Date: 24 Jun 2018
Growing tropicals from seeds.
From Kristi the Wizard of Rose: I grow many plants from seeds, both for my personal collection, and for TopTropicals. I receive many questions from customers who want to grow tropical plants from seeds. Some of them live in colder climates and try to extend growing season of their tropical collections by starting new varieties early in the year from seeds. These are a few tips that may be helpful.
Q: What do I need to do to speed up germination process?
A:
Many factors affect germination. Considering you get fresh
seeds (for example from TopTropicals) and Mother Nature
gives them a good kick start, there are a few things that
may speed up germination:
1) Scarification. Large seeds with a hard outer
shell can be slightly sanded down just enough for moisture
to get inside to wake up the seed during the pre-soaking.
Be careful not to damage the seed. See example of Lotus seed
scarification.
2) Pre-soaking. We recommend pre-soaking most of
the seeds for only a few hours (3-8 depending on species.
Some seeds are very sensitive to moisture and may start
rotting if stay wet without air circulation. Small seeds,
especially tiny ones like dust, should not be soaked.
3) SUNSHINE-S treatment. Adding a few drops of SUNSHINE-S booster when
pre-soaking seeds increases their germination rate 3-5
times.
4) Temperature. Warm temperatures help germination.
If grown indoors, put seeds containers or trays in the
warmest spot of your house; you may use heat pads.
Outdoors, putting them in full sun helps a lot, just don't
let soil to dry out.
Use only special porous seed germination mix
Date: 27 Oct 2025
Large Grafted Mango Trees - Plant Now Before Winter!
"Next Time We'll Specify - A TREE!" - Smokey and Sunshine Plant a Giant Mango
🌡️ Why plant now?
Fall is the perfect time to plant tropical fruit trees. The soil is still warm, the air is mild, and your trees can quietly build strong roots. By spring, they’ll already be settled and ready to grow fast.
Imagine walking outside next summer and picking your own mangoes from a tree you planted this fall!
💲 Special Offer – 20% off Large Mango Trees: 7-15 gal
Get 20% OFF large grafted Mango trees (7-25 gal) with code
MANGO2025
Min order 150 (excluding S/H), valid online only, cannot be combined with other offers.
Hurry, offer expires November 03, 2025!
👉 Explore Mango Varieties:
15 gal pots: pick up or delivery
Date: 18 Aug 2025
🌟Repotting FAQ
Q: How big should the new pot be?
A: Only a few inches larger than the old one. Oversized pots hold too much moisture and may cause root rot.
Q: Why are plastic pots better than ceramic?
A: Plastic pots are lighter, easier to handle, and you can cut them if a root-bound plant is stuck. Ceramic pots are heavy, breakable, and often lack drainage.
Q: How do I safely remove a plant from its pot?
A: Turn the pot upside down and let gravity help. Never pull by the stems or leaves. If stuck, lay the pot on its side and squeeze or tap it. Cut the pot if needed.
Q: Should I remove old soil from the roots?
A: No. Roots have tiny hairs that absorb water and nutrients. Shaking off soil damages them and sets the plant back.
Q: Why must the plant sit at the same soil level?
A: Planting too deep suffocates the stem, and planting too high exposes roots. Keeping the same level protects the root crown.
Q: How soon should I water again after repotting?
A: Water thoroughly right after repotting, then wait until the top inch of soil dries before watering again.
🌱 Done! Your plant now has room to grow stronger before fall.
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.
Date: 6 Dec 2025
🌿 Bring the Jungle Inside: Winter Survival Guide Part 1: Lighting ❄️
Smokey: "Winter lighting must be precise. I need this light exactly at 14
inches."
Sunshine: "Sure. I am holding this… little number thing."
Smokey: "It reads humidity. Your main job is to look cute."
🌞 LIGHT, TEMPERATURE, PLACEMENT
Winter indoors is a different kind of battlefield. Dark rooms. Dry air. Cold windows. Random drafts. Weak light. Sad plants. We've been talking about keeping your tropicals alive outdoors previously. But some of you have no choice this time of year. You have to bring the jungle inside.
If that is you, then this is your plant survival guide.
☀️ LIGHT: THE WINTER LIFELINE
Light advice here comes straight from our in-house expert, Michael Dubinovsky, a high-tech lighting engineer with over 30 years of hands-on experience. If he says brightness beats hours, trust him.
Here is the truth: Indoor light in winter is 10 to 50 times weaker than outdoors. Short days. Low-angle sun. Windows filtering half the useful light. It all adds up.
Tropicals need 10 to 12 hours of real brightness. Winter sun cannot do that on its own. Not even in a big window. So we help them.
Use bright LED shop lights or utility lights. 5000K to 6500K CCT. High lumen output. Skip decorative bulbs. Skip purple grow fancy toy lights. If you want a single plant light, even a clamp lamp is fine if you screw in a bright daylight LED bulb.
Panels work best for plant clusters. Bars for shelves. Bulbs for single plants. And grouping plants under one bright panel always beats spreading them out.
Distance matters: keep LEDs about 12 to 18 inches above the leaves. Too close: leaf burn. Too far: stretching, weak stems.
Leaves reaching up? Light is too high or too weak. Leaves curling down? Light is too close.
If you want a reality check, download any smartphone lux meter app. Most indoor corners are 50 to 200 lux without supplemental light. Tropicals want much more
And a quick tip about windows: winter sun comes in sideways. A spot that looks bright at noon can go dull by 2 PM. Don't count of window light
Bright light or long hours
People try to fix weak light by running it for 16 or 18 hours. That does not work. Plants care more about light intensity. A few hours of strong light beats all-day dim light. If the light is weak, adding more hours will not change anything except your electric bill.
Simple rule: Short duration but bright is always better than long duration but weak. - by Michael, Top Tropicals lighting expert
No need for fancy horticultural panels
You do not need purple grow lights. You do not need special horticultural fixtures. You do not need expensive panels unless you want real winter growth.
For winter plant holding till spring, the inexpensive solution works great:
- Bright LED daylight bulbs (5000K to 6500K) from hardware store
- High lumen output
- Inexpensive clamp lamps
- Aim directly at the plant from 12 to 18 inches
This setup keeps tropicals happy until spring without buying anything fancy. Save the money for soil, pots, or your next plant.
Indoor plant lighting safety note:
- Use timers. Keep cords dry. Do not overload outlets.
- Do not hang lights over humidifiers.
- And do not put fixtures on piles of books to raise them. People do this.
✔️ WINTER INDOOR FAQ: TEMPERATURE AND PLACEMENT
Q: I am in Home Depot. Which light do I buy?
A: LED shop light, daylight color (5000K to 6500K), high lumens. Skip fancy plant bulbs.
Q: Can I use clamp lamps or floor lamps for plants?
A: Yes. Clamp lamps with a bright daylight LED bulb work great for winter holding.
Q: Do I need special horticultural grow lights?
A: No. A bright LED daylight bulb works fine for winter. Save the fancy lights for real growth projects.
Q: How far should the light be from the plant?
A: About 12 to 18 inches above the leaves. Too close burns. Too far stretches.
Q: Can I run weak lights for 18 hours to compensate?
A: No. Weak light plus long hours still equals a weak plant. Brightness matters more than hours.
Q: How do I know if a spot is bright enough?
A: Use a free phone lux app. Most indoor corners are much too dim for tropicals.
Q: I have a huge window. Why do I still need LEDs?
A: Indoor winter light is weak, short, and filtered by glass. Plants want intensity, not just a big window.
Q: My window faces north. Now what?
A: North windows are decorative only. Use supplemental lighting or move the plant.