Date: 18 May 2021
Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster
Healthy Heliconia Leaves?
Q: I purchased a heliconia from you a couple months ago. The new growth seems to be doing fairly well, however some of the larger leaves are discoloring around the edges then drying up. It's potted in a large pot with potting soil with 3 holes in the bottom to help with drainage in partial sun under a Royal Palm facing northwest. I'm here in Ft Myers. I was previously watering it every other day with your rapid growth fertilizer 1 tbsp per gallon but I have cut that back to once or twice a week. Please let me know your thoughts.
A: Heliconias and Gingers tend to develop dry leaves if grown in pots,
especially ceramic or clay pots, because soil in such pots dries out too fast.
These dry leaves are not caused by fertilizer, and you can see lots of new
healthy green growth. The plant overall seem to be healthy. Continue fertilizing
it with liquid Sunshine Robusta that is great for all wide-leaf tropical species,
promotes green, lush foliage, and do not use any additional dry fertilizers!
Another suggestion, try to move the plant in more shady spot. Right now it
sits in pretty bright light, this may be OK for established plants in the
ground, but potted heliconias are very sensitive to hot sun. They get leaf burn
easily.
Date: 17 Sep 2020
Healthy Plant Food: Q&A from Mr Booster
How to make pineapples fruit?
Q: I have purchased a Sugar Loaf Pineapple from you a few months ago, it is growing well and producing little babies around the main plant! I am so excited to have my own Pineapple plantation! How soon will they fruit and is there anything I can do to make them fruit faster? Can I give extra fertilizer just like I do for other garden plants?
A: It takes a year or two until a pineapple plant gains enough
energy to be ready to fruit. However the total time depends on growing
conditions and availability of all necessary nutrients.
Pineapples, like all other plants from Bromeliaceae family require very
delicate fertilizer; traditional fertilizers, if overdosed, can harm Bromeliads
and even kill them. At the same time, Pineapples require extra Magnesium for
good production, and not every fertilizer has it, or contains it in
well-accessible compounds / proper proportions.
Sunshine Ananas Booster is a scientifically formulated, mild fertilizer,
designed especially for tender Bromeliads, containing Magnesium just in perfect
concentration. Its amino-acid based ingredients are natural and work perfectly
for edibles and organic gardens. Just follow the label instructions and speed
up the fruit production 3-4 times!
In the photo: Mr B checking his Sunshine Boosters
Date: 14 Jul 2019
A Cup of Tea Plant
By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist
A: I live in Ave Maria, Florida. I want to try my hand at growing my own tea. Which plant do I need?
A: Most people do not realize they are actually enjoying
camellias when they sip their cup of tea. True tea comes from the Camellia sinensis
plant, an evergreen shrub or small tree.
In the fall and winter, the plant will produce small white flowers with
a lovely fragrance. The foliage is shiny and dark green with a very nice
informal and open look.
Camellia sinensis (or tea plant, as it is commonly known) prefers a
temperature between 65 and 86 degrees, which makes Florida an ideal area to grow
them. However, if you live in colder zones, you can certainly succeed
growing your own tea plants using a greenhouse. Alternatively, you can use
containers which can be brought inside when temperatures start falling. Tea plants
will usually survive a very slight freeze, though the leaves may be damaged or
killed. It will not tolerate a hard freeze. They prefer full sun or light
shade in the garden.
Tea plants will become small trees or large bushes if not pruned.
Hardcore tea growers trim back the shoots repeatedly to a height of around 4 feet
to encourage new growth and to contain the size.
Make sure to pick an area of your landscape where it does not flood or
remain wet during our rainy season. Camellia sinensis does not like wet feet
at all. They prefer well-drained, sandy and slightly acidic soil. If grown in
a container, add some sphagnum moss to the potting mix. They will benefit
from frequent applications of small amounts of fertilizer.
You will need some patience, too. Your plant should be around 3 years old
before you start harvesting leaves.
Recommended fertilizers:
Tropical Greenhouse Plus - Plant Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster
Harvesting recipes
Now that you know how to grow the Tea, you need to check this out: the Harvesting recipes how to harvest and make different kinds of real tea: Green Tea, Japanese Style Green Tea, Oolong Tea, Black Tea, Orthodox Indian Tea... Continue reading...
Date: 29 Oct 2020
The Best Pineapples
Q: What varieties of the Pineapple are the best for planting in Florida? When do they fruit? I have a small yard, with a room for one or two, but can I keep more in pots? I am excited to grow my own pineapples!
A: Pineapple is truly the King of fruits! One of the most
delicious fruits in the world. They start flowering from January to March in Florida
and yes, they happily grow in the ground as well as in pots. Heaviest
fruiting is in Summer (May to September), and some staggered throughout the year.
Be careful with watering, keep in mind that like any bromeliad, Pineapple
needs very little water and needs the soil to get dry between waterings. Use
only acidic soil and acidic plant food.
Make sure to feed these plants on regular basis, especially if grown in
pots. Pineapples are heavy feeders but are also very sensitive like all
bromeliads, so be careful with traditional fertilizers, do not exceed recommended
dosage. It is safe to use liquid amino-acod-based Sunshine Boosters Ananas fertilizer year round.
The mot popular pineapple varieties for home growers
are:
Elite
Gold
Royal
Hawaiian - Royale
Sugar
Loaf
Date: 13 Aug 2019
Caring of Soursop in container
Q: I have ordered dozens of trees from you and have a question about Soursop. I have a Soursop in a container and ants and aphids are under new leaves. Do Soursop like little water? I water almost everyday living in southern Los Angeles it's been around 76-80F. I spray the aphids and ants off with a mist setting on my hose. They come back every day. They're only on new leaves...
A: First of all, you don't have to remove the ants iа they
don't bother you. Ants are good insects, they do not harm plants; most likely
they are attracted by a sweet sap - aphid by-product. Ants clean up a plant,
and they may even take care of some bad insects.
It is not difficult to get rid of aphids. Use a safe treatment: in a
small spray bottle, mix 1 cup of warm water, 1 teaspoon of dish soap and 2
tablespoons of any cooking oil (if you have Neem oil or Horticultural oil - even
better, but prepare, they are pretty stinky). Spray the leaves with this
solution to a dripping point. Repeat in a few days if needed. This simple remedy
will take care of the aphids.
Daily water may be ok for the plant during hot weather, as long as the
soil is not constantly moist. Let the surface of the soil get a little dry
between waterings.
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