Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 7 Jun 2025

From seed to fruit. How to grow Loquat from seeds, step-by-step guide. Part 1: planting seeds

Loquat tree (Eriobotrya japonica) - seedlings

✍️ From seed to fruit. How to grow Loquat from seeds, step-by-step guide. Part 1: planting seeds

  • 🍑 1. Harvesting and Preparing Seeds


  • Harvest: Select ripe Loquat fruits (when they are bright yellow color) and remove 1-3 seeds from each.
  • Clean: Rinse seeds thoroughly in cool water to remove all fruit residue. Like with every fruit seeds, any pulp leftover may prevent germination and/or cause rot of the seeds.
  • Storage: If not planting immediately, wrap seeds in a damp paper towel and store in a vented container with moist sawdust or moss (to avoid drying out) at room temperature (if stored a few days) or at 40F if stored for over a week. Seeds can remain viable for up to 3-6 months. Refrigerating the fruit doesn't harm the seeds, although may take seeds longer to germinate. If the seeds are slightly dry, soak them in water overnight.


🍑 2. Planting Seeds

  • Container: Use a pot with a good drainage.
  • Soil: Fill with well-draining, soilless potting mix (no compost or top soil). Perfect seed germination mix is Abundance Mix: peat moss (or coconut fiber) - 80%, perlite - 10%, small pieces of pine bark - 10%.
  • Depth: Plant seeds 1"deep. Place them horizontally.
  • Spacing: Multiple seeds can be planted in one pot or tray (with drainage holes); space them adequately. You can use so called “community pots”, then separate the seedlings once they reach 2-4" in height.


🍑 3. Germination Conditions

  • Light: Place the pot in a bright, warm area with temperatures at least (and above) 70F . The warmer, the faster the germination. We germinate seeds in a "hot house" where temperatures can reach 100F.
  • Moisture: Keep the soil consistently moist but not wet.
  • Germination Time: Loquat seeds germinate within 2-4 weeks.

Continued in next post ⤵️

🛒 Shop Loquat Trees and enjoy fresh fruit benefits

#Food_Forest #Loquat

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 4 Jun 2025

How long until I get fruit from my Lychee tree?

Lychee tree with fruit

💖 How long until I get fruit from my Lychee tree?

  • 🍓 Is your Lychee tree ever going to fruit? Yes!
  • 🍓 A Lychee tree grown from an air-layered plant (Litchi chinensis) can start flowering and setting fruit right away, with good crops to be expected within 3 to 5 years, but don’t expect fruit every season. Lychees are often alternate bearers, meaning they may produce a heavy crop one year and little to none the next. Factors like variety, weather, and the tree's health affect this cycle.
  • 🍓 Lychees cannot be reliably grown from seed or grafted, as seedlings lack the necessary mycorrhizal environment found under mature trees. For best results, always start with a quality air-layered tree from a trusted source.


🛒 Shop Lychee varieties

📚 Learn more:



🎥 In the video: This Lychee Mauritus tree (very productive variety) was planted last year, and already has fruited; this is the second year crop.

#Food_Forest #Discover
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 9 Jun 2025

What is the most wanted fragrant plant ever?

🏵 What is the most wanted fragrant plant ever?


  • 💮 We are revealing a secret, because this plant... was a creator of Top Tropicals: fragrant Jasminum Sambac.

  • 💮 Here is the reason why every gardener wants to have this plant: the fragrance is so wonderful, it will attract you like a bee to a honey and make you feel GOOD!

  • 💮 This video contains a unique information - a guide to different varieties of this fascinating plant - fragrant Jasmine Sambac:


📱

🛒 Shop Jasmine Sambaс - add tropical perfume to your garden

#Perfume_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 8 Jun 2025

Charming Elephant Ears: Alocasia vs Colocasia

Alocasia and Colocasia

🐘 Charming Elephant Ears: Alocasia vs. Colocasia - which one is better?



Alocasias and Colocasias, or Elephant Ears, are both remarkable and popular plants that can bring a tropical exotic touch to your garden, pond, or pool area. Why are they so popular - and which one should you choose?
  • 🍀 Why gardeners love Elephant Ears


  • ✔️ Tropical appeal: Bold, architectural foliage creates a lush, exotic atmosphere.
  • ✔️ Striking leaves: Huge heart- or arrow-shaped leaves in green, purple, black, or variegated tones.
  • ✔️ Versatile placement: Ideal for containers, garden beds, water features, or borders.
  • ✔️ Low maintenance: Thrive in part shade with moist soil and occasional fertilizer.
  • ✔️ Big impact: Some varieties reach over 6 ft tall, adding strong vertical structure.


🍀 Alocasia vs. Colocasia - what's the difference?

  • 🟢Leaf shape: Alocasia = upright, arrow-shaped; Colocasia = drooping, heart-shaped.
  • 🟢Leaf texture: Alocasia = glossy; Colocasia = more matte.
  • 🟢Stem color: Alocasia = green; Colocasia = often purplish.
  • 🟢Light and soil: Alocasia prefers bright, indirect light and good drainage; Colocasia loves shade and wet soil.
  • 🟢Cold tolerance: Colocasia is generally more cold-hardy and water-tolerant.


📚 Learn more:



🛒 Go big with giant leaves!

#Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 13 Jun 2025

Bob is planning his next attack

Cat Bob

😳 Bob is planning his next attack



"The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear." - Democritus

🐈 PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats #Quotes

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals