Date: 10 Mar 2021
Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster
Jasmine Grand Duke flowering
Q: Hey can you help me figure out why my jasmine grand duke supreme is not flowering? Ive had it for almost a year (in NY) and only had 1 flower bloom and that immediately turned brown and died. Since then no flowers have come. The leaves are green and healthy and its growing like crazy but not flowers. Please help me figure this out.
A: For profuse flowering, Jasmine sambac needs 2 things: bright light and special plant food.
We have plenty of both here in Florida. If your grow this plant indoors in
colder climate, get it to flowering can be a bit tricky.
Your plant grows well overall with lots of vegetative growth, this is a
good sign, it means it's healthy, and not being overwatered which is one of the
most common problems with Sambacs. You're doing a great job! This jasmine
just needs more sun and fertilizer.
Make sure to keep it in the brightest spot of your home. The more hours of
light, the better. When night temperatures stay above 65F, it is beneficial
to bring the plant outside on a balcony, patio, or in a garden in full sun as
a potted specimen (move to bright light gradually).
You should give this Jasmine plenty of food with every watering. We
recommend SUNSHINE Pikake - Fragrant Flower Booster. This is a natural fertilizer
that can be applied to plants year round without risk of burning the roots
or nutrient lock up in the soil. It provides all necessary elements for the
flowering cycle - just add a bit into watering can, every time you water.
Date: 19 Jul 2020
Sugar grains on leaves?
by Mark Hooten, the Garden Doc
Q: On my Stemmadenia tree I noticed tiny drops (like white sand grain or sugar crystals) and wonder if this is a disease or some kind of insect and what can I do about it?
A: Sometimes certain vigorously growing (mostly tropical) plants
develop suspiciously-looking tiny "growths" mostly on the undersides of their
leaves. Without strong magnification, they can be easily mistaken for mealy
bugs, scale insects, or any number of parasitic disease vectors.
However, according to plant pathologists, these are actually harmless
excretions actually exuded by the plants themselves. A chemical analysis of these
tiny granules shows that they are nothing more than polysaccharides.
Polysaccharides are basically complex chains of sugar/glucose molecules which are
simply a production of all plants undergoing photosynthesis. Polysaccharides are
at the beginning of the entire food-chain. These odd tiny sugar-grained
nodules are actually only semi-crystalline complex sugars which certain plants
have over manufactured and have had no choice but to excrete through their
stomata (breathing pores).
I have personally observed Cecropia, Psychotria, Spondias (Hog Plum), and Guavas doing this... there are many others. Nothing to worry about,
they are harmless, but if they bother you - wash them off with a hose water.
Date: 2 Jan 2020
The most fragrant flowers
Q: Hope you can help me with the following question with an upcoming newsletter. Would you please let us know of the strongest (pleasant) fragrant plants you currently have in stock? Fragrance that fills the space.
A: The most fragrant flower that "fills the air around" in definitely Chanel #5 - Cananga odorata a.k.a. Ylang Ylang. Just one tree when in
bloom can fill the air with fine perfume for yards away.
Another strongly scented perfume tree is Joy Perfume - Magnolia champaca (both orange and white
flowers are sweetly fragrant).
If you are looking for a smaller size plant, then the most fragrant are -
- Jasmine sambac
- Night-fragrant white-flowered Brunfelsias - B.
americana, B. nitida, B. Gigantea, B. lactea and others.
- Night blooming Jasmine - Cestrum nocturnum is another favorite shrub with night-fragrant
flowers, the scent is super strong and super sweet.
-
Artabotrys hexapetalus - Ylang Ylang vine with wonderful lemony fragrance that fills the air.
See Full list of fragrant plants.
Date: 16 Nov 2019
When to apply super boost?
Sunshine Boosters: a breakthrough in Winter fertilizing
In the photo: plants are tough survivors. Life can't be stopped even by a brick road!
Q: Just wanted to know best time of day to apply super boost as spray and watering? Only listed to make sure night temp doesn't drop below 65F...
A: As a rule of thumb, plant's needs in fertilizers are very low
in the cold season because they consume less nutrients during dormancy. For
tropical plants, when minimum temperatures drop below 65F - we stop
applications of dry (granulated) fertilizers until spring, to avoid root burn.
