Date: 30 Aug 2018
6 Things to Do on Labor Day Weekend
1. Plant a tree... or a shrub, even just a small perennial will do. This plant will make you feel good and accomplished for the whole year, until next Labor Day (or even longer!). You will always see this fruit of your work and remember your motivation, so things are not that bad with you!
2. Pull 66 weeds. Needless to say, you have plenty of those in your yard at the moment. Why 66? Just do it and see what happens. If you don't see any happy results, pull another 66.
3. Fertilize all plants in your garden or potted collection with slow release fertilizer and microelements. Remember, this is the last chance to give them food and strength to survive, before winter. Starting October, all leftover fertilizer goes to storage, even in tropical gardens.
4. Apply SUNSHINE
booster to protect your plants from cool temperature, help to go into
dormancy and rest without stress.
Remember, there are products for all your pre-winter needs: Sunshine-T for improving cold tolerance, Sunshine-BC for caudex and bonsai plants, Sunshine-H for houseplants, and general booster Sunshine-E to cover all occasions... 50 and 100 ml bottles available for large plant collections.
Sunshine-Honey
Date: 27 Jun 2018
TROPICAL GARDENING: How to grow Brugmansia (Angel Trumpet) in the ground outside.
Q: I recently moved from New Jersey to Florida and I brought with me my Brugmansia that I used to have as a house plant. Can I plant it in the ground now?
A: Angel Trumpet - Brugmansia - is a very popular container plant
valued for its large, stunning fragrant flowers. Originated from South
America, it will be happy to grow in tropical to subtropical climate outdoors.
These are a few useful tips to get the most out of this beautiful plant:
1) Light. Plant it in full sun - the more sun, the more flowers
you get, although Brugmansias tolerate shade. If the plant was previously
grown in container indoors, to avoid leaf burn, keep it protected with a shade
cloth or simply white sheet for a while and gradually open to adjust to full
sun.
2) Soil and fertilizer. Use fertile soil with lots of organic
matter (add compost to existing soil). It must be very well drained, Angel
Trumpet won't tolerate waterlogged conditions. Plant it on a little "hill"
elevated 3-4"above the surrounding area. Brugmansias are very heavy feeders. Once
the plant is established, fertilize on regular basis with Slow Release Fertilizer - a handful once a
month.
3) Water. Water daily until established. Once the root system is
well developed, the plant is drought tolerant and won't require too much
care. But at the beginning, watch the leaves - the lush foliage droops quickly
if the plant is thirsty.
4) Plan space. Brugmansia is a short tree, but it needs a lot of
room to spread branches with its heavy hanging flowers. Think 12" wide and
maybe almost as much tall.
5) Support. Being widespread plant, Brugmansia can be blown with
strong winds. Stake with strong support until established.
6) Propagation. Brugmansia is one of the few plants that
propagates with semi-woody cuttings; soft green cuttings usually have little
success. Other than that, it is pretty easy!
Check out our Brugmansia collection
Date: 24 Jun 2018
Avocado, Lychee and Mango setting fruit... give them some FOOD!
Q: Do I need to fertilize tropical fruit when they set fruit?
A:
It is traditionally believed that mango and other tropical
fruit shouldn't be fertilized during fruiting period. It
is true to an extent: you don't want fruit to burst from
fast excessive growing. Instead, try to feed fruit trees
wisely, because they still need proper nutrition to
produce flowers and fruit.
Our spring specials of Lychee, Avocado and Mango are full of buds and
some already set tiny fruit (see examples on the photo).
Here is the feeding plan for these plants once you receive
your mail order:
1) Once received the plant, pot it into container size of
the root ball and let establish for couple weeks. Use SUNSHINE-E to help the plant
recover from shipping stress and establish root system.
2) Apply SUNSHINE-Honey right before
flowering, and next time at setting fruit, to provide
sweeter and bigger fruit, eliminate fruit cracks and help
resist fungus and other fruit diseases.
3) Use balanced granulated fertilizer,
1 tsp per each gallon of soil. Apply once a month during
Spring-Summer season. This gives the plant balanced
macro-elements (NPK) necessary for overall plant health.
