Date: 30 Mar 2016
Spring time fun: fertilizing and pruning
Q: When is a proper time to start fertilizing my garden in Spring? Also, when can I cut back cold damaged branches? Should I wait until end of April?
A: As a rule of thumb, fertilizer can be applied during period of active growth, when a plant needs additional nutrients. With indoor plants, you can fertilize pretty much year round as long as the plant continues growing and not dormant. For in-ground tropical plants, start fertilizing when new growth appears. In subtropical areas, with cooler winter months, most tropical plants slow down their metabolism when temperature drops below 65F. Many of them become dormant, and may even lose leaves (especially deciduous plants like Annona, or Peaches/Plums
Date: 20 Sep 2025
How to make lots of Insulin Ginger plants quickly and get more health benefits
Costus igneus (Chamaecostus cuspidatus) - Fiery Costus or Spiral Flag
💚 How to make lots of Insulin Ginger plants quickly and get more health benefits
- Costus igneus (Chamaecostus cuspidatus) - Fiery Costus or Spiral Flag is believed to help lower blood glucose levels naturally and managing diabetes.
- Have you heard of Insulin Ginger? Everyone wants to have it in the garden!
- Gardeners in India grow it not just for its pretty spiral leaves, but for what those leaves do. People with diabetes often chew them fresh or brew them into tea, saying it helps keep their blood sugar under control.
- Researchers have found something interesting: the leaves contain an insulin-like compound, along with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. In animal studies, extracts from the plant lowered blood sugar, protected the liver and kidneys, and even made the body more sensitive to insulin.
- The way folks use it is simple. You can chew a leaf right off the plant, steep dried leaves for tea, or find it in powders and capsules. It's one of those plants that shows how tradition and science sometimes meet in the garden.
- Its lush, turmeric-like leaves spiral around upright stems, with a glossy dark green top and a striking light purple underside. In warm months, it produces bright orange, cone-like flowers that stand out beautifully in the garden.
- Beyond its beauty and natural insulin effects, the insulin plant is credited with aiding digestion, reducing cholesterol, boosting energy, improving skin health, supporting weight loss, relieving stress, and promoting heart wellness. A real botanical multitasker!
🎥 In this video, we’ll show you how to multiply Insulin Ginger fast, so you’ll have plenty of plants for yourself and even extras to share with friends and family.
✅ Don’t forget to use Green Magic fertilizer for the best results. Gingers absolutely love this plant food - they thrive on it and respond better than any other plant, with vigorous growth, lush foliage and loads of leaves you’ll need for all the benefits.
🛒 Grow your own sugar-fighter - the Insulin Ginger
📚 Learn more:
#Food_Forest #Remedies #Shade_Garden #Discover
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Date: 8 Feb 2024
Mark your calendars: March 2, 2024
Plant Festival "March into Spring!"
Saturday, March 2, 9 am - 4 pm
Save the date! On March 2, 2024, join us for our vibrant Plant Festival, "March into Spring!"
Dive into a world of lush greenery, blooming delights, and rare fruit trees
at our garden event. Discover unbeatable sales, exclusive deals, delightful
gift bags, and receive free plants with every purchase.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to embrace the beauty of spring and
elevate your garden to new heights!
Highlights of the event:
30% OFF online prices, one day only!
(excluding 15 gallon material and rare plants)
Gift bags - for first 25 customers with $50 order
Secret Garden: Super savings area 50-70% off
$5 and $10 plants
Raffle
Free plant with any purchase as a token of our appreciation
Event discounts valid at both locations:
Ft Myers Garden Center: 13890 Orange River, Ft Myers, FL
Sebring B-Farm: 9100 McRoy Rd, Sebring, FL
Facebook event page - Download invitation
Date: 5 May 2025
🎀 Five plant gifts she'll love this Mother's Day
Q: My mother loves gardening and I am thinking to buy her a live plant to make her happy. What plant do you recommend?
A: At Top Tropicals, we have a big selection of wonderful gift plants . Below are a few suggestions for you, these plants are large, developed and ready to bloom or fruit!
