Date: 24 Jun 2018
SUNSHINE boosters for recovering plants after shipping
Q: I live in Garden City, NJ and have a sun room with a tropical plant collection that I keep at about 40-45 degrees in winter. I used Sunshine booster during winter for my plant collection and results were amazing! I haven't lost a single plant. Now I see you have more products and I am planning to purchase more plants, how should I use Sunshine boosters to help plants recover after shipping?
A: Spray SUNSHINE-E solution right after receiving a plant from shipping. It will boost up the plant and make it 50-60% stronger and easier to recover after shipping stress. After that, apply SUNSHINE-SuperFood microelement booster to provide everything necessary for the plant to grow vigorously and happily. SUNSHINE-E is indeed a wonderful plant stimulant and stress reliever, although it is not a "magic-cure-all" medicine where one can't find its active ingredient. The hormone (epibrassinolide) is well-known and used in different countries along with other hormones for promote growth, fruiting, blooming, rooting, etc. One of the most amazing properties of SUNSHINE is that it works in extremely low dozes. Only a few drops will be enough to make a solution in distilled water, to treat a large size plant. If you want to try it out, one 5 ml bottle will last for several applications. Large bottles of SUNSHINE 50 ml and 100 ml - great for small and big gardens. It is a good idea to start bi-weekly applications to improve your plants tolerance to Summer heat, drought and improve disease resistance. The formula works through plant metabolism within 2-4 days, repeat application not sooner than in one week. After application of SUNSHINE-E, don't forget to boost your plants with SUNSHINE-SuperFood .
Check out SUNSHINE boosters... We offer FREE shipping on them, so you can make your plants happy!
Date: 16 Mar 2026
🌱 💪 Green Magic + SUNSHINE Boosters: A Complete System for Strong Plant Growth
By Tatiana Anderson, Horticulture Expert at Top Tropicals with Smokey & Sunshine help
☀️🌱 Sunshine Boosters: Complete Plant Nutrition
Sunshine Boosters provide complete plant nutrition, including Calcium and micronutrients that plants need for strong growth. Because nutrients are delivered in liquid form, plants can absorb them quickly and respond almost immediately.
The Practical Problem
Liquid feeding works well, but it requires frequent application. In real gardens, many growers simply do not have time to add liquid fertilizer with every watering.
Green Magic: The Foundation
Green Magic solves this problem by providing steady background nutrition through controlled-release fertilizer. It feeds plants gradually, so they continue receiving nutrients even between liquid feedings.
Why This Combination Works
Together, this system provides both complete nutrition and steady feeding. Sunshine Boosters supply fast nutrients and Calcium, while Green Magic maintains a stable nutrient supply between feedings.
✍️ How to Feed Your Plants
📅 Step 1 – Start of the Growing Season
- Apply Green Magic around the root zone every 6 months.
In ground:- Small Shrubs (1–3 feet): Use approximately 1/4 to 1/2 cup per plant
- Established Trees: Use 1/2 lb to 1 lb of product per 1 inch of trunk diameter.
- Small In-Ground Ornamentals: A common "spoon" rate is roughly 1 teaspoon per gallon of estimated root volume (or per sq. ft. of surface area).
- Spread evenly around the dripline. Avoid piling the granules against the base or trunk of the plant. For best results, lightly rake the granules into the top 1–2 inches of soil.
- Apply 1 tea spoon per 1 gal of soil (mix in with soil) every 6 months during active growth period, or with every re-potting.
- Water normally after application.
- Adjustment for Temperature. Because Green Magic is
temperature-controlled, adjust your rate if your local climate is extreme:
- Cooler Climates (<60°F average): Increase the rate by 20% to ensure enough nutrients are released.
- Hot Climates (> 80°F average): Decrease the rate by 20% to prevent over-releasing as the heat speeds up the process.
☀️🌿 Step 2 – Active Growing Season
- Apply Sunshine Boosters during the growing season.
- Regular feeding (maintenance): Mix with tap water according to the ratio on the label. For SUNSHINE Robusta use 25 ml (5 tsp)per gallon of water and spray leaves every 5-7 days during active growth.
