Date: 17 Sep 2021
Mango Talk: How to prune mango trees for best shape and production
by Ed Jones, the Booster Guy
...Why should you prune your mango trees? There are a few reasons.
First, a good foundation is the key to strong growth and a shapely tree.
Second, if you get your mango tree started off on the right foot with a
strong foundation, it becomes much easier to keep it shaped nicely.
And third - it will be forced to produce more branches allowing for more
places for fruit production...
...We received our Mango tree in late February of 2020 as a relatively
small plant in 3 gal pot...
...The opening photo was taken just last week and you can see that as she
grows, her shape is very nice...
...She is now about 7' tall and just as wide. She has a great foundation
and a lot of branches. We also have less grass to mow. She also got her very
own marker painted on a brick:
...We have also enlarged the circle of mulched area under the tree to allow it to be able to get nutrients from it's SUNSHINE Boosters Mango Tango without having to compete with the grass. This is one mistake that I see frequently in my neighborhood with all trees...
CONTINUE READING >>
Date: 15 Oct 2020
Healthy Plants. Q&A from Mr Booster: Fertilizing Mango trees in Winter
Q: I'm living in Maryland growing zone 7A and would like some info on when to fertilize my potted mango trees. I ordered your Sunshine Mango Tango 2-2-4. All your mango trees are in pots.
A: You can start using this fertilizer right away, any time of
the year, and every time you water your plants.
Sunshine Mango Tango, as well as other Sunshine boosters, is an amino-acid
based liquid fertilizer that is scientifically developed for daily plant
needs in all necessary nutrients. This means, you may use this fertilizer with
every watering, including winter period.
Traditional fertilizers (both granulated and soluble, EDTA-chelated) can
only be used during hot months while plants grow actively, and must be limited
or not used at all during cooler months, to avoid nutrient lock up in soil
(which basically means "building up unused elements"). With Liquid Sunshine Boosters, it is safe to add them every time you water
your tree.
During cooler weather and when plant metabolism slows down, a tree will
consume less water (as well as food), and you will automatically reduce
watering, to keep over-wintering plants on a dry side. This means, less fertilizer
too. This allows you to control elements intake naturally, like you control
water amount just as much as the plant needs.
Date: 4 Oct 2020
What fig trees are good for Florida?
Q: My baby fig tree was sprayed by the lawn people with weed killer :( Any ideas? Also what figs do you have available to grow here in Florida?
A: Unfortunately once a plant is affected by a herbicide, there
is not much you can do about it.
If you don't rinse the chemical within a few seconds, it gets into the
plant internal system and nothing can be done to save the plant. The tree may
remain green for a few days up to a week, but then gradually dies back. If your
fig tree wasn't rinsed immediately after herbicide spray, it is probably too
late.
If you want to replace it with a new one, here is a few suggestions of our
favorite fig varieties which are great producers and grow well in Florida
heat:
Brown Turkey Fig - our favorite!
Black Mission Fig
Beers Black Fig
Texas Everbearing Fig
Magnolia Fig
LSU Purple Fig
Olympian Fig
Texas Blue Giant Fig
See full list of Fig Trees.
Make sure to get appropriate plant food for your fig tree so it develops faster for you and gets well-established before winter: SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster from Garden Series, or Combo Total Feed Collection - all nutrients in just one bottle, for fruit trees and edibles.
Date: 25 Jun 2021
Kristi's Loquat Tropical BBQ sauce
Loquat trees are famous for their abundant fruit production. Many customers who purchased this tree from us, soon end up with some serious crops and start asking if we have any special recipes for loquat fruit - because you can only eat so much out of hand! Here is our manager Kristi's favorite Loquat recipe - not only delicious and tropically-aromatic, but also good for you. Happy Tropical Meal!
Ingredients
2 lbs loquat fruit
- cup soft brown sugar
- cups malt vinegar
1 onion chopped - cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 cloves whole or 1/2 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
Wash the fruit, cut them in half and remove stones. The loquats will
lose about a third of their weight once stoned (3 lbs of whole fruit = 2 lbs of fruit, stones removed). Add loquats and all remaining
ingredients to a large saucepan. Bring to a low boil, then simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. The liquid will have reduced quite a bit and the fruit
will be collapsed and very soft. Allow to cool slightly, then liquidize the sauce in a blender or a food processor. Be careful, hot sauce really
burns!
This delicious tropical sauce is great for any BBQ - with meats or fish. Enjoy!
Date: 11 Sep 2020
The best Loquat varieties with big, sweet fruit
Q: I'm interested in loquat and read through the varieties you offer but wanted your recommendation. I'm looking for a variety that is big, sweet (not tart) with 1 seed. Of the varieties you offer... Which variety would you recommend?
A: From our experience, the most popular Loquat variety is Christmas.
It is an early ripening type hence the name Christmas. Fruits are very large
for a loquat, they are bright yellow with a tangy apricot flavor.
Another good variety we recommend is Yehuda - it has a large fruit and very small seed
Also, variety Oliver for many years has been considered the best loquat for South
Florida. The fruiting season is March to May. It has medium to large fruit. The
fruit is very sweet with only one-two seeds.
Loquats are very cold hardy tropical fruit trees, easy to grow, drought
tolerant, fast growing. Fruit is great for eating fresh or making jam.