Liquid Sunshine Boosters are exceptions from this rule to a certain extent,
for 2 reasons:
- they are amino-acid based which means, salts do not build up in the soil,
and thus will not burn the roots even with slower plant metabolism.
- concentrations/formulas are mild and designed for as frequent as daily
watering
Tips for winter fertilizing:
1) When a plant goes into full dormancy (drops leaves and does not show any new growth), you may stop fertilizing with any Macro NPK products (both dry and liquid)
2) If a plant is evergreen and continues growing during the cooler
period, and especially if it is a winter bloomer, mild liquid fertilizers can be
applied, depending on the stage of plant development.
Robusta and TotalFeed are used for vegetative growth and pre-flower.
Megaflor and C-Cibus are used for winter flowering/ fruiting plants during the bloom
stage.
See full list of liquid boosters
3) Micro-elements can be used all year round for all plants that are not dormant (do not drop leaves)
4) Always use Sunshine-Epi as a foliar spray to activate immune system and unlock protective mechanisms, BEFORE applying other boosters. It is especially important during Fall-Winter for improving cold tolerance and disease resistance.
5) Always apply foliar spray and/or drench the soil with solutions in morning hours so the plant has time to process the nutrients during daylight when metabolism is the most active.
6) Avoid any dry fertilizers during winter
Date: 11 Oct 2019
Fun of growing your own Pepper
By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist
Q: Can you grow your own black pepper plants in the USA?
A: Who does not love the smell of freshly ground pepper, especially that lovely combination of white, green, black and red peppercorns, which are so much more interesting than just plain black corns. Yes, you can absolutely grow your own pepper! Peppercorns come from the plant Piper nigrum.
Growing Pepper Plant
Black pepper plants are actually vigorous vines, although they are
pretty slow growing and can be kept in a pot as a compact plant. But they will
need a strong support to climb over. Indoors, you can provide this support by
installing a trellis in a large pot. Some gardeners prefer to grow them as a
hanging plant instead. In warm climates, you can plant them directly outdoors
in a protected location with partial shade. These plants need rich, moist,
well-draining soil and warm, humid conditions. Peppers do not like temperatures
below sixty degrees, although they can survive some cold spells. It is very
important to bring these plants indoors or wrap them in a blanket if colder
weather arrives.
If you live in colder parts of the country, you can certainly grow
peppercorns in large pots. Grow them outdoors during the summer and move them
indoors during the winter, or grow them year-round in your greenhouse.
Houseplants will need bright light and consistent moisture. Spray the leaves regularly
with a bottle of water to increase humidity. Do not allow room temperatures
to fall below sixty degrees.
Besides the benefit of being able to grow your own gourmet pepper
corns, the foliage, as well as the flowers on this plant, are beautiful in its own
right. Off-white flowers appear from spring through summer, followed by slow
fruit production. The berries will appear on spikes, with 50 to 60 berries
per spike.
Fertilize this vine in the spring before new vigorous growth emerges. We
recommend:
Tropical Greenhouse Plus - Plant Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster
You may be surprised to learn that black, white, green and red peppercorns are all the same seed on the same plant in the various stages of development and processing.
Black peppercorns are the most familiar and come from the corns that have reached their full size but are still green and not quite ripe. They are picked and allowed to dry in the sun. Enzymes in the berries cause the skin to turn black during the drying process. They are the strongest in flavor.
White peppercorns are the mature berries that ripen to a red color before being picked. After harvesting, they are soaked and rubbed free of the outer skin down to the smooth white underlayer, then dried and bleached by the sun. They are slightly milder than black pepper.
Green peppercorns are the unripe peppercorns picked at the same stage of ripeness as black peppercorns, but not allowed to dry. They can be pickled in vinegar or brine. They are the least pungent.
Red peppercorns are the mature, but unshelled version of the peppercorn. One can usually find them in some gourmet and health food stores. They can be quite expensive.
Ground pepper will only stay fresh for about three months, but
peppercorns will last indefinitely. To make the most of your pepper harvest, store the
peppercorns in an airtight container in a cool, dark location. Grind them
immediately before use for the best flavor.
There is nothing like freshly ground black pepper simply combined with
a good quality olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. This makes a
wonderful dipping sauce for fresh bread. Simple, yet elegant. All the better if
the pepper was grown in your very own garden!
