Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 24 Aug 2025

Adenium care

adenium desert rose flowers and plants in pots showing pink, red, purple, and bicolor blooms.

Care for adeniums is simple once you understand what they like. Think of them as half succulent, half tropical shrub. Keep their roots dry but never bone-dry, give them sun, and feed them during the warm months. Do that, and they will reward you with fat trunks and nonstop flowers.

  • Soil and pot: Use a gritty, fast-draining Adenium Soilless Mix. Shallow wide pots work best — they let the caudex spread and show off its shape like a bonsai.
  • Watering: Water in the morning. Let the surface dry before watering again. Never let pots sit in saucers of water.
  • Foliage: Keep leaves dry. Wet leaves invite rot and fungus.
  • Fertilizer: During active growth, feed with Sunshine Megaflor liquid fertilizer (flower booster); it promotes swollen trunk and sets flower buds.
  • Light: Give them bright light year-round. Full sun in mild climates; filtered light if your summers are scorching.
  • Winter rest: Cut water back when days shorten and let the plant rest. Dormancy is normal.
  • Repotting trick: Each time you repot, lift the plant a bit so the crown roots peek above the soil. This encourages bigger caudex.

Desert roses are made for containers, easy enough for a beginner but rewarding enough for a collector.

Add Adenium to your container garden

Date: 13 Sep 2025

Which dog would you take home: golden, black or chocolate?

Sunshine (golden), Draco(chocolate) and Lila (black) Labrador dogs

🐶 Which dog would you take home: golden, black or chocolate?

"Dogs come when they're called; cats take a message and get back to you later." - Mary Bly

🐈📸 Sunshine (golden), Draco(chocolate) and Lila (black) Labrador dogs at Top Tropicals Bfarm and PeopleCats.Garden. 

#PeopleCats

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 10 Oct 2025

Why this Elephant Ear is breaking the internet: the hottest houseplant of the year

Alocasia macrorrhiza Variegata - Variegated Elephant Ears

Why this Elephant Ear is breaking the internet: the hottest houseplant of the year

  • 🍀 This is Alocasia macrorrhiza Variegata - Variegated Elephant Ears - the tropical showstopper that collectors can’t stop talking about.
  • 🍀 One look at those giant leaves splashed with creamy white and deep green, and you'll see why it's always sold out. Every leaf is different - some half white, some marbled like abstract art. Some leaves can be completely white!
  • 🍀 Unlike most elephant ears, this one stays a bit more compact, which makes it perfect for a big decorative pot on a patio or shady corner. It still has that bold, jungle look but behaves better in containers.
  • 🍀 Give it bright, filtered light, warmth, and humidity. Keep the soil moist but never soggy. The white parts of the leaves can burn easily, so skip harsh direct sun.
  • 🍀 Here's a tip: if you see a solid green shoot, cut it off - it can take over and make the plant lose its variegation. That’s because this plant’s variegation is a chimera, meaning it can shift from leaf to leaf.
  • 🍀 Feed it lightly during the growing season. The white parts can’t make food for the plant, so it relies on the green sections to do all the work. A little boost with Sunshine Robusta or Green Magic controlled release fertilizer help it stay balanced without overloading the roots.
  • 🍀 This plant’s got everything: beauty, rarity, and a bit of mystery. No wonder it’s the one everyone wants to show off!


🛒 Get yours before it’s gone or add to wishlist

📚 Learn more:


#Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 13 Oct 2025

How long does it take for a mango tree to bear fruit?

How long does it take for a mango tree to bear fruit? How long does it take for a mango tree to bear fruit? How long does it take for a mango tree to bear fruit? How long does it take for a mango tree to bear fruit?
🥭 How long does it take for a mango tree to bear fruit?

  • 🥭 A Mango tree (Mangifera indica) grown from seed can take anywhere from 7 to 10 years to start fruiting, depending on conditions. Doesn’t sound too exciting, ah? Besides such a long wait, you never know how good the fruit will be – most likely it'll taste fibrous and not very sweet. Unless your cross-pollination was perfectly set between some top-notch parent cultivars, it's a gamble. Seedling results are always hit or miss.

