Cold protection for tropical plants

Pushing the limits of tropical gardening

The year is almost over but the winter is not. This Christmas weekend at our Sebring B-farm we had it down to 30F. As a tropical gardener, winter can be challenging, especially if you grow plants outside of tropical zones.

To protect your garden from the cold, consider the following:

1. Monitor freeze watches and be prepared to take action if necessary.
2. Create temporary structures like mini-greenhouses using PVC pipes, carport frames, or bamboo sticks to support covers.
3. Use covers such as frost cloth, cardboard boxes, blankets, and bed sheets.
4. Use Christmas lights and other heating elements, including propane heaters, to keep plants warm.
5. Add a layer of heavy mulch around plant trunks to protect them from the cold.
6. Apply plant boosters that improve cold hardiness, such as Sunshine Epi, Sunshine-Si, and Sunshine Superfood.

At TopTropicals B-Farm, we sprayed our plants with a special cold hardiness treatment Sunshine-Si and covered and wrapped everything we could. We also moved cold sensitive species inside greenhouses. All of our plants are looking great and happy!

Photo above: Mulching mango trunks and using Christmas lights for cold protection

Read more about this special treatment plan: Cold Hardiness Improvement Kit.

Photo above: Temporary wrapping of a section of a greenhouse with a plastic or frost cloth protects from a windchill. It may also win you a few degrees even without a heater. In this particular case, according to our temp sensors, it was 30F outside, and 41F inside this "dome", no heaters used.

Sunshine Boosters:

Last chance to stock up
at a lower price!

Sunshine Boosters are natural, amino acid-based liquid fertilizers made with only the highest quality ingredients. Starting in 2023, the pricing for Sunshine Boosters will be adjusting to reflect the increasing cost of supplies. This is your last chance to stock up on Sunshine Boosters before the end of the year! Sunshine Boosters are safe to use year around, with every watering.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to get the best value for your money!

Use discount for even better deal:

22FOR22
for 22% off orders $220+

Min order $220. Offer expires 12-31-22

What is your Zodiac Lucky plant?
Plant Horoscope - Cancer (06/22-07/22)

by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...Despite the seemingly hard shell of Cancers, they are extremely tender and easily vulnerable... The full Moon can cause Cancer's unexpected whims and frequent insomnia... But some flowering plants can help them! It is very important for them to grow the so-called lunar flowers - white or light yellow, with a delicate aroma and soft leaves... Continue reading >>

Sweet Potatoes - healthy food for every kitchen

by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

"Oh my, what is this luxurious vine? These large, bright flowers! Looks like the Morning Glory and... is not like anything!"
"You want to know what this is? This is my favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner. For breakfast - sweet, but healthy porridge, for lunch - a wonderful side dish, and at last this plant makes a wonderful dessert after dinner!"
I didn't expect sweet potatoes to be represented by such a beautiful plant! So my old good friend introduced me to this supposedly ordinary, but spectacular and useful edible plant. Yet it is very fast growing and easy! Here is the story...

Ukrainians: Nation of Growers

104 days of war in Ukraine... Our friends and customers ask how our Ukrainian Team is surviving... Here is a brief update.
...Most Ukrainian people are gardeners. Plants and flowers, fruit and veggies - growing is in their hearts and their blood. Ukrainians are people of Peace; however, when it came to protecting their Home, they have already shown the world their strength and pride. What is the secret of these people to keep optimism and strong will? They just love life and know how to stay happy, no matter what. We all should learn from them...

Garden in Trenches

Video above is from the front line: Ukrainian soldiers continue growing vegetables and herbs at the front line, right in trenches! This Nation is invincible!

Reminder:
All Sunshine Boosters proceeds go to Ukraine!

If you want to help, simply feed your plants and help Ukrainian families at the same time! Get your plants Sunshine Boosters - the Fertilizer that Works, proudly developed in Ukraine, proudly made in the USA.
As always, we appreciate the support of our loyal community of Top Tropicals customers and enthusiasts.

Plant Horoscope - Gemini

What is your lucky Zodiac plant?

By Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

... Gemini are very fond of plants, especially flowers. They are able to devote their lives to favorite plants, selecting new varieties, planting gardens, parks and arboretums. In addition, the planet-ruler Mercury gives them with business ability - Gemini are excellent flower merchants of any level: from flower growers who sell their plants to everyone, to wholesalers who supply their delicate fragrant goods around the world. In their house, Gemini do not keep too many plants, they have enough of those that grow outside in their nursery and garden. However, among those who nevertheless became piece of the family (exactly this way Gemini perceive their house plants), preference is given to graceful forms, pubescent and curly, like Farfugium, Monstrous epyphyllum, often carved leaves (Monstera) and plants with aroma. All these properties not only improve the physical well-being of Gemini, but also helps save the spiritual and mental balance of their contradictory but all while tender and romantic nature. Gemini don't care about common spices, they love unusual plants and especially those with a sweet scent. Their favorite aroma is rose and similar, like fragrances of Clerodendrums, Jasmines, Gardenias, Plumeria, and Brunfelsia. At critical moments sweet scents awaken them into the life!..