Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 5 Mar 2023

How to move plants from indoors to outdoors

Q: When moving my tropical plant collection outside in the garden, what do I need to know to get them adjusted to this change?

A: As a tropical plant gardener, it's important to assess the temperatures outside before moving your plants outdoors. Most tropical plants thrive in sustained temperatures above 60F.
Moving your plants outside during the summer creates optimal growing conditions for sun-loving plants, providing them with more light and warmth than they can ever get inside. This active time of growth, along with the outdoor conditions of humidity, heat, sunlight, and natural day length, gives the plant a chance to experience growth in an outdoor environment, making for a much stronger plant.
However, be aware of sun burn. Direct sunlight can burn patches of white or brown on the surface of the tender leaves, so it's best to move your plants outside by hardening them off first. Gradually increase the amount of direct sunlight they receive over several days before moving them into full sun.
It's also a good time to prune your plants and repot them if needed, providing better aeration to the root system. But avoid root pruning as it can make your plant susceptible to disease and shock.
Overall, moving your tropical plants outside encourages their natural bloom cycle and provides extra vigor for the upcoming indoor season. However, be aware that you may have to deal with insects when you bring your plants back inside in the fall, so use preventive sprays like Sunshine NoBug before bringing them back inside. Leaf drop is also common when plants come back inside, so make sure to provide a well-lit location.
When moving plants outside, it's important to provide them with proper nutrients through fertilization. Outdoor conditions can deplete the soil of essential nutrients, so giving your plants a boost of fertilizer before moving them outside can help them acclimate to their new environment. Apply Sunshine Boosters with every watering, include micro-elements and bio stimulants to boost their immune system.

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Date: 21 Feb 2020

When plants are ready for a meal?

Q: We have an early Spring here in Florida. All plants in my garden flushing out new leaves and buds opening. Can I start fertilizing? I have Mango, Avocado, Peach trees, many medicinal herbs and flowering shrubs: Angel trumpets, plumerias, bromeliads. I prefer mild organic fertilizers; can you suggest something that is safe for edibles and butterflies?

Q: As a rule of thumb, tropical gardeners start regular fertilizing when the minimum temperatures (at night) go above 65F. Keep in mind that Sunshine Boosters fertilizers can be applied year around because they have mild formulas and used with every watering; during cooler period, you water less frequently, so feeding is reduced accordingly. Another advantage of Sunshine Boosters - they are natural (derived from organic amino acids which is the basics of Life). They are safe for edibles as well as pollinating insects.

Here is the feeding plan for your plants:
1. The most universal solution for all plants (both potted and in-ground): get a complete set of Sunshine Boosters Pro system: Advantage-Pro for vegetative growth, BloomBoom Pro for flowering stage, and Ca-Support-Pro + Constanta-Pro as necessary daily supplements. You will need all these 4 components for your garden.
2. Start adding these liquid boosters with every watering according to dozing directions and you will notice amazing growth boost within a week.
3. Apply Sunshine Epi plant hormone every 2 weeks as a foliar spray to boost immune system and metabolism of plants and protect them from diseases. Epi makes plants (especially young plants and those "waking up" from dormancy) grow twice faster! It also enhances effect of fertilizers by increasing plant metabolism.
4. After cool winter temperatures, some plants may develop element deficiencies like chlorosis (yellowing leaves). Additional microelement boost can be provided with Sunshine Greenleaf (iron supplement) and Sunshine Superfood (micro-elements).
5. For additional boosting of flowering and setting fruit, use the following individual boosters:
Sunshine Robusta - for foliage plants and when you need rapid vegetative growth
Sunshine TotalFeed - for Plumerias and other fragrant plants
Sunshine Megaflor - for Brugmansias and other flowering heavy feeders
Sunshine C-Cibus - for improving fruit production and quality
Sunshine Honey - for sweeter fruit (must be applied 4-5 times a year)
6. For young/small plants (seedlings, rooted cuttings) as well as tender tropicals like bromeliads, and orchids - Sunshine Bombino is a perfect choice due to its mild formula.
7. To save money, order complete sets rather than individual boosters; you will be able to safe up to 40%! Sunshine Complete Nutrition System Kits: Combo Kit, and Pro Kit.