  • 🥭 That's why you need a grafted tree – it fruits soon (in the ground or in a large container) and guarantees the quality of the fruit. There are hundreds of cultivated varieties to choose from: juicy, sweet, and flavorful. Some taste like pina colada, pineapple, or lemon meringue pie, others like peach sherbet or even guava! The mango flavor spectrum is broader than that of apples!

  • 🥭 So, you’ve got yourself a nice mango tree in a container and can’t wait for your first harvest. How soon?
    • Mango trees start flowering from early winter (early cultivars like Nam Doc Mai) to early spring (late cultivars like Keitt). One little tree can produce hundreds, even thousands of tiny flowers, but not all will set fruit. The younger the tree, the fewer fruits it can hold. Expect just a few the first year. Even if your mango sets a lot, don’t keep them all - let the young tree focus on establishing roots and strong growth. Leave 1-2 fruits and remove the rest. Your tree will thank you and grow fast and sturdy.

  • 🥭 By the second year, you can let your tree keep a bit more fruit. Young trees usually know their limits and will naturally drop any extra fruit they can’t support. Within 2–3 years, you’ll be harvesting good crops – enough to enjoy yourself and share with friends!

  • 🥭 Remember, a strong, healthy tree produces sooner and more. Feed it with Sunshine Mango Tango liquid booster or Green Magic controlled-release fertilizer, and protect it from frost, especially while young. Once established, your mango will reward you with reliable, abundant harvests year after year.


📸 In the photos: the trees in 7 gal pots are 2 years from grafting, and the trees in the ground are 1 year from the time of planting and 3 years from grafting.

🛒 Shop Mango varieties

📚 Learn more about #Mango and different varieties: #Mango_Rainbow

#Food_Forest #Mango

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 13 Apr 2024

Grow your own Olive Oil

Branch of olives

Q: Can I grow an olive tree in Florida and have my own olives? How long does it take to fruit?

A: Olive trees can indeed thrive and fruit in various regions of Florida. Their adaptability to different climates makes them suitable for the state's diverse conditions. In the northern and central parts of Florida olive trees can flourish.

Easy to grow. Olive trees prefer well-drained soil, and they thrive in full sun, which Florida offers in abundance. While they may not produce as prolifically as in their native Mediterranean habitats, with proper care and suitable varieties, such as Arbequina, Coratina and Leccino, you can still enjoy a bountiful harvest.

Cold hardy. One advantage of olive trees in Florida is their cold hardiness. They can withstand occasional frosts and freezes, particularly when they are mature.

Heat- and drought-tolerant. Olive trees also offer additional benefits beyond their fruit production. They are drought-tolerant once established, making them well-suited to Florida's sometimes erratic rainfall patterns.

Beautiful in landscape. Evergreen foliage of olive trees adds aesthetic appeal to landscapes year-round, and their gnarled trunks and silvery-green leaves create a Mediterranean ambiance reminiscent of warmer climates.

Fertilize for quick fruit. Olives will start flowering within 1-2 years of planting, providing regular fertilizing program. We recommend Sunshine Boosters C-Cibus liquid fertilizer, perfect for edibles and organic gardens.

Symbol of Prosperity. The olive branch has long been revered for its symbolic significance, representing peace, prosperity, and hope across cultures and centuries. It transcends mere botanical importance to embody the enduring power of goodwill.

Healthy Olive Oil. Similarly, olive oil, extracted from these timeless fruits, has been celebrated not only for its culinary excellence but also for its remarkable health benefits. Rich in antioxidants and heart-healthy fats, olive oil has sustained generations with its nourishing properties, earning it a cherished place in both culinary traditions and holistic wellness practices worldwide. So, whether adorning Olympic crowns or enriching Mediterranean cuisine, the olive and its offerings continue to inspire and enrich our lives with their timeless allure and profound significance.

Get your own Olive tree today!

Read more: How to grow a nice Olive tree fast?

Shop Olive Trees

Large olive tree

◂ Previous pageNext page ▸Most recent entry ▴Blog table of contents