Date: 24 Jun 2018
4
steps how to check and save a tree:
1. Checking. To make sure a fallen tree can be
restored, check:
a) Roots: If less than a half of root ball is out and has
been exposed less than a week, the tree has more chances
to recover.
b) Trunk: scratch-test the bark, if it is green
underneath, then the tree is alive and worth saving.
2. Trimming. Before lifting, trim the tree. Bush
the crown approximately half-way, keeping round shape. If
the tree has only an upright trunk left, cut off the
broken top. It may bush out from the top.
3. Lifting and securing. Using towing strips or
strong thick rope, pull the tree up. For larger trees, you
may use a power of a pick up truck (we use our golf
carts). Hammer 48"metal stakes ($5 from Home Depot) 3-4
ways around the tree, at 45 degrees, 5 ft away or more
depending on tree size, and secure the tree with a strong
rope. Make sure to check rubbing points from now on and
loosen as needed to avoid bark damage and creating braking
points.
4. Maintenance. Water the tree on regular basis
and give it a few weeks for new buds to appear in case it
lost all its leaves. Some trees may take a few months to
recover. Keep the stakes at least for a year.
Date: 24 Jun 2024
How to grow your own Carambola
Star Fruit - Carambola Tree (Averrhoa carambola). Growing this tree is a fun and rewarding way to enjoy this unique and delicious fruit right at home.
- 🌟 Star power: slice it, and you get perfect star-shaped pieces for impressing guests or adding some sparkle to your fruit salad. Bright yellow and shiny, the fruit adds a pop of color to any dish. Great in salads, smoothies, desserts, or even as a garnish. Endless possibilities!
- 🌟 Nature's candy and low-calorie treat: a delightful mix of sweet and tangy flavors packed with juicy goodness, a refreshing way to stay hydrated. Guilt-free snacking with hardly any calories. Snack away!
- 🌟 Health benefits: Star fruit is loaded with Vitamin C. Good source of dietary fiber, keeps things moving smoothly. Packed with antioxidants to help fight off those pesky free radicals.
- 🌟 Cultivation of the tree is easy:
▪️ Loves full sun. Plant it in a sunny spot for the best fruit.
▪️Keep warm and protect from winds. Thrives in warm, tropical climates, but can take some light frost winters as long as protected from winds, wind-free is the key!
▪️Prefers well-drained soil. Keep it happy with good drainage.
▪️Regular watering but doesn't like soggy feet.
▪️Space saver: compact tree that doesn't take up much space. Perfect for smaller gardens. Dwarf varieties available, good for containers.
▪️Fast grower: grows quickly. You'll be harvesting star fruit in no time!
▪️Pretty blooms: produces lovely pink flowers. Adds beauty to your garden even before the fruit comes.
▪️Home harvest: enjoy fresh, home-grown star fruit. Pick them right off the tree!
▪️Fast-fruiting: seedlings start fruiting within 3 years from seed. Grafted or air-layered trees fruit right away.
📚 Learn more: Carambola tree is the Star of the orchard
🛒 Shop Start Fruit varieties
#Food_Forest
🏵 TopTropicals
Date: 29 Oct 2025
Grow your own brain food: Avocado and Cocoa
Avocado and Cocoa recipes
Chocolate tree fruit (Cocoa, Cacao beans) - Theobroma cacao
Avocado fruit
☕️ Grow your own brain food: Avocado and Cocoa
Avocado and cocoa aren't just a delicious combo - they’re also great for your brain. Studies show that
Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats and lutein, nutrients that support sharp thinking and long-term brain health. Cocoa, meanwhile, enhances circulation in the brain and has been linked to lower risk of stroke and dementia. So, growing your own avocado and cacao trees means growing your own natural brain boosters right in your garden.
Try blending the two in simple treats like avocado chocolate mousse or a smoothie with banana and almond milk - creamy, rich, and packed with brain-loving nutrients.
🍽 Delicious Avocado-Chocolate recipes:
🍵 Avocado Chocolate Mousse
To make this, simply blend ripe avocado, unsweetened cocoa powder, honey (or maple syrup), and a splash of vanilla for a rich, creamy mousse that feels indulgent yet guilt-free.
🍵 Avocado Chocolate Smoothie
This is perfect for breakfast and to make it, combine avocado, cocoa powder, banana, almond milk, and a touch of nut butter for a thick, chocolatey breakfast smoothie.
🍵 Avocado Brownies
This one is for the sweet tooth lovers, use mashed avocado in regular brownie batter, add cocoa powder, and bake for fudgy, nutrient-dense brownies.
🍵 Chocolate Avocado Pudding Pops
To make this bite-size snack, blend avocado, cocoa powder, dates (or honey), and coconut milk, then freeze in molds for refreshing delights.
🛒 Plant your own Chocolate tree (Cocoa, Cacao), and Avocado tree for long lasting brain power
📚 Learn more:
Plant a fruit tree - and breathe easier: fruit might be the surprising key to healthier lungs
11 tropical fruits to eat instead of taking a fiber supplement
Tropical fruit health benefits guide - what fruit and edibles can help with health issues and vitamin deficiencies, Part 1 and Part 2.
