Date: 17 Nov 2022
Get your plants ready for winter:
Just spray this to improve cold hardiness...
How to improve plant cold hardiness?
Pland cold hardiness depends on several factors,
including:
1) genetics of specific species
2) maturity of the plant, size of root system, stems and branches
3) plant health and vigor which is supported by proper nutrition program
and adding special plant hormones.
While 1) and 2) may be out of our control, the 3rd factor is something
that can be easily improved! It is important to feed plants during the season
of active growth on regular basis by applying macro- and micro- elements.
Liquid fertilizers and especially natural plant food like Sunshine Boosters can be applied year around to keep plants healthy and
strong.
Besides the routine fertilizing program, just a few applications of special
plant hormones can increase tropical plant hardiness big time! Before the
cold is coming, spray your plants with these 3 magic potions and they will gain
a few degrees in low temperature tolerance! It is recommended to make 2-3
applications.
- Sunshine Superfood
- Sunshine Epi
- Sunshine Power-Si
Date: 11 Oct 2022
Fertilizing in Fall:
Plants need food too!
Q: I know that I am not supposed to fertilize plants in winter. But I just bought several ground orchids from you, they are blooming now and I wonder if I can give them some food to support their bloom energy? When should I do the last application of fertilizer? I will keep them in a sun room during Winter until Spring.
A: Traditionally, end of October to November is the time when we
give the last dose of fertilizer to our tropical plants. Liquid fertilizers,
and especially amino-acid based Sunshine Boosters, are safe to apply year around. This means, you can
continue feeding your plants with Sunshine Boosters through the Winter without
risk of over-feeding or burning roots. Why?
The answer is very simple: even with their metabolism slowed down in
Winter, plants will use all that food.
Sunshine Boosters have special mild formulas that are scientifically
designed and based on Amino Acids. Plants will use all essential elements from the
solution as needed.
Liquid fertilizer is diluted in water, and will be applied only when you
water the plant. During Winter, water needs are lowered = watering times are
less frequent, with less amount of water = the plants will get less water and
less fertilizer accordingly.
Importance of micro elements
in combination with plant food during winter
In the photo: winter chlorosis on Kumquat leaves that is very hard to treat and should be prevented instead
Keep in mind that feeding your plants regularly during Winter will help to avoid "winter chlorosis" and other deficiency problems. So called "cool-temperature-induced chlorosis" (CTIC) is especially common in Spring on young, actively growing leaves. Unless chlorosis is prevented by micro-element applications, affected leaves may remain in this condition for the rest of the growing season.
Make sure to select proper type of fertilizer for your over-wintering plants. We have special formulas for foliage, flowering plants, fruit trees, young seedlings, even for for orchids and bromeliads. Check out our selection!
Date: 3 Mar 2022
Top Tropicals Team in Ukraine
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...
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.
Date: 17 Sep 2021
Hibiscus: TopTropicals' first plant
- September 2001 @ TopTropicals -
Q: I wonder how you started your plant business and what was your first plant?
A: It was 20 years ago this month that we started Top Tropicals Project. No idea where it was going or how to even get "there", just started with the idea of sharing these wonderful creatures we call plants with anyone and everyone who felt the same way.
Believe it or not, the first plant at TopTropicals was a hibiscus. Right
before we opened our plant nursery in Florida, we ran into a place called Winn Soldani's FANCY
HIBISCUS. The variety of colors inspired us to start our own tropical plant
business. We asked the owner Winn Soldani: what plants do you suggest us to
grow in Florida? His answer was, "Your plant will find you". Very soon we
discovered
jasmines, then perfume trees and fruit trees - all those became our specialty. Then very quickly
TopTropicals.com turned into a large Plant Mall where you can find every tropical plant you can think of!
But at TopTropicals we still grow hibiscus!
- September 2004 @ TopTropicals -
Hibiscus Plus
Hibiscus is a wonderful plant, considering there are thousands of
hybrids with color palettes you can only imagine. Especially interesting are those
rare and useful species, yet very easy to grow, such as:
- Salad Hibiscus - Hibiscus furcellatus - yes, used in salads
- Coral Hibiscus with crazy pendant flowers - Hibiscus schizopetalus
- African Cranberry hibiscus that is used for making teas and salads - Hibiscus
acetocella
- Cotton Candy Hibiscus mutabilis - the flower changes color, opens as white and turns
into bright pink within 3 days, like Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow
Photo above: Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy
Care of Hibiscus and other flowering tropicals
"If your plant isn't flowering, feed it."
- Winn Soldani, Fancy Hibiscus -
Among gardeners, Hibiscus plants have a reputation to have couple
maintenance issues:
1) they can get bugsy (because they must be so tasty!)
2) they can get leggy, especially fancy grafted cultivars, and after a
while they don't look as perfect as when they came from a nursery.
4 tips for healthy and pretty hibiscus plant
1. Full sun. Essential for profuse flowering and keeps away
diseases.
2. Pruning. Keep it pruned and it will get bushy and produce more
blooms.
3. Well-drained soil. Hibiscus likes regular watering but hates wet
feet.
4. Nutrition program. Hibiscus plants are heavy feeders. But keep in
mind that if you just keep pushing granulated plant food, you can
over-fertilize the plant. Excessive salts will accumulate in soil and you will end up
with a sickly looking plant.
Keys to balanced plant food and bloom booster
1) Use liquid fertilizer, preferably amino acid based, it won't create
nutrients lock up
2) Fertilize on regular basis, it's better dilute concentration and add
food with every watering
3) Always add micro-elements - they are essential for plant health
If you do this part right, the result will be:
- healthy, green plants, like they just came from a nursery
- reliable blooming circle
- better cold tolerance and disease resistance. Remember that a strong
plant will be less stressed and less "bugged" by bugs!
We always suggest Sunshine Boosters - scientifically balanced liquid fertilizers that are amino acid based = they are natural and organic, can be used for both flowers and edibles, and what's most important - year around. They are safe to use virtually with every watering.
This is all you need for healthy plants and lots of flowers!
Date: 11 Jan 2021
Tropical gardener beginning-of-year checklist
Final pre-Spring check of whatever we had forgotten! For a gardener, the year ahead is a chance to do things you want, as a way to achieve the things you need to do. If your number one New Year's resolution is to garden more (a want-to item), you also will be exercising more (a need-to). Or if you plant a new edible garden (want, want, want), you will end up checking off "eat more leafy vegetables and fruits" from your to-do list!
12 steps to get ready for 2021 season:
1 - Spray fruit trees and houseplants with insecticide and micro-elements
2 - Continue spraying SUNSHINE-Epi to improve plant hardiness
3 - Protect tender plants during cold spells and especially from freeze
4 - Reduce watering during cooler months, keeping the root zone on a dry
side
5 - To give your plants a kick start, fertilize with liquid SUNSHINE Boosters fertilizers - they are safe to be used year round
6 - Plant fruit trees: winter planting is beneficial to avoid heat stress for roots
7 - Plant Butterfly and Hummingbird Attractants
8 - Plant bulbs, vegetables and herbs. Use eco-safe, natural SUNSHINE boosters for all your edibles.
9 - Plan your summer garden and order seeds early
10 - Start tropical plants from seeds (indoors for cooler climates)
11 - Start ordering tropical plants and beneficial soil mix to get them established after shipping in pots
12 - Clean and oil garden tools
