Date: 24 Jun 2018
Growing Bougainvillea and Plumeria in Florida
Q: I have recently moved from New Jersey to Florida (Orlando area) and I am so excited to start my own Tropical Paradise Garden! A few years ago I visited Hawaii and saw many beautiful colorful Bougainvilleas as well as fragrant Frangipani. Do they grow well in Florida? These are flowers of my dream!
A:
Both Bougainvillea and Plumeria grow well in most
parts of Florida, especially South and Southwest.
Bougainvillea can tolerate some light freeze and can be
seen in the streets of Central Florida (young plants
require some cold protection for the first year), so it is
a very good candidate for your new garden. Keep in mind
that unlike in Hawaii, where they bloom year around,
Bougainvilleas tend to have a distinctive flowering season
which in Florida is winter time - these plants enjoy dry
weather that triggers their bloom. To enjoy Bright
bougainvillea flowers for a long time, apply balanced fertilizer, prune
regularly (this promotes flowering on new growth) and keep
established plants on a dry side. Dwarf cultivar Pixie is super compact and
can be grown in pots or in a small garden without any
pruning! See photo of Pixie on the left.
Plumerias, all-time perfume
favorites and symbols of Hawaii, are also residents of
many gardens and collections throughout state of Florida.
Their cold hardiness is close to the one of Bougainvillea,
however keep young plants protected from frost. There are
also many new exciting cultivars including multiple
"rainbow" colors, and several dwarf varieties, some of
them are evergreen - Plumeria obtusa
Date: 24 Jun 2018
Mysterious Night Blooming Cactus - Epiphyllum. How to grow it?
Q: My friend has a huge Queen of the Night Cactus, and the blooms are so gorgeeous! She gave me a cutting but I am not sure how do I plant it? How long will it take till it starts blooming? Is it true that it has only one flower once a year and only at night?
A:
Queen of the Night is a very popular and yet mysterious
plant. The flowers open once a year after sunset for one
night. However the flowering period can last a month or
two during the warm season. So each flower lasts only one
night, but there will be more flowers to come! In the
Nature, Epiphyllum oxypetalum - Queen of
the Night - grows on trees in the jungles of Central
and South America. It is actually very easy to grow as an
indoor plant in colder climates. Here is South Florida we
grow them outside in hanging baskets. This is how to start
Queen of the Night from a cutting:
1) Put the cutting in a dim, dry place for three days,
with no soil and its base exposed to the air, so it will
form a callus.
2) Fill a 4-6-inch pot with slightly damp potting soil or succulent mix. Insert the
cutting 1 or 2 inches into the soil and tamp the soil
around its base.
3) Place the pot where the cutting will get bright light,
but no direct sun. Spritz it occasionally with a spray
bottle of water to keep the soil only slightly moist. It
should root in couple weeks.
4) Keep the plant on an east- or west-facing windowsill
where it will receive direct sunlight only in early
morning or late afternoon. Water the cactus until water
runs out of the pot's drainage holes. Dump the excess out
of the pot's saucer immediately, and wait until the
surface of the soil is dry to the touch before watering
your cactus again.
5) Fertilize once a month from March through October with
a balanced plant food, and
apply micro-elements once a month
for a healthy vigorous growth. Refrain from feeding the
plant in December and January.
6) Position the cactus in partial shade under a porch roof
or tree, if you decide to move it outdoors during the
summer. This plant likes summer humidity!
7) Repot the cactus only once every two years or so, to
keep it slightly root bound. Wait until after it flowers
in summer, and repot it after it blooms. Prune off any
damaged growth at that time as well.
8) Move the plant to a cooler room over the winter months,
one that remains dark during the evening hours with
temperatures above 45 degrees. Reduce the frequency of
watering, waiting until its soil is dry. Resume regular
watering in March.
If grown from cutting, it may take 2-3 years until the plant starts blooming, so if you don't want to wait that long - just get a blooming size plant from our store!
We only have a few plants... if sold out, add to wish list and we will have more soon!
Date: 2 Jun 2022
Plant Horoscope - Gemini
What is your lucky Zodiac plant?
By Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats
... Gemini are very fond of plants, especially flowers. They are able to devote their lives to favorite plants, selecting new varieties, planting gardens, parks and arboretums. In addition, the planet-ruler Mercury gives them with business ability - Gemini are excellent flower merchants of any level: from flower growers who sell their plants to everyone, to wholesalers who supply their delicate fragrant goods around the world. In their house, Gemini do not keep too many plants, they have enough of those that grow outside in their nursery and garden. However, among those who nevertheless became piece of the family (exactly this way Gemini perceive their house plants), preference is given to graceful forms, pubescent and curly, like Farfugium, Monstrous epyphyllum, often carved leaves (Monstera) and plants with aroma. All these properties not only improve the physical well-being of Gemini, but also helps save the spiritual and mental balance of their contradictory but all while tender and romantic nature. Gemini don't care about common spices, they love unusual plants and especially those with a sweet scent. Their favorite aroma is rose and similar, like fragrances of Clerodendrums, Jasmines, Gardenias, Plumeria, and Brunfelsia. At critical moments sweet scents awaken them into the life!..
Date: 5 Jan 2022
Wake up to the smell of Coffee...
New Video:
Grow your own Coffee plant - Free Coffee
Everyday!
In this video we talk about growing Coffee easily in your own yard. Coffee is the best gift plant and perfect house plant or container fruit tree. The white, fragrant, star-shaped flowers are clustered and resemble gardenias to which they are related. The whole fruit is edible, it is a small fleshy berry changing in color from green to yellow to red. The seeds are the actual "coffee beans" as they called, they can easily be dried, roasted and ground at home. The most common coffee is Coffea arabica; other varieties include Coffea catura - Dwarf Coffee Nanico and Coffea Kona - Hawaiian Coffee Tree Mauna Loa.
WATCH NEW VIDEO >>
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!
Date: 17 Sep 2021
Mango Talk: How to prune mango trees for best shape and production
by Ed Jones, the Booster Guy
...Why should you prune your mango trees? There are a few reasons.
First, a good foundation is the key to strong growth and a shapely tree.
Second, if you get your mango tree started off on the right foot with a
strong foundation, it becomes much easier to keep it shaped nicely.
And third - it will be forced to produce more branches allowing for more
places for fruit production...
...We received our Mango tree in late February of 2020 as a relatively
small plant in 3 gal pot...
...The opening photo was taken just last week and you can see that as she
grows, her shape is very nice...
...She is now about 7' tall and just as wide. She has a great foundation
and a lot of branches. We also have less grass to mow. She also got her very
own marker painted on a brick:
...We have also enlarged the circle of mulched area under the tree to allow it to be able to get nutrients from it's SUNSHINE Boosters Mango Tango without having to compete with the grass. This is one mistake that I see frequently in my neighborhood with all trees...