Top 10 fruiting plants you'll ever need for your health benefits
#Food_Forest #Remedies #Discover #Recipes
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Date: 17 Jan 2026
Ti plant leaf color meaning
Hawaiian Ti plant (Cordyline fruticosa)
🌈 Ti plant leaf color meaning
The Hawaiian Ti plant (Cordyline fruticosa) is more than just a colorful tropical accent. Across Polynesian, Hawaiian, and Southeast Asian cultures, the color of ti plant leaves has long been associated with different meanings, moods, and uses - both symbolic and practical.
🌈 Green leaves
Green ti plants are linked to peace, balance, and steady growth. Traditionally, they were planted around homes for protection and good fortune. In the garden, green varieties are usually the toughest and most shade-tolerant.
🌈 Red and deep burgundy leaves
Red ti plants are associated with strength, power, and protection. In Hawaiian tradition, red ti leaves were believed to ward off negative energy and were often used in ceremonies. Garden-wise, deeper reds usually mean more sun exposure and stronger pigmentation.
🌈 Pink, magenta, and multicolor leaves
These colorful ti plants symbolize joy, celebration, and creativity. They are often used as ornamental focal points and in festive plantings. Variegated and pink types tend to prefer brighter light to keep their colors sharp.
🌈 Purple and dark-toned leaves
Purple ti plants are linked to mystery, spirituality, and transformation. Their dramatic color comes from high anthocyanin levels and usually intensifies in bright light with good nutrition.
🌈 Yellow or light variegation
Yellow tones often represent optimism and new beginnings. Plants with lighter variegation may grow a bit slower and need protection from harsh sun, but they add a softer contrast in tropical landscapes.
🌈 One practical note
Leaf color is influenced not just by variety, but also by light, temperature, and nutrition. Fading color usually means too little light or depleted soil, while rich, bold tones signal a happy plant.
Ti plant colors tell a story - part cultural tradition, part plant health, and part personal style in your garden.
🛒 Ti plants rainbow: collect them all
📚 Learn more:
✦ Cordyline fruticosa in Plant Encyclopedia
✦ Ti plant: bold color, easy care
✦ Color that lasts year-round
#Container_Garden #Hedges_with_benefits #Shade_Garden #Discover #Horoscope
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Date: 20 May 2017
Forget the gym and get to gardening?
Fun workout? We never have enough time to go to the
gym or do an exercise so it's good to know that just doing something that you
love can give you a workout. We all know that when we are out in the garden
it gives us a bit of exercise but we do not realize how much exactly.
Research says that three hours of gardening can have the same effect as an intense
1-hour gym session. The study was carried out with a group of 100 gardeners who
were asked to monitor the amount of time spent doing a series of common
gardening tasks over a four week period. Gardening tasks that were monitored included weeding, digging, mowing the lawn, hedge trimming, trimming shrubs and trees,
raking, planting shrubs, and moving garden waste using a wheel barrow. Here are some facts and numbers:
- Just doing half an hour weeding can burn up to 150 calories and tasks that handle heavy electrical equipment such as hedge trimming will give you a good workout burning 400 calories per hour.
- Spending a day or five hours each week in the garden will burn up to around 700 calories
- Over a gardening season that works out at 20,000 calories per year, equivalent to running seven marathons
- The gardening hobby could help burn a million calories over a lifetime.
Calories burned with only
1 hour of:
340 cal - Chopping wood, splitting logs, gardening with heavy power tools, tilling a garden, chain saw. Mowing lawn, walk, hand mower. Shoveling by hand.
272 cal - Carrying, loading or stacking wood, loading/unloading or carrying lumber, digging, spading, filling garden, composting, laying crushed rock or sod. Clearing land, hauling branches, wheelbarrow chores.
238 cal - Operating blower, walking. Planting seedlings, shrubs, trees, trimming shrubs or trees, manual cutter. Weeding, cultivating garden.
224 cal - Raking lawn, sacking grass and leaves
136 cal - Picking fruit off trees, picking up yard, picking flowers or vegetables. Walking, gathering gardening tools.
102 cal - Walking, applying fertilizer or seeding a lawn
34 cal - Watering lawn or garden, standing or walking
Radio Top Tropicals Live
Webcast upcoming event: Saturday May 20, at 11 am EST.
Topic: Come Ride My Peninsula! Discusses the REAL Florida. Our plants, the Everglades, how all of the wonderful plants Top Tropicals has to offer are grown in South Florida.
Our Host Robert Riefer - Internationally Certified Crop Adviser and Weed Scientist - answering all your gardening questions.
Listen to Radio Top Tropicals, every
Saturday, at 11 am EST! You may use our website radio player DURING AIR TIME. To ask questions using live chat, you need to log in
at Mixlr.com or simply
call our office 239-887-3323 during air time!
If you missed a live webcast, you may listen to recording by following Showreel item link.
Check out our upcoming radio shows and get your gardening questions
ready!