Fertilizer and the Fall Garden

by Ed Jones, the Booster Guy

...Well Labor Day has come and gone. Summer is winding down and depending on where you live, thoughts are now turning to pumpkin spice, witches, fall decor and gardening. Wait, did I just say gardening? Yes, if you live in the deep south, and I do, it is time to think about fall gardening and fertilizer. Even those of you in the north can put in a few quick crops now for fall. Think onions, radishes, lettuce and other greens and of course, garlic...

Next month, we can start putting out our plants that do better in cooler weather. We will put out some beans and of course cabbage. We may do some potatoes too. What do you like to grow?
But what about fertilizer? Glad you asked. Now, most of us have our favorite brand of fertilizer. Some of us had some secret fertilzers that we used in the past. For me it was composted alpaca manure. Yes, we raised alpacas in the north, but that is another story for another day....

...Once the temperatures have begun to drop, it is better to use a good liquid fertilizer. The one I will be using this year is SUNSHINE Robusta. SUNSHINE Robusta is an organic amino acid based liquid fertilizer that is safe to use with every watering. It uses amino acids to chelate (bind) micro-nutrients and makes it easier for plants to take them up from the soil. Most fertilizers use EDTA to chelate their micro-nutrients and plants must use about 4 times more energy to break them down than they do with SUNSHINE Boosters. This means that your plants will have more energy to put into growth. And isn't that what we are after?
With Special Seasonal price for 16 oz bottle reduced to only $19 with FREE shipping, this is your best choice of organic, safe fertilizer for your vegetable garden!..

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Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster

How to prevent mango flowers drop

Q:The mango blossoms my tree had in February have blown off due to weather conditions. Do you know what I can do to prevent this from happening again in the future?

A: The only "guarantee" to protect mango flowers from cold weather damage here in Florida is to plant a LATE flowering variety. Generally, mango trees are winter bloomers. Those varieties called "early season" start flowering in January (for example, Nam Doc Mai), and of course very often they get affected by cold, so they drop. Some varieties are so called "late season" - for example Venus. They start flowering in spring when the weather conditions are more favorable.
Another thing that may help you with mango flower drop is applying plant micro-element supplement Sunshine-Honey - it contains Molybdenum and Boron, which help flower and fruit development/strength and prevent their drop.

Read more: Boosting Mango Flowers and Fruit.

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.

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.

PeopleCats amid COVID-Cat-20

"It's not the size of the cat in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the cat"
- Mark Twain -

While the whole world is suffering the virus attack, cats are no exception. They do not get COVID-19, but they have their own coronavirus - a respiratory condition that may become very dangerous for them. And although cat coronavirus does not affect humans, we can transfer it to other cats through our hands/petting, shared bowls and bedding, etc.
At TopTropicals, we had several cats sick with the flu and it took us a long time and long hospital bills to bring them back to health! Below we are sharing with you a few tips from our own experience that may help you fight and treat cat coronavirus, that we call "Covid-Cat-20".

Chief is breathing through his mouth: "Stuffed nose sucks!"

How to treat Cat Coronavirus

When cats get a flu/virus/cold, they suffer congestion, sneeze and cough. Just like us humans. But for cats, stuffed nose is much worse trouble, because they can't smell food = they won't eat it! In tough cases, they won't even drink any water. Due to specifics of cat metabolism, if a cat doesn't eat and/or drink for more than a couple of days, it may become life-threatening. It is not the virus that kills a cat, it is dehydration, lack of nutrition, and possible secondary infections.

- Vet. During Covid-19 lockdown, many animal hospitals are closed, but if you are lucky to find a vet, it is wise to give the cat a long-lasting shot of antibiotic. You can't treat a virus with antibiotic, but it will prevent secondary infections (like pneumonia, etc.)
- Water is absolutely essential! Make sure your Cat drinks water. If he (she) doesn't want to drink on his own, you need to give him water with a syringe. As often as you can. Little by little. Or, ask a vet to put a "water pouch" under cat's skin. This will save the cat from dehydration.
- Food is the main key! Your cat must eat a normal size portion per day in order to fight the illness. Because he can't smell, it's possible he won't eat on his own. Offer him a smelly, soft/wet food of room temperature or slightly warmer: usually tuna works well. Get Salmon Oil and put on top of the food: it is smelly, plus a great vitamin supplement.
- Hand-feeding. If congestion is bad, even a smelly tuna may not help. Mix a spoonful of pate with some water and try to hand-feed this "soup" to the cat either using syringe, or a small spoon. Little by little. Remember, his nose is stuffed and he can't swallow and breath at the same time, so it must be tiny bites. (Wrap the entire cat tightly in a large thick towel to save yourself lots of scratching damage, leaving out just the face. Guaranteed, he won't like the procedure and you will be surprised how strong he is for a sick cat.)
- Supplements. For an extra nutrition support, you may use Critical nutrition food and other protein supplements. Consult your vet and you may want to try the following aids: High Calorie Liquid or Gel (easier to administer), HomeoPet Nose Relief (for de-congestion), Lysine Soft Chews, and Mirataz ointment (to promote appetite).
- Rest. Keep the cat indoors, in a warm place, away from drafts. Cover with a towel to make comfy. Keep lights dimmed. Change bedding, towels, blankets at least daily to keep clean, get rid of germs and drooling accidents.
- Quarantine from other cats, the cat coronavirus is super catchy! Find that spare room. Bleach, soap, alcohol and Hand Sanitizer - are your friends now to maintain germ- and virus-free environment.
- Mild cases. Some cats have mild symptoms (we've noticed that black cats and tuxedo cats are more susceptible regardless of age). In this case, do not panic - just give them time to recover. Lots of rest, privacy, and be sure to monitor water/food intake!
- Tough cases. Most cats look lethargic when sick. At some point, if within 3-4 days you don't see improvement and the coughing continues, you need x-ray to rule out pneumonia.

Stay well and healthy, PeopleCats!

Biggy sneezed... Ooops, sorry for no mask!

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Coughing Marco is practicing Social Distancing