1. Joy Perfume Tree
The
Champaka or Joy Perfume Tree (Magnolia champaca) - is a top choice for
Southern landscapes, prized for its striking columnar shape and fragrant,
fruity bubble gum-scented blooms - you won't be able to stop sticking your nose
in this flower! A signature plant at Top Tropicals, it's known for producing
the world's most expensive perfume, Joy. The Joy Perfume Tree blooms on and
off year-round and is currently in full bloom at our farm in Sebring, FL,
filling the air around with fantastic sweet scent. This tree thrives in both pots
and the ground, growing bushy and full as it matures. At Top Tropicals, we
have beautiful Champaka trees in all sizes, from 3-4 ft tall (ready to bloom in a year) to 6-10 ft tall (already
bloomed) for local pick up or delivery.
Learn more, with a short video.
2. Tropical Raspberry Mysore
Tropical
Raspberry Mysore (Rubus albescens) - is the perfect solution for those missing
Northern fruit in hot climates. Unlike traditional raspberries that can't
handle the heat, this fast-growing Raspberry from India thrives in humid, hot
conditions and produces juicy, sweet fruit almost year-round! The clusters of
purple-black fruit are packed with flavor, and the plant is perfect for large
containers, producing plenty of fruit in no time. Cold-hardy to the upper 20s
F, it's an easy-to-grow, fast producer. We have beautiful, fruit-ready 3 gal Raspberry
bushes, ready to add a burst of sweetness to your garden!
Learn more, with a short
video.
3. Fragrant Jasmine Sambac
Jasminum
Sambac is widely regarded as the most fragrant jasmine, cherished by
tropical gardeners and plant collectors alike. Native to India, this jasmine is the
source of jasmine perfume oil and the signature ingredient in jasmine tea.
With various varieties offering unique flower sizes, shapes, and growth
habits, it’' perfect for both sun and shade, thriving as a container plant or
indoor favorite. Its delightful fragrance fills the air, and with the help
of
Sunshine Pikake plant booster, you can enjoy even more blooms. Jasmine Sambac,
along with Champaka, is another signature plant of Top Tropicals. Through the decades, we've collected all the available varieties in cultivation - check them out!
Learn more about Jasmine Sambac
varieties, with a short video.
4. Everbearing mulberry
The Dwarf
Everbearing Mulberry (Morus sp.) - is the perfect way to enjoy fruit
year-round! This beautiful, cold hardy bush produces sweet, juicy mulberries starting
from the very first year - often the same season you plant it. With its dwarf
habit (easily maintained at 4-6 ft), it's perfect for containers and small
spaces. Cold-hardy and drought-resistant, this productive plant thrives in
various climates, from USDA zones 5 to 10! The fast-growing Mulberry will provide
fruit year-round, and with minimal care, it will flourish in almost any soil. Our
Everbearing Mulberry bushes produce enough fruit for both birds and breakfast - we pick a handful every day!
Learn more, with a
short video.
5. Medinilla Coral Spike
Rare Medinilla
scortechinii - Orange Coral Spike - is a rare gem that brings a touch of
the ocean to your garden! With bright orange stems bursting into star-shaped
blooms, it looks like something straight from a coral reef. Compact and easy to
grow, this plant stays under 2-3 ft tall, making it perfect for pots,
hanging baskets, or as an epiphytic accent. The glossy dark leaves contrast
beautifully with the vibrant orange panicles, and it thrives in bright shade. A must-have for collectors of unusual
tropical plants, this coral spike adds a bold pop of orange wherever it grows - but hurry, it doesn't stay in stock for long!
Learn more, with a short video.
Date: 6 Jan 2024
Sunshine
Boosters
Winter use... and discount!
Do you remember that Sunshine Boosters fertilizers can be applied year-round?
As natural fertilizers, their scientifically created formulas provide perfectly balanced nutrition for your plants throughout the year. Follow the instructions on the labels and apply Sunshine Boosters with every watering. Give your plants extra boost during winter months! The fertilizer amount is balanced, adjusting proportionally to the water amount, which is tailored to the plant's winter needs. Unlike dry fertilizers, Sunshine Boosters can be used all year without fear of burning plants with excessive nutrient lockup.
Take advantage of the winter sale and stock up on this perfect plant food. You'll need plenty by Spring when your plants begin active growth! Use the code below for 20% off all Sunshine Boosters products. Hurry up, the sale will end in a few days!
SBOOSTERS20
Min order $20, excluding S/H. Exp. 1-12-24
In the photo above: This picture was taken on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2023. The little garden by our B-farm office, irrigated automatically with Sunshine Boosters using the Robuster injector, is thriving in spite of cool nights. Look at this crazy banana, it is taller than the building, we honestly have never seen a banana of that size! The solution we are using there is Sunshine Robusta; now available for pick up in 2.5 gal jugs