Date: 11 May 2023
The
Wonderful World of Tamarind:
from Planting to Plating
Q: I use a lot of tamarind in my cooking. Can I grow my own Tamarind fruit? Can Tamarind tree grow in North Florida? Will Tamarind grow well outside or should I keep it in a pot?
A: Originating from tropical Africa, the Tamarind - Tamarindus indica - is a tropical tree that is highly appreciated for its ornamental beauty, delightful shade, and soft texture.
Tamarind is a highly valued culinary ingredient, with its tangy and sweet-sour flavor profile making it a popular addition to many dishes. It is frequently used in South Asian, Latin American, Caribbean, and African cuisines to add a touch of acidity and sweetness. Tamarind paste, made from the fruit's pulp, is a key ingredient in Worcestershire sauce, tamarind chutney, and many curry dishes. The seeds, when roasted and ground, can be used as a coffee substitute or as a thickening agent in sauces and stews....
Tamarind tree is prized for its versatile fruits and numerous health
benefits. The tree can be grown outside in warm climates, as well as in pots and
indoors... even as bonsai!
CONTINUE READING >>
Date: 25 Feb 2021
Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster
Dragon Fruit Magic Tricks
Q: I purchased two sweet red pitayas, that arrived and were planted on May 28, 2020, they were damaged but not serious. my question is this one pitaya is a beautiful green, and has grown 6or 8 "already, the other is bigger and is a grayish green and has not shown any sign of growth at all in six weeks, how long do I wait before I throw it out and buy another?
A: Being a cactus, sometimes Pitaya slows down its growth waiting
for more favorable conditions. If one of your plants doesn't show any new
growth, just give a it some more time and make sure the plant stays happy. To
make pitaya happy, provide the following:
- Water. Unlike most cacti, Pitaya prefers regular watering (but not
a wet soil). Make sure it is planted in well-drained media. Do not water
again if soil remains moist, wait until it dries out on the surface. During hot
weather, Pitaya enjoys light daily watering.
- Light. Unlike most cacti, Pitaya benefits from a filtered light
especially while establishing. Try to create a temporary shade over the plant
until it starts active growth (if grown in the ground), or move the pot in
filtered light. Dull color or dry spots are signs of sun burn. Once the plant
shows new growth, you may remove sun protection, or move the pot gradually into
the full sun.
- Food. Pitayas are heavy feeders. Use the following fertilizer:
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster
Q: I've been growing dragon fruit cuttings from Okinawa, Thailand and Vietnam for several years in pots and cannot get them to fruit. Any fertilizer suggestions? I live in Northern Virginia so I bring the massive pots in the garage under lights and a heater for the winter but back outside once the temperature warms up.
A: There is a little trick to get Dragon fruit to flowering and
fruiting. This plant likes flowering when it is attached to a strong support.
In commercial plantations, they use special trellises/frames made out of
logs, but you can make one yourself using simple materials.
See article: Do-It-Yourself Support Structure for Dragon Fruit.
And of course, don't forget a special plant food for tropical fruit - Sunshine C-Cibus.
You can successfully get your Dragon fruits to fruit in pots, providing
bright light in Summer. In Winter, keep the plants on a dry side to give them
some rest and a chance to hibernate before the next fruiting season.
Date: 15 Jul 2024
How Mulberry fruit helps with diabetes
Fruit of Mulberry Tree (Morus x Alba hybrids)
Mulberry fruit
🍇 How Mulberry fruit helps with diabetes
- 💜 Mulberry Tree (Morus x Alba hybrids) originated from China. Everyone knows this sweet, tasty, juicy fruit but very few people are aware of its amazing health benefits.
- 💜 Mulberry fruit can lower blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes. They improve the absorption of carbohydrates in the gut. Eating this fruit slows the breakdown of sugar in the stomach so that it's absorbed more slowly into the blood. This helps the body keep blood sugar levels in a healthy range.
- 💜 Mulberry fruit have a low glycaemic index, making them suitable to consume after meals to avoid spikes in sugar levels.
- 💜 Mulberry is called Tree of Life for a reason. Revelation 22, Verse 2: "In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."
