A: At Top Tropicals, we have over 20 years of experience shipping plants. We know how to pack them properly and ensure the safest journey possible. We ship the biggest and healthiest plants, and our customers are often amazed at how great they look after a few days in a dark box. But receiving a healthy plant is only half the adventure. Now that the plant is in your hands, it's up to you to keep it thriving. The first couple of weeks after shipping are critical. With the right care, your new plant can reward you with beautiful flowers and fruit for years to come. Here are 10 common mistakes to avoid when buying plants by mail order.

1. Not unpacking plants immediately
Leaving plants in the box too long can cause stress or damage. Unpack them as soon as they arrive to let them breathe and adjust.

2. Ignoring acclimation
Plants need time to adjust to their new environment. Don't place them in full sun or extreme conditions (heat, wind) right away.

3. Overwatering right after arrival
Many people water their new plants too much. Plants often need time to recover from transit, and too much water can cause root rot.

4. Stepping up too soon
Repotting immediately in a large pot can cause root rot. Plant in a pot just the size of a root ball, step up only after the plant is showing new growth.

5. Ignoring the plant's needs
Research the specific needs of your plant before it arrives. Light, water, and soil requirements vary greatly, and misunderstanding them can lead to issues.

6. Placing the plant in the wrong environment
It's important to give your plant the right temperature, light, and humidity based on its natural habitat. We grow tropical plants. They won't survive in areas with freezing temperatures.

7. Not trimming damaged branches.
Transit can cause minor damage to leaves or branches. Trimming these parts can help the plant recover faster.

8. Expecting immediate growth
Plants need time to adjust after the trip. Give them a chance to settle for a few weeks before expecting new growth or blooms.

9. Fertilizing too soon
Do not fertilize your plant right after arrival. Let it get established first - usually a few weeks - before adding fertilizer to avoid stressing the plant.

10. Not checking for pests
Always inspect new plants for pests. Shipping stress can lead to infestations, so a close check is vital.

By avoiding these mistakes and following the planting instructions included with your order, you'll be on the right path to creating your tropical paradise. Take care of your new plant, and it will thrive, rewarding you with vibrant growth for years to come.

A: First, keep in mind that the plants we call "indoor plants" or "house plants" are all tropical. However, not all tropical plants are suitable for indoor living. Some, especially shade-loving ones, thrive in indoor conditions, which is why we refer to them as "house plants" (philodendrons, monsteras, calatheas, peperomias, and many others, including some succulents). Others are less adaptable to the lower light and humidity typical of indoor spaces, but with a little extra care, you can overwinter them inside and move them back outdoors in spring. Mandevillas are no exception! Even tropical trees, including fruit trees, can tolerate a few months indoors if given the right conditions for semi-dormancy. Below are the 10 key tips for successfully overwintering tropical plants indoors.

1. Maximize Light: The more light, the better. There's no such thing as too much indoor light. If windows aren't enough, use LED grow lights, which stay cool and won't dry the air. Rotate plants every few days to prevent uneven leaf loss.

2. Reduce Watering: Less light and cooler temperatures mean plants need less water. Allow the soil to dry between waterings, and avoid overwatering - combination of cold + wet is especially harmful.

3. Maintain Moderate Temperatures: Most tropicals are happy with daytime temperatures around 75F and nights at 50-60F. In sunrooms or greenhouses, some can handle 45F if watering is kept to a minimum.

4. Boost Humidity: Avoid placing plants near heaters or vents that dry the air. Misting daily helps, or place pots on trays filled with water and pebbles to raise humidity around them.

5. Monitor for Pests: Check leaves weekly to catch insect problems early, as pests can cause serious damage or even kill the plant indoors.

6. Fertilize Smart: Use ONLY liquid, amino-acid-based fertilizers like Sunshine Boosters throughout winter; they won't burn roots since their dosage adjusts with reduced watering. Avoid dry, granulated, and EDTA-based fertilizers during winter and dormancy.

7. Use Micro-Nutrients: Along with macro-elements (fertilizers), supplement with micro-elements like Sunshine Superfood and bio-stimulants such as Sunshine Epi to build strong plants with robust immune systems, better able to withstand unfavorable conditions and resist diseases.

8. Hold Off on Pruning: Leaf drop and leggy growth are normal responses to winter. Wait until spring to prune, when new growth starts, to encourage branching and healthy foliage.

9. Don't Repot Yet: During dormancy, roots slow their growth. Repotting too soon risks root rot. Wait until spring when new growth appears to transplant into a larger container. Typically, roots grow in proportion to the above-ground parts.

10. Let Them Rest: Winter is a natural resting period. Avoid forcing growth - your plants will reward your patience with vibrant leaves and flowers when spring returns.

A: Most fertilizer instructions recommend fertilizing tropical plants from March to November. This is because plants don't need as much food during the cooler months when many go dormant, and excess nutrients can burn the roots if not absorbed. However, for the most effective fertilizer program and healthy plants, consider these points:

1. Sunshine Boosters Year-Round

Liquid amino-acid-based fertilizers like Sunshine Boosters are safe to use year-round. Since watering is reduced in cooler weather, the intake of water-soluble fertilizer is also lower, providing plants with just the essential nutrients for their minimal needs.

