Q: Winter is coming and I still have a few plants I want to plant in the ground. Should I keep them in pots and wait till spring?

A: In subtropical areas, if temperatures don't drop below freezing, you can continue planting in the ground. In fact winter planting has some unique advantages - less heat stress on a plant and root system, mild environment - help the plant to establish better. Besides, no-sweat garden work is much more enjoyable, and you can get done a lot!

To learn more about winter planting, see article Tropical Planting Breaks the Rules by Murray Corman (Garden Of Delights

Florida winters and gardening

From Anna Banana, our Garden Center customer advisor.
Cool weather - no sweat. Here in Florida we are blessed to have warm winters. We just went to the beach for Christmas! Winter time is not only a good beach time, but also the best planting time here. Why? I always refer my customers to Murray Corman's article Tropical Planting Breaks the Rules. "...Wintertime does not just mean hard work for tropical gardeners. It is also a time to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Winter-blooming plants and the visitors they attract - birds, bats and butterflies - make the garden as enjoyable in winter as any other time of year. Tasks performed during the spring and summer up north have to be done during the fall and winter here. Why? The answer is elementary: It's too hot! Taking advantage of the coolest months of the subtropical year for heavy chores like planting trees has a twofold benefit: The gardener can make hay while the sun shines without getting heat stroke and the plants appreciate the moderate temperatures, enjoying a break from the stress of 93 degrees in the shade..."
Continue reading...

Winter flowering plants - are a blessing for a tropical gardener. See below what's blooming now! See our recommendations for winter flowering and fruiting plants (PDF)

When should you start growing plants from seed indoors?

"Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower." (John Harrigan.)

Q: Our growing season is very short so I decided to start some of tropicals from seed indoors. When should I start?

A: It is always a good time to start from seed. If you want to feel happier, get into gardening. If you want to feel God, start plants from seeds and watch New Life grow from a tiny grain.
Traditionally, people prefer sowing seeds in Spring, especially temperate species for vegetable garden: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers... My grandmother up North started them in early Spring in small pots on a windowsill, then once the temperatures raised just above freezing, she planted them out in garden beds, and that early start always helped her to have the best early harvest in the neighborhood.
When we deal with tropical plants, "just above freezing" is not warm enough. Which means, you have to grow small babies indoors for quite a while, providing additional heating when needed. Heating pads always work best... When we had large size monitors and TV's, I always put couple trays on top of hot monitors, and even on warm top of a refrigerator, if space by the radiator was all taken. But that was in very cold apartment...
If you keep your living space around 75F (ideal for many species), this is a perfect temperature to get your seeds started. Tropical plants are not like annual tomatoes that try to grow through the season as fast as possible. They may take time. So the sooner you start, the more chances to get small seedlings just in time when Spring air outside is warm enough - at least in 70's.
A great advantage of starting tropical seeds indoors is controlled temperature and moisture. In the plant world, environment extremes are not good for germination process. Mild conditions of your home or a greenhouse create better chances for successful growth. Seeds won't get overheated in hot Summer sun, and won't get rotten because of a sudden heavy rain. Just keep in mind that some species require light for good germination.

Conditions for the best seed germination:
- Soak seeds for a few hours. Adding a few drops of Sunshine Seed Germination booster is very beneficial and improves germination rate by 30-50%
- Well-drained mix, you may use our Professional Seed Germination Mix. Put seeds not too deep (1/2 inch deep or less) to allow air circulation
- Keep warm (75-85F) and in bright light
- Keep soil slightly moist but not soggy.

See more info on seed germination

Check out our seeds selection

Cleanest fruit?

"Dirty" fruit: According to the Environmental Working Group research, Strawberries are top the list of the 12 "dirtiest" fruits and vegetables grown commercially. Spinach is the second, followed by (in order of contamination) nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes and sweet bell peppers. Each of these foods tested positive for pesticide residues and contained higher concentrations of pesticides than other produce. This causes of course chronic health implications. Children are of special concern as younger bodies have greater susceptibility to pesticides than adult bodies, the report emphasizes. Pesticides may induce chronic health complications in children, including neuro- and behavioral problems, birth defects, allergies, asthma, and even cancer...

"Clean 15": Avocados lead 2018's clean fruits and veggies list, that also includes: mangoes, papayas, pineapples, kiwi, sweet corn, cabbage, onions, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, eggplant, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, cauliflower and broccoli.
Obviously, home grown fruit and vegetables are even better. Such fruit as Custard Apples, Sapodilla, Sapote, Jackfruit, Dragon Fruit, Passion Fruit and other rare varieties of tropical fruit, are even better for you because they are not grown commercially, and the choice from your own organic garden is the healthiest for yourself and your family!
Plant them today and get your cleanest fruit tomorrow!

Check out all tropical fruit trees and all tropical spice plants