- 💜 Mulberry Tree is very cold hardy and can grow in wide range of climate zones, from USDA 5 to 10. Dwarf cultivars available - perfect for container culture. One of them is called Dwarf Everbearing - it fruits virtually year around!
💜 More health benefits of Mulberry:
- help prevent fatty liver diseases, and lower cholesterol levels.
- Mulberry leaves show their benefits against cardiometabolic risks, including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antiobesity
- Due to flavonoids and other phytochemicals, Mulberry juice has been shown to have anti-cancer properties, specifically against breast cancer cells.
🛒 Plant your own Mulberry tree
#Food_Forest #Remedies
🏵 TopTropicals
Date: 20 Jun 2024
The most luscious Hospitality Fruit
Pineapple plant (Ananas comosus)
🍍 The most luscious Hospitality Fruit
💥 Pineapple plant (Ananas comosus) produces a delicious fruit treat and is a fascinating plant to grow.
- 🔻 King of fruits. Pineapple is often referred to as the "king of fruits" (along with Durian and Mango). It is cherished for its sweet and tangy taste, refreshing qualities, culinary uses, and health benefits, including high vitamin C content and digestive enzymes.
- 🔻 Bromelain for healthy guts: pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain that can break down proteins and is often used as a meat tenderizer. It's great for digestion; eat 1 slice of pineapple after every meal to maintain healthy digestive system.
- 🔻 Single fruit per plant: each pineapple plant produces just one pineapple per year.
- 🔻 Growth time: It takes about 18-24 months for a pineapple to mature and be ready for harvest.
- 🔻 Symbol of Hospitality: in many cultures, pineapples are a symbol of hospitality and welcome.
- 🔻 Those are berries! A pineapple is formed from many individual single fruit (technically, berries), which fuse together around the core.
- 🔻 Cultivation. Pineapples are easy to grow. They need only a little water to thrive. Take full sun, shade, semi-shade. For faster production, fertilize with SUNSHINE boosters Ananas - Pineapple and Bromeliad Booster. Perfect container plant, can be grown indoors as a houseplant.
- 🔻 Propagation: pineapples can be grown from the crown of the fruit. If you like the variety of the fruit you just ate, just cut the top off and plant it in potting soil, it will root within a few weeks. Make sure to not overwater it. Many superior varieties are available in selection.
📚 Learn more: The most luscious Hospitality Fruit: Pineapple
🛒 Select Pineapple varieties
#Food_Forest
🏵 TopTropicals
Date: 15 Jun 2024
The truth about Papaya:
Papaya fruit
Papaya tree with fruit
Papaya fruit
Papaya trees
🍊 The truth about Papaya:
1) it is grass, and
2) it can go transgender!
The secret facts of Papaya's private life.
- 📌 Did you know that Papaya technically is not a tree? It is a large herbaceous plant, usually with a single, straight trunk that can reach 30 feet!
- 📌 Many dwarf varieties available in selection, reaching only 6-8 ft tall, but producing large crops of full size fruit - they are easy to harvest.
- 📌 Papaya trees have very complex gender mechanism, but the bottom line is - the tree can chance its sex based on conditions! Many varieties are self-fertile, but it always recommended to plant a few trees for cross-pollination and better yield.
- 📌 The sweetest Papaya is from so called "Solo" cultivars: the fruit is usually round or oval, on a smaller side, but super sweet.
- 📌 Fruit from Solo cultivars are not susceptible to fruit flies.
- 📌 Being officially a tropical plant, Papaya is pretty cold resistant and can withstand light freeze without significant damage.
- 📌 Surprisingly, Papayas are also hurricane-resistant plants and can take strong winds without damage. They still stand when other trees are down!
- 📌 Papaya is one of the Super-Foods thanks to papain - a natural enzyme containing in this fruit. Papaya fruit offers the best digestive aid! Eat some papaya after each meal to maintain healthy digestion.
- 📌 Try papaya leaf wraps for cooking meats - you won't need a meat tenderizer!
- 📌 Easy to grow trees, Papayas don't take any space in the garden, but bring so much goodness into your life!
🛒 Shop Papaya Trees
#Food_Forest
🏵 TopTropicals