Blooming Lobster Claw Show at TopTropicals

• 🔻 Heliconia rostrata - Lobster Claw or Parrot's Beak - is one of the most iconic tropical plants, and for good reason. Its vivid, dangling blooms look like parrot feathers or lobster claws and last for weeks, making them perfect for garden displays or cut flower arrangements.
• 🔻This bold beauty grows up to 7 feet tall, thriving in tropical climates or large pots in cooler zones. Surprisingly cold-tolerant, it can handle temps in the high 20s and still put on a spectacular show.

🛒 Shop Heliconias and Gingers

📚 Learn more:

• Lobster Claw - Simply Spectacular
• How to grow Lobster Claw

#Hedges_with_benefits #Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders

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⭐️ What is the difference between Brunfelsia americana and nitida?

• ⭐️ Brunfelsia americana and Brunfelsia nitida are very similar and both are commonly called Lady of the Night, They are night-fragrant shrubs that bloom with creamy white flowers, but they differ slightly in form and character.
• ⭐️ Brunfelsia americana grows taller and more upright, reaching up to 12 feet in favorable conditions, with creamy white tubular flowers that release a rich, sweet fragrance after dusk - filling the garden with magic scent.
• ⭐️ Brunfelsia nitida has a more compact, bushy growth habit, making it better suited for smaller spaces or containers. Its star-shaped white flowers are also fragrant at night, though the scent is typically lighter or spicier than that of B. americana. The foliage of B. nitida is glossier and more refined, adding to its neat, ornamental appearance.
• ⭐️ While both offer evening blooms and fragrance, B. nitida stands out for its tidy size and formal appeal, whereas B. americana impresses with its height and intense perfume.

📚 Learn more:

• What is the most popular fragrant Lady of the Night
• Brunfelsia americana - Lady of the night
• Brunfelsia isola
• Brunfelsias

🛒 Choose your perfect night-fragrant Brunfelsia

#Perfume_Plants #Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

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🕷 Bug off! Simple and safe way to clean your plants

🕷 Got pests? Try this quick, organic fix:

1 cup warm water

• 1 tsp cooking oil
• A few drops of dish soap

Mix it up and wipe leaves with a soft cloth or paper towel. Works great for aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, and whiteflies.

• 🕷For sucking insects like scale, you may need a stronger solution, like a systemic insecticide from local garden center. Try products containing Imidacloprid (also safe and found in flea shampoos).
• 🕷Got sooty mold on leaves? Wipe with household hydrogen peroxide, then rinse.
• 🕷 SUNSHINE NoBug - Natural Plant Protector works for all kinds of bugs! Fast. Easy. No bugs!

🛒 Stay bug-free with SUNSHINE NoBug - Natural Plant Protector

📚 Learn more:

• Pesticide 101 Safe and Easy 📱▫

️How to get rid of pests on Hibiscus?

#How_to

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💻 Who is Percephone?

Meet the PeopleCats of TopTropicals, your guides through our gardens and plant nursery! We have 14 cats at Ft Myers and 12 cats at Sebring location.

Today's guest in the studio is Percephone, who already made an appearance in our earlier posts.

🐈📸 Persephone - the Queen of the Underworld at PeopleCats.Garden 

#PeopleCats #Quotes

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🌵 How to grow Dragon Fruit from a cutting - Quick Guide

🐉 Get a healthy cutting


Use a 6-10 inch long stem cutting from a mature dragon fruit plant. Let the cut end dry in the shade for 2-5 days so it forms a callus. This also helps prevent rot and fungus.

🐉 Prepare the soil


Use well-draining soil - well drained potting mix, Adenium mix, or cactus mix is ideal. Dragon fruit hates wet feet!

🐉 Plant the cutting


Stick the callused end about 2-3 inches deep into the soil. Make sure it's planted upright (the way it grew on the parent plant).

🐉 Support it


Add a trellis or post. Dragon fruit is a climbing cactus and needs something to grow on.

🐉 Water lightly


Water once after planting, then wait until the soil dries before watering again. Overwatering can rot the cutting.

🐉 Give it sun and warmth


Place in bright, indirect sunlight while it roots. Once established, it can handle full sun.

🐉 Watch it grow!


Roots usually form in 2-4 weeks. New growth means it's taking off! This is the time to Ferilize it!

🛒Shop Dragon Fruit plants and cuttings

📚 Learn more:

• · How to grow Dragon Fruit 📱
• · Planting your own Dragon Fruit plantation
• · Do-It-Yourself Support Structure for Dragon Fruit
• · Grow Your Own Exotic Dragon Fruit Garden
• · Top 10 fruit you'll ever need for your health benefits: Dragon fruit
• · What does Dragon Fruit Flower look like?
• · Why you need to grow your own dragon fruit
• · Do red, white and yellow Dragon fruit taste differently?
• · What to do with a lot of Dragon Fruit

#Food_Forest #How_to #Dragon_Fruit

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