- Correction feeding ("medicine" dose): if plants show visible nutrient deficiencies, combine SUNSHINE Robusta with SUNSHINE Superfood and spray every 5–7 days until new growth appears healthy. All SUNSHINE Boosters products are compatible and can be mixed with water in the same sprayer.
- Best time to spray: early morning or evening when temperatures are cooler and leaves can absorb nutrients efficiently.
- Important: spray both the top and underside of leaves for maximum absorption.
📊 Seasonal feeding schedule with Green Magic and Sunshine Boosters.
| Season | Product | Method | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring (March) | Green Magic | Soil Surface | 6-month steady nutrient base. |
| Growing Season | Sunshine Boosters | Foliar (Every 5-7 days) | Calcium & Bio-available growth power. |
| Late Summer | Green Magic | Soil Surface | Replenish foundation for Fall. |
| Winter | Sunshine Epi | Foliar/Drench | Cold tolerance and shipping recovery. |
Quick Dose Reference
- Green Magic: 1 teaspoon per 1 gallon of soil volume.
- Sunshine Boosters: 25 ml (5 tsp) per 1 gallon of water.
- Pro Tip: Always spray in the early morning or late evening to prevent leaf scorch and ensure maximum absorption through the stomata.
❓Frequently Asked Questions: Plant Nutrition & Fertilizer
General Fertilizer Concepts
Why is the"Spring Fertilizer Rush"a problem?
Most gardeners apply a large amount of traditional fertilizer once in
March. This creates a"roller coaster"effect where plants get a sudden
spike of
nutrients followed by weeks of starvation. This leads to inconsistent growth
and potential"fertilizer burn."
What is"fertilizer burn"?
Traditional fertilizers are made of soluble salts. When too many salts
accumulate around the roots, they actually pull water out of the plant
tissues
(osmosis), dehydrating the plant and damaging sensitive root tips and leaf
edges.
Is there a difference between"Slow-Release"and
"Controlled-Release"?
Yes.
- Slow-Release: Relies on natural factors like moisture and soil microbes to break down. It is often unpredictable.
- Controlled-Release: Uses engineered polymer membranes (like Polyon) to release nutrients at a specific, predictable rate based primarily on temperature.
Green Magic & Temperature
How does temperature affect my fertilizer?
Most fertilizers are lab-tested at 75°F. In hot climates
(90°F+), the nutrients release much faster. A"6-month"fertilizer
might only last 3
months in the summer heat.
How should I adjust Green Magic for my local weather?
- Cooler Climates (<60°F): Increase the application rate by 20%.
- Hot Climates (> 80°F): Decrease the application rate by 20% to prevent over-releasing.
The Calcium Gap
Why doesn't Green Magic contain Calcium?
Calcium salts are highly soluble and can destabilize the polymer coating
used in controlled-release granules. Therefore, most high-quality granules
leave Calcium out. You can provide Calcium by using SUNSHINE Boosters
Why is Calcium so important for new growth?
Calcium is the"bone"of the plant, building strong cell walls. Unlike
other nutrients, it is immobile—the plant cannot move it from old
leaves
to new ones. If you don't provide a constant supply, new leaves and fruit
will
emerge distorted or weak.
Advanced Science & Troubleshooting
What makes Sunshine Boosters"Bioavailable"?
Unlike most liquid fertilizers that use EDTA chelators, Sunshine Boosters
are amino-acid based. They use organic acids and glycine to escort minerals
into the plant, allowing it to incorporate nutrients into its proteins
almost
immediately.
Will these fertilizers affect the taste of my fruit?
No. Sunshine Boosters are made from pharmaceutical-grade components and
contain no urea or harmful salts, ensuring your harvest (like Mangoes or
Avocados) has a pure, natural flavor without a chemical aftertaste.
✨ Green Magic - 15% Off This Week
Build the foundation for the entire growing season with a steady, long-lasting nutrient base.
No coupon needed. The discount is automatically applied at checkout.
Smokey: Not quite. Green Magic is the steady base diet. Sunshine Boosters are the weekly power drink during active growth.
