Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 27 Jan 2023

The Robuster: smart and simple
Automatic care-free plant feeder!

The  Robuster,  Smart  Fertilizer 
 Injector

Affordable Smart Fertilizer Injector and Doser

Tired of mixing fertilizer in watering cans?
Struggling to keep up with the growth of your garden?
Need to adjust fertilizer schedules for different plants and weather conditions?
Professional injectors are expensive and complicated?
Look no further! Affordable and user-friendly solution for any gardener -

The Robuster.
Set up... Sit back...
...enjoy your garden!

The Robuster is a unique smart device for irrigation systems and is designed to help make fertilizing your garden easier. Simple to install, The Robuster utilizes a computerized controller that injects liquid fertilizer into your irrigation system based on your preset dosage. The Robuster will work in your yard, garden or farm, small or large. Designed to be used with Sunshine Boosters amino acid based liquid fertilizers, it also works with any liquid plant food that requires a dosage from 5 - 25 ml per gallon of water.
Let The Robuster do the feeding so you have more time to enjoy your garden! Your first gallon of Sunshine Boosters is available to you at a 50% discount with the purchase of this unit! Sunshine Boosters are also available at deep discounts with our subscription program (coming soon). Contact us for more information.

Developed in Ukraine. Manufactured in the USA.
Introductory low price! Only 4 units available at this time.
Contact us for installation availability
Learn more:

Blog: About The Robuster with pictures
Amazing video:

The  Robuster  in  the  gardens

Starter gardens at TopTropicals as well as container plants, are fertilized with the Robuster with every watering

container  plants  fertilized  with  The  Robuster

Date: 4 Oct 2020

New video: Ground orchids.
All-summer colors for shady gardens

WATCH NEW VIDEO

Did you know orchids can be grown in the ground?
Orchids have a mystique that seems to set them apart from most other flowers... they are elegant and almost unreal in their perfection... The symmetry of the flowers has led to the orchid being a symbol of a perfect beauty.
But not every gardener has luck growing traditional orchids. Some complain about their special maintenance: "Mount them on a tree, do not overwater... and all that hassle just for once-a-year flower?" Sounds familiar?
Terrestrial orchids (a.k.a. ground orchids) grow in regular garden soil instead of in the air on tree branches. And they bloom almost year round!...

Ground orchids are available from our store.

Stay updated with TopTropicals Videos by subscribing to our channel at YouTube.com/TopTropicals and get our latest video news of what is fruiting and blooming!

Remember to get plant food for your orchids and Ground orchids!
In the photo: Sunshine-Home, plant booster for tender house plants and orchids.

Date: 2 Nov 2018

Amazing root growth after treatment of SUNSHINE-SuperFood!

TopTropicals.com

This Sansevieria grandis leaflet planted indoors in a plastic cup was treated with SuperFood once a week, along with regular monthly N-P-K, for a couple of months. On the photo, you actually see not just a ginormous root but a whole new plant started forming through the colossal size root sucker trying to find its way out. A pretty impressive result for a small plastic cup! The cup was protected from the sunlight, sitting inside of a dark planter. The plant received filtered light sitting on a windowsill with Eastern exposure.

Check out SuperFood

TopTropicals.com

Date: 24 Jun 2018

TopTropicals

What you need for successful growing Adeniums

1) Adenium plants - from TopTropicals Endless selection of Adeniums. We have double flower, red, purple, yellow and even black flowers!
2) A small pot with excellent drainage is a must. Position the plant in a pot, size of root system.
3) Adenium soil mix. TopTropicals Adenium Soilless Mix. Use only well-drained soil.
4) Lots of light. Adeniums need lots of light for heavy flowering. However from our own experience, in super hot climates, they look healthier in filtered bright light. After initial planting, once the plant is established and starts growing new leaves (may take a few weeks), gradually move it into brighter light.
5) Little water. Adeniums like a neutral to hard water. Acidic water tends to sour the soil too fast and may cause root rot. Water plants preferably in the early morning, and allow them to drink up throughout the day. Watering can be done daily to every few days. Do not water again until soil dries on surface. Never allow your plants to sit in a saucer of water, but don't let them to dry out too often - this causes adeniums to go into early dormancy. Adeniums do not like both over-watering or drying-out.
6) Fertilizer. To make your plant develop a large swollen base/trunk, you'll need a good quality fertilizer. Use slow-release granulated fertilizer for overall plant health, and liquid water soluble fertilizer for swelling up trunks that is also used to increase flowering. It shouldn't be too high in nitrogen, the middle number should be the highest (similar to 10-50-10). Never apply fertilizer directly on roots and do not liquid feed when a plant is thirsty: always water first slightly to avoid root burn and leaf drop. Do not wet leaves.
7) SuperFood micro-elements. Besides macro-nutrients provided by fertilizer, Adenium needs micro-elements for balanced development of root system and especially caudex: Sunshine-SuperFood.
8) SUNSHINE-BC. Spray leaves with SUNSHINE-BC once a month to encourage young growth, profuse flowering and large caudex.
9) Growing caudex. There is a secret how to create a large swollen caudex: raise the plant a bit every time you re-pot it, so that the upper part of roots will be a little exposed. The plant will form more roots that will go down.

See full list of Adeniums - plants and seeds.

Date: 22 Oct 2025

💞 Cassia or Bauhinia?

