Cold hardy tropical fruit trees for Luisiana

Q: I've just moved to Louisiana and have been wondering whether it would make sense to plant some tropical fruit trees in our garden. Average lows in New Orleans are 41 deg F in January and February, although we did hit 25 once with the Arctic vortex. I'm interested in litchi, longan, rambutans, and persimmons. Do you have varieties that can tolerate Louisiana's temperature range? I'd love mangosteen but I don't suppose they will survive. Do you have any suggestions on tropical fruit trees that I could try?

A: Average temperatures are for statistics only; it is actual temperatures that may hurt your cold sensitive plant. This is what you should keep in mind when starting your tropical fruit collection:
1) Ultra-tropical plants like Rambutan can not survive winters below 45-50F. However, they can be successfully grown in containers in a greenhouse or moved indoors into a sun room during cold periods.
2) Tropical plants like Litchi and Longan may take some light frost once established. Still, for areas with freeze our advice is - keep them in pots and move inside in case of cold.
3) There is a number of subtropical fruit trees that are hardy enough to take some freeze. Persimmon, Feijoa, Fig, Cattley Guava, Jujube, Kiwi, some Eugenias and others. Please refer to our Tropical Fruit Sensitivity Chart.
4) Remember that plant's ability to survive winter depends on several factors, not only temperature itself. Important factors are: wind protection (chill wind kills rather than low temperature itself), exposure, how close the tree is planted to the house, plant maturity and its overall strength and health. If a plant had received good nutrients during summer, has well established root system, planted in enclosed area protected from winds and has plenty of bright sunlight - it has better chances to survive than a weak plant in warmer conditions.
5) Use SUNSHINE plant boosters for improving cold tolerance of your tropical plant. It only takes a few drops, and only costs $5!

Date: 24 Jun 2018

Cleanest fruit?

"Dirty" fruit: According to the Environmental Working Group research, Strawberries are top the list of the 12 "dirtiest" fruits and vegetables grown commercially. Spinach is the second, followed by (in order of contamination) nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes and sweet bell peppers. Each of these foods tested positive for pesticide residues and contained higher concentrations of pesticides than other produce. This causes of course chronic health implications. Children are of special concern as younger bodies have greater susceptibility to pesticides than adult bodies, the report emphasizes. Pesticides may induce chronic health complications in children, including neuro- and behavioral problems, birth defects, allergies, asthma, and even cancer...

"Clean 15": Avocados lead 2018's clean fruits and veggies list, that also includes: mangoes, papayas, pineapples, kiwi, sweet corn, cabbage, onions, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, eggplant, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, cauliflower and broccoli.
Obviously, home grown fruit and vegetables are even better. Such fruit as Custard Apples, Sapodilla, Sapote, Jackfruit, Dragon Fruit, Passion Fruit and other rare varieties of tropical fruit, are even better for you because they are not grown commercially, and the choice from your own organic garden is the healthiest for yourself and your family!
Plant them today and get your cleanest fruit tomorrow!

Check out all tropical fruit trees and all tropical spice plants.

Date: 22 Feb 2023

Benefits of growing your own tropical fruit

"The fruit of the mango tree is no longer forbidden. Indeed, it has been recommended to me by the physicians as an antidote to the plague."
- Louis IX, King of France -

Q: Why do you want to grow your own tropical fruit tree?

A: Growing your own tropical fruit tree can have many benefits. Here are a few reasons why someone might choose to grow their own tropical fruit tree:

1. Fresh, flavorful fruit: When you grow your own tropical fruit tree, you have access to fresh, flavorful fruit that you may not be able to find at your local grocery store. Tropical fruit, like avocado, mangoes, papayas, and passionfruit, jackfruit, Dragon Fruit, Annona have a short shelf life, and the fruit you find at the store may have been harvested weeks ago. When you grow your own fruit tree, you can pick the fruit when it's fully ripe and enjoy it at its peak flavor. Besides, some rare fruit like Akee or Sapodilla simply never offered from the store.

2. Environmental benefits: Growing your own fruit trees can have environmental benefits. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen, which can help reduce your carbon footprint. Additionally, growing your own fruit trees reduces the need to transport fruit long distances, which can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

3. Cost savings: Depending on where you live and the availability of tropical fruit, growing your own fruit tree can be a cost-effective way to enjoy your favorite tropical fruits.

4. Gardening and outdoor hobby: Growing a fruit tree can be a fulfilling and rewarding outdoor hobby. It can also be a great way to teach children about where their food comes from and the importance of taking care of the environment.

Overall, growing your own tropical fruit tree can be a great way to enjoy fresh, flavorful fruit, reduce your carbon footprint, save money, and enjoy a fulfilling outdoor hobby.

Shop Tropical Fruit Trees

In the photo: Mango tree in Top Tropicals garden.

Date: 7 Aug 2020

Healthy Plant Food

Q&A from Mr Booster

Plant food for a Star Fruit

Q: I have 2 Starfruit plants from you. One on the left is B10 has a lot of flowers but no fruit is developing. On the rite is Kenjeng. This one has no flowers at all. Both plants are growing very well. Plenty of sun and water. I am located in Boynton Beach Florida. So what to do?

A: Your trees on the pictures look very healthy, congratulations with a great care!
Starfruit, as well as other grafted fruit trees (like mango, avocado, etc) usually flower/fruit easily and readily while in pots in the nursery. Sometimes, once planted in the ground, they may reduce flowering or even stop flowering. What happened?
The answer is simple. In pots, we fertilize them on regular basis. In our nursery, we have fertilizer injector inline with irrigation system that dozes plant food with EVERY watering. In other nurseries, they may also use slow-release fertilizers, but it is still a regular routine to provide plant food to potted plants.
In the ground, especially in Florida poor soils, fruit trees may stop flowering or delay fruiting due to lack of nutrients, or dis-balance of elements in the ground. Without fertilizer, a tree may take extra time to develop bigger root system to reach out for necessary elements, and eventually will start fruiting anyway.
But we want it to fruit soon! The only way to fix the problem is to provide fertilizer on regular basis for a young tree. It is especially important during hot summer months when plant metabolism is fast due to high temperatures, plus nutrients may get washed away with frequent summer rains (like we have in Florida) even if you've added some fertilizer at time of planting.

You can use smart release fertilizer once a month during hot season, this one or similar:
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster.

But the most effective way to get a tropical tree to flowering and fruiting, is frequent applications of liquid fertilizer. We use Sunshine Boosters with every watering on our plants. They work great even on hard cases and weak plants, and you see the difference in a matter of weeks, sometimes even days.
We recommend the following fertilizer that contains all necessary elements for young fruit trees: SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster

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.