Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster

New Boosters for the New Year!
Sunshine Total Feed: Orchidasm and Citron

How to grow everblooming orchids?

Q: I ended up with a large collection of orchids that I was given as presents... They grow well but unfortunately after the showy blooms were gone, I don't see any more flowers, just green leaves. What do I need to do to make them bloom again? Should I fertilize them with Azalea bloom booster?

A: Orchids culture is different from garden ornamental plants. First big difference, they are epiphytes, growing in a loose bark medium rather than soil, and benefit from daily mist. Second difference is a type of fertilizer. You can not use a regular garden fertilizer on orchids, because they are very sensitive to salts. Orchids need special, acidic type of fertilizer, very mild in action.
Luckily, Sunshine Boosters formulas are exactly what orchids need! They are amino-acid based, have very mild formulas, and do not create nutrient lock up (building up salts is one of the biggest enemies of tender orchids).
A new Sunshine Boosters Orchidasm TotalFeed is scientifically balanced orchid food that contains all necessary nutrients, including micro-elements, for healthy, happy, vigorous orchids. It can be used as often as daily with every foliage spray. From our testing experience, after using Orchidasm Booster, orchids not only got happy and thriving - they also bloom more often - up to several times a year, shooting new flower spikes one after another! (while normal blooming cycle for most orchids is once a year). It gets even better - the flower display lasts twice longer!
To enjoy these beautiful flowers year around - treat them with Love, give them some Orchidasm!

See more information with pictures in Sunshine Boosters Orchid Blog

Secrets of a healthy Citrus tree

Q: We planted several citrus trees in our yard - Meyer Lemon, Grapefruit and Blood Orange. The trees came from the store full of flowers and even had a few fruit, but a year after planting - no more flowers! The old leaves are green, but new growth doesn't look healthy, leaves are yellowish and have spots, maybe eaten by bugs (?), and how do we get them to fruit?

A: Citrus plants are not the easiest trees to grow; they are susceptible to various diseases, pests, and deficiencies, especially in areas with high humidity/rainfall like Florida. Fungi, viruses, leaf minors, chlorosis - this is not a complete list of citrus common problems. In commercial groves, these conditions are kept under control by using harsh chemicals on solid schedule.
For home gardeners, growing citrus trees may become a challenge. Many people don't want to use harsh chemicals on their edibles; and those who do, may not always have time to apply treatments on a professional schedule. So as much as we all love a fresh juicy orange, growing your own may become quite a pain!
Sunshine Citron TotalFeed is your simple, eco-safe solution to a healthy looking, productive citrus tree with organic fruit! Amino-acid based formula provides all necessary elements to strengthen the tree and make it resistant to possible problems.
Did you know that treatment of leaf chlorosis (yellow leaves with dark green veins), commonly treated with iron supplements, in fact requires a complex combination of nutrients - both balanced NPK and micro-elements?
Use Sunshine Citron in combination with Sunshine GreenLeaf and Sunshine SuperFood and never see yellow chlorotic leaves again!
Apply Sunshine Epi on regular basis (every 2 weeks) and help your tree boost its immune system and stay virus-free.
Add Sunshine Honey, and you will have large, juicy fruit that are much sweeter and more flavorful than those from the store! All these boosters are compatible with each other, and perfectly natural. Eat your fruit safely and enjoy...

Read more about treating citrus tree defficiencies in Sunshine Boosters Citrus Blog.

🌿 Bring the Jungle Inside: Winter Survival Guide Part 2.Temperature. ❄️

Smokey: Too cold. We need more heaters so the plants feel comfortable.
Sunshine: I feel comfortable.
Smokey: You are not part of my plant collection, but I am glad you are comfortable.

🌡️ TEMPERATURE: THE TROPICAL DORMANCY LINE

In Part 1 (Winter Survival Guide: Temperature) we covered the foundation: light, placement, and acclimation. That is the survival layer.

Most tropicals stop growing below 70 to 75 F. They stay green, but their engine shuts down.

Below 70F:

• Water intake drops.
• Roots slow down.
• Fertilizing becomes risky.
• Root root becomes easy.

If you WANT your plants to grow in winter, you must take care of everything: Warmth, light, humidity, water. It all works together.