Sunshine: Ah. Like my regular meals and donuts on top.
Smokey: Exactly. Plants eat slowly from Green Magic, and once a week they get a fresh boost.
Sunshine: Sprinkle once, then boosters every week. The plant grows, I drink coffee, and nobody forgets anything important.
Smokey: Except where you left the donuts.
Sunshine: Smokey... nobody forgets donuts. Ever
Date: 28 Oct 2016
Devil Flowers - Bat Lilies - for Halloween!
Tacca. Growing Tacca is a great way to have an unusual flower or novelty plant, both indoors and out. Tacca is an exotic plant with flowers that mimic a bat in flight, deep purple (or white), with ruffled wings and long, hanging filaments. Curious, bat-like inflorescence both in shape and color, with wide spreading, wing-like bracts of rich maroon-black (some varieties have white flowers), accompanied by long trailing filaments or "whiskers"; the small black flowers are succeeded by heavy berries; corrugated olive-green leaves with oblique base surround the bloom... Those in warm areas can learn how to grow the beautiful and unique bat flower outdoors. In more seasonal areas, bat flower info says the plant and frilly flower grows vigorously indoors when it is happy with the conditions.
How to Grow Bat Flower.
Growing bat flowers requires a little extra care, but blossoms of this unusual specialty plant makes it worthwhile. Large plants usually have a greater rate of success than smaller ones. Keep your bat flower away from cold temps and away from direct sun. When growing this plant outside, plant it in the shade.
Care of bat flower indoors will include a shady location as well, and yearly repotting for the rapidly growing plant. This plant does not like to be root bounded. Pot up until reaching a 10- or 12-inch pot; after that, trim the roots and return to the same size pot, if desired.
Well-drained soil is a must when growing Tacca bat flowers and should remain slightly moist. Soil should be light and retain moisture but never allowed to get soggy. Our special potting mix will work best for this plant.
The plant should be allowed to dry out during dormancy. Keep this in mind during its time of rest, in fall and winter. In warmer areas, bat flowers reportedly do not experience a dormant period.
Fertilize monthly or every six weeks with a slow-release plant food.
For improving cold hardiness in winter, and heat tolerance in summer, apply SUNSHINE-E booster once a month. Tacca, as well as most plants with large lush foliage, responds well to such treatments, the plant will look greener, healthier, and bloom more readily.
Black Tacca and White Tacca, as well as Tacca seeds
Date: 4 Oct 2016
Plants for happiness and joy
Plants as homeopathic remedies and happiness boosters. Many people know about health benefits of vitamin C which improves and boosts our immune system similar to SUNSHINE plant booster stimulating growth of plants. But not everybody realizes that this vitamin is responsible for overall happiness of our body, it brings many systems in balance. A number of tropical plants used in salads, as well as fruit with high content of vitamin C can play dual role in your life. You can use them as food, as well as enjoy their beautiful tropical appearance. Such plants will help you feel interest and joy in life when you feel apathetic and resigned to the situation you are in. Just to name a few:
Lychee
Barbados Cherry
Eugenias
Hibiscus Karkade
Date: 26 Mar 2016
Growing Exotic Adeniums
Exotic varieties of Desert Roses. Adeniums have many spectacular hybrids. The basic culture is very similar to orchids. A small pot with excellent drainage is a must. Adeniums do not like both over-watering or drying-out. 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.
To make your plant develop a large swollen base/trunk, you'll need a good quality fertilizer. Fertilizer requirement for swelling up trunks 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. Adeniums need lots of light for heavy flowering.
Most hybrids and species start blooming in the spring when the conditions are warm and days get longer, and continue blooming through the fall and winter in warmer climates. 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. 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.
Planting instructions for bare-rooted succulent plants. Position the plant in a pot, size of root system. Use only well-drained soil with high content of Perlite and/or sand (cactus mix can be used), water once and keep in warm (75-80F) place in filtered light. Do not water again until soil dries on surface. Once the plant is established and starts growing new leaves (may take a few weeks), gradually move it into brighter light. Then you can start fertilizing it.