If you are a fan of organic gardening, do not use dry fertilizers. While water-soluble and granulated (smart-realease) fertilizers are popular choice in plant nurseries due to their convenience, they are not as safe as liquid boosters because they create salt build-up in soil and have a high risk of overdosing/burning plant roots, especially potted plants, plants at breaking dormancy, at establishing, and at early stages of plant development. Besides, dry fertilizers may affect the taste of your fruit and herbs. See advantages of liquid boosters over dry fertilizers.

Learn more about Sunshine Nutrition System - a Natural solution for your garden.

Date: 24 Jun 2018

Spring is coming, plants need food! Time to fertilize...

Last winter was long and snowy in the most part of our country. Hold on fellow gardeners up North, it is almost over!
Here in Florida we have been blessed again with a mild winter without serious cold snaps. Early Spring that is already in the air. Look at this picture of flowers in our front yard now.
If the weather is already warm in your area (low temperatures above 55), it is time to start fertilizing. We are sending our love and support to tropical Puerto Rico suffered from hurricane last year, and will be happy to help you guys to restore your lost gardens!

CHECK LIST

what to do to give your garden a good kick start:

1. Slow release granulated food. Apply Slow Release Fertilizer and continue once a month. 1 tsp per gallon of pot, or a handful for in-ground plants. This will provide essential macro elements (NPK) required for a plant growth.

2. Water soluble micro-elements. Besides macro-elements, plants need many other elements that most of the time missing in soil. A lack of micro-elements causes different deficiencies, resulting in weak root systems, slow growth, deformed leaves, leaves yellowing, lack or no flowers/fruit. Apply these supplements as a foliar spray once a month to induce healthy growth and flower/fruit development. We recommend the following micro-element products to keep your plants healthy and vigorous year round:
a) SUNSHINE SuperFood - plant health booster. This revolutionary new liquid complex contains ALL microelements needed and can fix all possible problems occuring to your tropical plants - from roots to flowers and fruit. We have convenient dropper bottles of 5 ml for small plant collections, 50 ml for larger gardens, and 100 ml for professional landscape applications.
b) SUNSHINE-Micro - Microelement booster - for common iron deficiency (pale leaves)
c) SUNSHINE-Super-Iron - Microelement booster - for severe iron deficiency (severe yellowing leaves)

3. SUNSHINE plant boosters - SUNSHINE-E, -BC (caudex plants and bonsai), -H (house plants). Apply these natural plant stimulants to help plants recover from cold, dormancy, increase plant's metabolism and make a plant more readily absorb both Macro- and Micro-elements. SUNSHINE boosters also will help plants grow vigorously, withstand Summer heat and drought, and produce bigger and better flowers and fruit.

4. Kickstart a sweeter fruit. To get a better and sweeter crop in Summer and Fall, you need to start first application now. SUNSHINE Honey - is natural, Amber-colored, honey-like liquid microelement product for fruiting and edible plants that will make them sweeter, tastier and more flavorful! Very effective for tropical fruits, tubers, vegetables. Great for tropical fruit trees: Mango, June Plum, Annonas, Tropical Cherries, Carambola, Citrus; subtropical fruit trees: Peaches, Apricots, Loquat and berry plants (blackberry, mulberry, etc.)

5. SUNSHINE-S. Don't forget to plant seeds! It's a perfect timing now to start your tropical garden indoors even if it is still cold outside. Soak them in SUNSHINE-S solution to increase germination rate.

See full list of SUNSHINE boosters. All these products are essential plant elements. They are not toxic and can be used safely for edible landscapes.

Date: 21 Nov 2025

How to keep your house plants beautiful all year by feeding them right

Indoor garden

🍀 How to keep your house plants beautiful all year by feeding them right

🌱 Healthy house plants are not just about light and water. They need food, just like we do. A good fertilizer routine keeps them green, strong, and blooming through every season. Here is a simple guide to feeding indoor plants the right way.

🌱 General rules for fertilizing house plants

▪️Feed lightly but regularly. Indoor plants grow in limited soil, so nutrients run out faster. Small, frequent feedings work better than one heavy dose.
▪️Never fertilize dry soil. Water first, then feed.
▪️Reduce feeding in winter when growth slows.
▪️Watch your leaves. Pale, yellow, or slow-growing plants are asking for nutrients.
▪️Use a complete formula. House plants need both macro-elements (N-P-K) and micro-elements, not just nitrogen.

