dip. Hydration also matters - thirst often disguises itself as a sweet craving.
🍭 In essence
Dessert is not the enemy. Refined sugar is.
When sweetness comes from nature's bounty, it nourishes instead of draining energy.
You do not need to quit dessert.
You just need to let nature handle it.
Consult with a healthcare professional before making significant dietary changes, especially if you have diabetes or metabolic conditions
🛒 Start your tropical fruit journey
Annona · Guava · Mango · Sapodilla · Mulberry · Pineapple · Avocado · Banana · Loquat · Dragon fruit · Jackfruit · Sapote · Cherries · Carambola
📚 Learn more:
- A leaf you grow, not a pill you buy: Insulin ginger - the plant people actually use
- How to lose weight naturally with tropical fruit and plants
- What's for breakfast? Guava versus Banana
- 11 tropical fruits to eat instead of taking a fiber supplement
- How to make lots of Insulin Ginger plants quickly and get more health benefits
- Truth about which fruit helps you lose weight faster: Mango or Papaya?
- Five best tropical fruits to naturally boost your energy
- Finally: a sugar that’s good for your health
#Food_Forest #Remedies #Discover
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Date: 8 Feb 2024
Mark your calendars: March 2, 2024
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