2. Dry Fertilizer Schedule

Be cautious with dry fertilizers. Apply them only during active growth in the hot season.

3. Temperature Is Key

If March is still cold, delay dry fertilizer use. However, if nighttime temperatures in February stay above 65F, you can start a dry fertilizer program using slow-release, granulated plant food.

4. What Fertilizers to Use and How

Check out our Sunshine Boosters selection for different types of plants and choose the right type for your needs. These can be applied as often as with every watering:

For Rapid Growth
Sunshine Robusta - Rapid Growth Booster: general fertilizer for both foliage plants and small starters that need an extra boost.

For Flowers
Sunshine Megaflor - Bloom Booster: boosts flowers on established plants; and Sunshine Pikake - Fragrant Plant Booster: best for fragrant flowers.

For Fruit Trees
Sunshine C-Cibus - Crop Booster: contains all necessary elements for fruit trees and their production. Sunshine Mango Tango - specifically formulated for Mango and Avocado trees, and Sunshine Citron - ideal for citrus trees.

For Tender Perennials
Sunshine Orchidasm - Orchid Total Feed and Sunshine Ananas - Pineapple and Bromeliad Booster: mild formulas for these tender perennials.

5. Microelement Supplements Are a Must

Besides macronutrients, plants need additional microelements, just like humans need vitamins. Be sure to apply these supplements along with your regular plant food:

For Green Leaves and Health
Sunshine SuperFood - Complex Microelement Supplement: a must for healthy plants. Apply once a month.

For Stress Relief
Sunshine-Epi - Brassinosteroid Plant Hormone: essential for plants recovering from stress (shipping, transplanting, drought, insect damage, cold stress, etc.). Apply as needed.

For Sweeter, Bigger Fruit
Sunshine Honey - Fruit Sugar Booster: application on fruit trees will make fruit bigger and sweeter by directing sugars to the fruit from other plant parts, and helps to prevent bud drop. Apply 4 times a year: at bud setting, flowering, fruit setting, and after harvesting.

For Better Resistance
Sunshine Power Si - Silicon Protector - enhances resistance to insects, diseases, drought, and frost, while boosting growth. Apply once a month, along with Sunshine SuperFood.

Need Help? Our Plant Experts Are Ready to Assist!

A: This is indeed a very good question, as many tropical plant collectors grow their treasures outside the tropics. The short answer is - yes! You can start filling your tropical sunroom any time of the year, but some plants are easier to deal with in Winter than others. Below are some guidelines.

Winter bloomers today, left to right: Jatropha, Champaka, Brunfelsia, Calliandra, Leonotis.

1. Plants that prefer Winter shipping to avoid overheating stress:
- All plants with lush foliage such as Philodendrons, Medinilla
- Trees with fine feathery leaves such as Moringa, Jacaranda, Poinciana
- Some fruit trees sensitive to overheating during shipping: Papaya, Stawberry Tree, Starfruit (Carambola), Bilimbi.

2. Subtropical plants that are relatively cold hardy
- Fruit trees: Loquats, Olives, Avocados, Tropical Cherries: Eugenia, Malpighia, Noni (more cold hardy than you may think), Canistel.
- Flowering trees: Champaka, Tabebuia.
- All Bananas
- see all relatively cold hardy plants

3. Winter-dormant and/or deciduous plants: Adeniums, Plumerias, Gingers, Sugar Apple , Peaches and Plums, June Plum and Hog Plum.
See all deciduous/winter dormant plants.

4. Orchids, including Ground Orchids.

5. Winter flowers. Keep in mind that many tropical plants are winter bloomers, and their flowering is most profuse in Winter months, so you can enjoy the blooms right away:
Dombeya, Thunbergia, Gloxinia, Brunfelsia, Calliandra, Tibouchina, Barleria, Leonotis, Clerodendrums, Chinese Hat (Holmskioldia).
See all Winter bloomers.

Winter bloomers today, left to right: Clerodendrum minahasse, Variegated Malvaviscus Summer Snow, Kopsia fruticosa

6. Winter plant care. During Winter the daylight is shorter and temperatures are cooler.
- Reduce watering
- Use only liquid amino-acid based fertilizer Sunshine Boosters (safe to use year around)
- Monitor insects.

7. Shipping in Winter. We ship year around. However, if it gets below freezing in your area, you may use FedEx Hold location, they are temperature controlled so you don't have to worry about a box being dropped off at your cold porch outside.

8. A note for mild climate residents. Most tropical plants can be planted in the ground year around. Some ultra-tropical tender species such Chocolate tree, Ylang Ylang, or small size Mango trees can be grown in pots until Spring and planted out once chances of cold spell are gone. Until then, they can be moved indoors for cold nights.

Think outside the box and bring tropical paradise indoors during the time when we need warmth the most! Tropical plants will brighten your short winter days and help you to have truly HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Winter bloomers today, left to right: Gloxinia, Barleria, and ever-bright Crotons...