Collage  of  Cassia  and  Senna  flowering  trees:
1  –  Cassia  bicapsularis  (Butterfly  Bush),
2  –  Cassia  x  natalensis  (Rainbow  Cassia),
3  –  Cassia  grandis  (Red  Cassia),
4  –  Cassia  didymobotrya  (Popcorn  Cassia),  similar  to  Senna  alata 
 (Empress  Candles),
5  –  Cassia  javanica  (Apple  Blossom  Tree),
6  –  Cassia  roxburghii  (Ceylon  Senna),
7  –  Cassia  fistula  (Golden  Shower  Tree),
8  –  Cassia  x  nodosa  (Pink  Shower).

Looking for a small tree that blooms like fireworks but still fits on your patio? We hear this question all the time at Top Tropicals: Cassia or Bauhinia? Both are tropical showstoppers, but they shine in very different ways.

🌞 Cassias: Sunshine Fireworks

Cassia trees are some of the most rewarding tropical bloomers you can grow. Fast-growing, free-flowering, and surprisingly cold-tolerant, they thrive in full sun and summer heat. Their bright clusters come in shades of yellow, orange, pink, red, and even multicolor blends. The famous Rainbow Cassias show swirls of coral, gold, and rose on the same tree, creating a living fireworks display.

For gardeners in warm regions, these trees become spectacular focal points in the landscape. In containers, compact yellow forms like Cassia didymobotrya (Popcorn Cassia) and Senna alata (Empress Candles) stay manageable and bloom freely through summer.

Cassias can also be grown in pots with pruning and patience. Once mature, they reward you with breathtaking color that turns any patio or pool deck into a tropical show. Most showy cassias (numbers correspond to the photos in the collage above):

  1. Cassia bicapsularis (Butterfly Bush) - is a fast-growing, low-maintenance shrub covered in bright yellow, butterfly-like blooms from fall through winter.
  2. Cassia x natalensis (Rainbow Cassia)
  3. Cassia grandis (Red cassia) - a medium size tree having profuse blooms of dark pink to crimson flowers throughout the Spring.
  4. Cassia didymobotrya (Popcorn Cassia), small tree producing golden-yellow flowers with a distinct scent of peanut butter that open from brown buds in late summer and autumn. Similar to Senna alata (Empress Candles)
  5. Cassia roxburghii (Ceylon Senna) - graceful tree with spreading, drooping branches appearing to be overweighed by its wealth of clustering red blossoms.
  6. Cassia x nodosa (Pink Shower) - is a spectacular medium-sized, fast-growing tree with cascading clusters of fragrant pink-and-white appleblossom blooms in spring and summer.
  7. Cassia fistula (Golden Shower) - to many tropical gardeners, the most beautiful of cassias with masses of bright gold flower clusters appear on almost every branch.
  8. Cassia javanica (Apple Blossom) - dazzles with dense clusters of pink-to-white blossoms that change shades as they bloom, creating a spectacular display that lasts for months.
"Cassias love the heat and sunshine," says Tatiana Anderson, Top Tropicals Plant Expert. "They are perfect for anyone who wants big bursts of color and doesn’t mind giving them space and light to grow."

👉 Explore Cassia Trees

Bauhinia Magic: Orchid-Like Blooms in a Compact Size

Collage  of  Bauhinia  orchid  trees:  top  left  –  Bauhinia  acuminata 
 (Dwarf  White  Orchid  Tree),  middle  left  –  Bauhinia  blakeana  (Hong  Kong 
 Orchid  Tree),  bottom  left  –  Bauhinia  monandra  (Napoleon’s  Plume 
 Orchid  Tree),  top  right  –  Bauhinia  madagascariensis  (Red  Dwarf  Orchid 
 Tree),  and  bottom  right  –  Bauhinia  tomentosa  (Yellow  Orchid 
 Tree)

Bauhinia orchid trees: top left – Bauhinia acuminata (Dwarf White Orchid Tree), middle left – Bauhinia blakeana (Hong Kong Orchid Tree), bottom left – Bauhinia monandra (Napoleon’s Plume Orchid Tree), top right – Bauhinia madagascariensis (Red Dwarf Orchid Tree), and bottom right – Bauhinia tomentosa (Yellow Orchid Tree)

Bauhinia trees known as Orchid Trees, bring a touch of tropical luxury to any space. Their butterfly-shaped leaves and orchid-like blossoms appear in shades of red, pink, purple, white, and yellow, often lasting up to ten months a year. Bauhinias are ideal for gardeners who want nonstop color in a manageable size. Most species grow well in large pots and bloom young, often within the first season.

The following compact varieties stay neat and flower almost continuously in warm weather:

The Hong Kong Orchid Tree is especially prized because it is sterile and produces no messy seed pods, keeping patios clean. Grafted Buhinia blakeana trees begin blooming while still small, making them perfect for containers or tight spaces.

"Bauhinias are generous bloomers," Tatiana explains. "They respond beautifully to regular feeding and full sun. If nights turn too cold, just move the pot to a sunny porch - they’ll keep their tropical charm most of the year."

Give them full sun, regular fertilizer, and a well-drained mix such as Sunshine Abundance, and they will reward you with months of vivid blooms. When nights turn too cold, simply move the pot to a sunny porch or bright window. Bauhinias adjust beautifully and keep their tropical grace year after year.

🎥 Watch Short Videos:

💲 Special Offer – 20% off Cassias and Bauhinias!

Get 20% OFF Cassias and Bauhinias with code

RAINBOW2025

Min order $100. Excluding S/H, valid online only, cannot be combined with other offers.

Hurry, offer expires October 30, 2025!

👉 Explore Bauhinias - Orchid Trees