Do not use on fruit trees fertilizers with high Nitrogen
content.
4) Apply SUNSHINE SuperFood
micro-element booster to keep fruit trees vigorous,
develop strong root system and avoid deficiencies.
5) In case of signs of chlorosis (yellowing leaves with
darker veins), give the tree SUNSHINE-GreenLeaf and watch
the leaves turning green quickly.
After harvesting, don't forget to make another treatment
of SUNSHINE-Honey
Date: 24 Jun 2018
Varieties of Guava
Q: We were just in Australia where guava juice was available in the markets. Pretty sure I can grow different varieties of Guava's here, as I have 3 already, but wondering if it would be psidium guajava or littorale as the best bet for making the pink juice we enjoyed. Thanks so much, your plants are so healthy when they arrive!
A: Both species are used for commercial juice making. We grow lots of Psidium littorale - Cattley Guava, Strawberry Guava - and we make delicious juice. Psidium guajava - Tropical Guava, Guajava - is less juicy, fruit is somewhat dry, but it still has a great flavor; you may need to add water to blended pulp. And sugar - add it to both kinds of fruit!
Check out our Guavas
Date: 31 Jul 2025
Anthurium Collector Set
These aren't your typical tropicals - they're collector-grade Anthuriums grown for foliage and texture. Each one brings something different, but they all thrive in the same kind of setting: shade or filtered light, warmth, and humidity. Perfect for growing in containers indoors or out.
Anthurium Black Dragon
This is the most dramatic of the trio. Upright, leathery leaves shift from dark green to nearly black depending on light. Instead of bright flowers, it produces a dark brown spadix and glowing red berries. A hybrid not found in the wild, it's grown from seed - no two are exactly alike.
- Best for: Indoor focal plant, shaded patio, black ceramic pot
- Height: 2–4 ft in container
- Texture: Thick, architectural leaves
- Highlight: Color shifts with light intensity
Read more about Black Dragon Anthurium
Anthurium hookeri – Giant Bird's
Nest
This one's about scale. Broad, crinkled leaves with a cardboard-like texture form a bold rosette. It can get huge with time - up to 6 feet across. Perfect for gardeners who want the "instant jungle" look.
- Best for: Shaded garden, large pots on porches
- Height: Up to 5 ft; width even more
- Texture: Wrinkled and leathery
- Highlight: Bright red berries in maturity
Buy Giant Bird's Nest Anthurium
Read more about Giant Bird's Nest Anthurium
Anthurium vittariifolium – Long
Leaf Anthurium
Graceful and rare, this species sends out narrow strap-like leaves that can reach 5–6 ft long. Ideal for hanging baskets or mounting. Bonus: it produces small pink fruit against deep green foliage.
- Best for: Hanging displays, vertical planters, bright bathrooms
- Height: Leaf length, not upright height - up to 6 ft
- Texture: Smooth, ribbon-like
- Highlight: Cascading growth and color contrast
Read more about Long Leaf Anthurium
✅ How to Care for Anthuriums
- Light: Bright, indirect light is best. Avoid direct sun, especially mid-day. These plants evolved in rainforest understory - think "dappled light under trees."
- Water: Keep the soil lightly moist but not soggy. Let the top inch dry before watering. They hate wet feet.
- Humidity: These are tropicals - they'll do fine in 50-60% humidity, but thrive at 70%+. Use pebble trays or place near other plants. Bathrooms with windows work great.
- Soil: Use an airy mix: orchid bark + perlite + peat or coco coir. Drainage is key. Never use plain potting soil.
- Fertilizer: Feed with SUNSHINE Robusta every 2–4 weeks during warm seasons. It's formulated for aroids and won't burn roots.
- Potting: Use shallow, wide containers. Repot only every 2–3 years, or when roots crowd the pot. They don't like frequent disruption.
- Temperature: Ideal: 65–85 F. Short dips to the 30s F are tolerated by mature plants, but avoid cold drafts.