• Aim for 75 F with bright light. Water lightly. No fertilizer.
• Watch out for drafts. Cold windows. Door blasts. Garage entryways. Even one gust can trigger leaf drop.
• Vents are the opposite problem: hot, dry, dusty air. That gives you crispy edges and mites.
Root zone temperature matters just as much as room air. Your thermostat may say 72 F, but your pot on a tile floor may be sitting at 55 F. Fix this by elevating pots on boards or stands. Use Styrofoam. Never keep pots directly on cold tile o windowsill
• Extra winter heat: Space heaters are fine if used smartly. Do not blow hot air directly on plants. Keep heaters away from cords, trays, and water. Oil filled radiators are the safest option for plant rooms.
• Use a humidifier if you want growth or want to prevent spider mites. But do not blow mist directly onto leaves. Always place the unit lower than the plant canopy.
• Grouping helps. Put tropical plants close together to share humidity. Do not mix succulents with humidity lovers.
• Cats and dogs love to knock over lights and stands. Secure your fixtures. Trust us.
• Airflow: Light airflow is healthy. Direct fan blast is not. Still, dry corners invite mites.
• A mild night drop is OK. A big one below 55 F will stop growth completely.

A mandevilla thriving indoors with bright pink blooms and glossy green leaves.

☂️ PLACEMENT: MICROCLIMATES RULE EVERYTHING

Indoors is one big tradeoff: light but cold near windows, warm but dim away from them. The winning combo is a warm room with supplemental light.

Best zones to keep plants in winter:

• South or east windows with additional light
• Warm living spaces
• Bright bathrooms for natural humidity

Worst zones to keep plants in winter:

• Behind curtains
• Directly on windowsills
• Near heaters or vents
• Against cold exterior walls
• Dark corners without supplemental lighting

A vigorous indoor philodendron stretching across the window.

💨 ACCLIMATION

Moving a plant from outdoors to indoors is a shock. Light drops. Humidity drops. Airflow stops. Soil cools. Even healthy plants may drop some leaves for a few weeks. That is normal.

Before you bring them inside:

• Rinse foliage to remove dust and pests. We recommend Sunshine NoBug - and organic, safe solution.
• Check for ants.
• Trim weak branches.
• Treat soil if fungus gnats are present.

Try to bring plants inside before the first cold front, not after. If you are reading this too late, do the prep now and expect a little leaf drop.

If you nail light and temperature, winter becomes simple. In the next mail-list we will cover watering, fertilizer timing, humidity, and other indoor tricks that keep tropicals happy till spring. Stay tuned.

Cat Bob is inspecting his indoor garden around the tub with a bright skylight

✔️ WINTER INDOOR FAQ: TEMPERATURE AND PLACEMENT

Q: Why are leaves dropping only on the window side?
A: Cold glass. The room may be warm, but the glass surface can be much colder.

Q: Is a cold room OK for tropicals?
A: They may survive, but they will not grow below about 65F to 75F. When nights stay below 65F for a week, many plants enter dormancy.

Q: My room feels warm. Why is my plant still not growing?
A: Check the soil temperature. Pots on cold tile can be 10 to 20F colder than the air.

Q: Can plants sit directly on the floor?
A: Not on cold tile. Always elevate them on boards, stands, or trays.

Q: Is it OK to keep plants near a heater or vent?
A: No. Vents and heaters blast hot, dry air and cause crispy leaves and mites.

Q: My plant is dropping leaves after coming indoors. Why?
A: Normal acclimation to reduced light and humidity right after the move.

Q: Can I keep plants in a bright bathroom?
A: Yes. Bathrooms can have good humidity. Just keep pots off cold tile.

Q: Do I need a humidifier?
A: Not for survival. Yes if you want better growth and fewer pests like spider mites.

Q: Do I need a grow tent?
A: No. A bright LED plus a warm room is enough for winter holding.

Q: Should I fertilize in winter?
A: Not now. Winter fertilizer rules will be covered in the next mail-list.

Q: Should I water the same as in summer?
A: No. Indoor plants need much less water in winter. Watering rules also coming soon.

🛒 Shop Indoor Garden

📚 Learn more:

• Bring the Jungle Inside: Winter Survival Guide Part 1: Lighting
• SUNSHINE NoBug - Natural Plant Protector
• How to overwinter tropical plants indoors
• Feeding indoor plants
• Overwintering Adeniums outside of tropics

🌿 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.

📚 Learn more:

• How to overwinter tropical plants indoors
• Overwintering Adeniums outside of tropics