🌱 What fertilizer to use

Sunshine Boosters - the everyday diet.
Sunshine Boosters are simple, balanced liquid fertilizers you mix with water. They give your plants everything they need for steady, healthy growth. They contain the right blend of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and trace minerals. They do not contain harsh chemicals, so they are safe for homes with pets and kids. Regular use keeps plants growing faster, stronger, and more resilient to stress.

Sunshine Superfood - the vitamin supplement.
If a plant turns yellow or looks weak, it often needs micronutrients. These are the plant version of vitamins, including iron, zinc, copper, and manganese. Sunshine Superfood delivers these quickly and in the right proportions. Mix it with water and apply when you notice yellowing or slow growth. It corrects deficiencies fast and keeps leaves lush and green.

Green Magic - the long-term slow feeder.
Green Magic is a controlled-release fertilizer that works for six months. It uses poly-on coating technology to release nutrients slowly, without burning roots. It is perfect for repotting or for plant owners who want a set-it-and-forget-it option. Mix one teaspoon per gallon of soil during repotting or every six months. Excellent for container fruit trees and ornamentals that need steady feeding.

🌱 The simple routine

▪️For regular watering: use Sunshine Boosters.
▪️Once a month: add Sunshine Superfood to prevent yellowing.
▪️Every six months: mix Green Magic into the soil for long-term support.

With the right diet, your house plants stay green, strong, and beautiful year-round. Feed them well, and they reward you every day.

📸 In the photo: Indoor garden of Marina Rybka, Israel, the Editor of TopTropicals.

🛒 Get your plants some food

📚 Learn more:

📱 What are Sunshine Boosters

#Fertilizers #How_to

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 19 Jan 2021

Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster

Fertilizing in Winter

Q: I have many tropical plants in my garden, both in the ground and in pots. I realize it is wintertime and some of them, the Hydrangea, Hibiscuses, and roses are in bloom but the rest of them seem wilty and droopy. Is it alright to fertilize them now, or should I wait for a few days? I have an all purpose tropical fertilizer and a 20-20-20 also. Please advise what to do.

A: During wintertime, tropicals may suffer from low temperatures and lack of sunshine which causes droopy leaves, and leaf loss.
Regardless of the cause and plant condition, you should NEVER apply traditional dry fertilizers during cool months. When cold, dry fertilizers (EDTA-chelated) may create nutrient lock up in soil and damage the roots. Dry fertilizers (both granulated and water-soluble) can be used only during hot season - when min temperatures stay above 65F for at least a week in a row, and daytime temperatures are over 75-80F. During hot, active growth season plant metabolism increases. This provides less chance for a chemical root burn, as the nutrients are used up quickly.

However, liquid fertilizers, as long as they are amino-acid based, can be used year round. From our own experience last winter, we discovered that fertilizing sickly looking plants (with signs of cold damage and root issues) with Sunshine Boosters actually revived those plants. Sunshine Boosters even brought back to life some hopeless specimens. Take a look at this gardenia that grows in our garden (picture above). See full article.
In your case, it would be beneficial to use a mild formula of liquid boosters in combination with Sunshine Epi -a natural plant hormone that boost their growth and helps to cope with cold-, temperature- and low-light-related stress.

These are the products we recommend:
- Sunshine Bombino - add to every watering
- Sunshine Epi - twice a month as foliage spray

Since you grow plants in pots, feeding program is especially essential, because plants are limited with a container size where roots can't reach out to more food in the outer soil. In professional nursery set up with injector irrigation systems, container plants are fed daily (depending on season, more than once a day) with every watering. This is why greenhouse plants are so healthy looking.
So feel free to give your plants Sunshine boosters with every watering, dozing according to the label. During cold period, plants need less frequent watering, so fertilizer input will be balanced accordingly, it will depend on temperature and plant metabolism.

Sunshine Bombino - mild, "pampering" formula for young and tender plants, as well as plants recovering from stress and/or winter damage.

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