Date: 20 Oct 2023
How to help a weak tree to recover and thrive?
Q: Look at my sad looking Lychee tree. Can you share with me any ideas about this tree condition?
A: From the photo (left), we see a few potential issues. The problem might be due to a combination of factors such as a heavy potting mix with poor drainage, over-watering, an underdeveloped root system sensitive to these conditions, leaf burn, and a lack of nutrients.
Suggestions for fixing the problem
1. Soil mix. First, assess the quality of the soil. If the plant has been in the same pot for a while, the soil at the bottom may have become compacted, leading to poor drainage. If this is the case, carefully remove the root system from the existing soil (by removing excess soil around the roots without disturbing the roots themselves). Repot the tree into fresh, well-draining potting mix with good drainage characteristics, which typically contains materials like bark and perlite. Ensure that the new pot is exactly the size of the root ball; using a significantly larger pot can lead to soggy conditions that harm the roots.
2. Light. Place the potted tree in an area with filtered light, avoiding direct sunlight throughout the day.
3. Water. Control the watering. During this recovery period, your plant will need very limited water until it shows signs of improvement and new growth. After repotting, water it thoroughly just once, and avoid watering again until the top layer of soil becomes dry. Then, water as needed. Avoid keeping the soil consistently wet, especially during rainy periods. Protect the plant from excessive rain.
4. Supplements. Consider applying Sunshine Superfood micro-elements following the label instructions, once a month. Additionally, using Sunshine Epi bio-stimulant, sprayed every other week, can help the plant recover from stress and encourage growth. You can also use Sunshine C-Cibus at half the recommended concentration with each watering. Hold off on any other fertilizers until the plant has sufficiently recovered and begins to show signs of new growth.
5. Transplanting. If you plan to transplant the tree into the ground, it's advisable to wait until spring when nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 65F for at least two weeks.
6. Temperature. Keep the tree in a warm environment. When temperatures drop below 50F, bring it indoors.
These steps should help the tree recover, grow healthy leaves, and establish a better root system, preparing it for successful transplantation into the ground or a larger container, ensuring a happy and productive life ahead.
Date: 31 Mar 2023
Elderberry Kir Royale
Grow your own... drink and medicine
In the summertime, Elderberry bushes transform into small, bushy trees adorned with sizable umbels of white flowers. As late summer approaches, the tree produces an abundance of dark purple berry clusters. Elderberry is known for its ability to withstand cold weather and can thrive in a variety of soils in either full or partial sun. While it typically grows to a height of 10 feet, its spreading can be managed through pruning.
This dense shrub is beloved by nesting birds, who are not the only creatures that appreciate its fruit. People also prize Elderberry for its delicious uses in winemaking, cocktails, and jellies. Elderberry syrup or cordial can be used to create flavorful fruity drinks and cocktails, like the Elderberry Kir Royale. Alternatively, the berries can be left to infuse their flavor into spirits, with Elderberry gin being a particularly delightful option.
Elderberry Cordial
When it comes to combating various strains of the flu virus, Elderberry Cordial ranks among the top natural remedies. Whether sipped in small servings or drizzled over a delectable dessert, Elderberry Cordial is a guilt-free way to fortify your immune system against colds and flus.
2 cups of fresh elderberries
16 oz water
- 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 lemon (rind + juice)
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- stick cinnamon, crushed
1 ¼ cups dried elderberries
1/4 cup dried rosehips
About 3 cups brandy
Honey, to taste
Add all ingredients in a jar and cover with a lid. Set aside in a cool, dark place for 3-4 weeks. When ready to decant, strain and squeeze through cheesecloth. For every 1 cup of liquid retained, add 1/2 cup honey. Mix thoroughly. Pour the cordial into a decorative bottle for storage, or gift giving.
Elderberry Kir Royale Cocktail
5 oz white wine, sparkling wine or champagne
2 oz Elderberry cordial
Rocks
Mint leaves (optional)
Pour the Champagne in a flute glass. Add the Elderberry Cordial slowly.
Party time!
Date: 17 Sep 2021
Hibiscus: TopTropicals' first plant
- September 2001 @ TopTropicals -
Q: I wonder how you started your plant business and what was your first plant?
A: It was 20 years ago this month that we started Top Tropicals Project. No idea where it was going or how to even get "there", just started with the idea of sharing these wonderful creatures we call plants with anyone and everyone who felt the same way.
Believe it or not, the first plant at TopTropicals was a hibiscus. Right
before we opened our plant nursery in Florida, we ran into a place called Winn Soldani's FANCY
HIBISCUS. The variety of colors inspired us to start our own tropical plant
business. We asked the owner Winn Soldani: what plants do you suggest us to
grow in Florida? His answer was, "Your plant will find you". Very soon we
discovered
jasmines, then perfume trees and fruit trees - all those became our specialty. Then very quickly
TopTropicals.com turned into a large Plant Mall where you can find every tropical plant you can think of!
But at TopTropicals we still grow hibiscus!
- September 2004 @ TopTropicals -
Hibiscus Plus
Hibiscus is a wonderful plant, considering there are thousands of
hybrids with color palettes you can only imagine. Especially interesting are those
rare and useful species, yet very easy to grow, such as:
- Salad Hibiscus - Hibiscus furcellatus - yes, used in salads
- Coral Hibiscus with crazy pendant flowers - Hibiscus schizopetalus
- African Cranberry hibiscus that is used for making teas and salads - Hibiscus
acetocella
- Cotton Candy Hibiscus mutabilis - the flower changes color, opens as white and turns
into bright pink within 3 days, like Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow
Photo above: Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy
Care of Hibiscus and other flowering tropicals
"If your plant isn't flowering, feed it."
- Winn Soldani, Fancy Hibiscus -
Among gardeners, Hibiscus plants have a reputation to have couple
maintenance issues:
1) they can get bugsy (because they must be so tasty!)
2) they can get leggy, especially fancy grafted cultivars, and after a
while they don't look as perfect as when they came from a nursery.
4 tips for healthy and pretty hibiscus plant
1. Full sun. Essential for profuse flowering and keeps away
diseases.
2. Pruning. Keep it pruned and it will get bushy and produce more
blooms.
3. Well-drained soil. Hibiscus likes regular watering but hates wet
feet.
4. Nutrition program. Hibiscus plants are heavy feeders. But keep in
mind that if you just keep pushing granulated plant food, you can
over-fertilize the plant. Excessive salts will accumulate in soil and you will end up
with a sickly looking plant.
Keys to balanced plant food and bloom booster
1) Use liquid fertilizer, preferably amino acid based, it won't create
nutrients lock up
2) Fertilize on regular basis, it's better dilute concentration and add
food with every watering
3) Always add micro-elements - they are essential for plant health
If you do this part right, the result will be:
- healthy, green plants, like they just came from a nursery
- reliable blooming circle
- better cold tolerance and disease resistance. Remember that a strong
plant will be less stressed and less "bugged" by bugs!
We always suggest Sunshine Boosters - scientifically balanced liquid fertilizers that are amino acid based = they are natural and organic, can be used for both flowers and edibles, and what's most important - year around. They are safe to use virtually with every watering.
This is all you need for healthy plants and lots of flowers!
Date: 1 Feb 2021
The Secret of Longevity
finally revealed!
"...Time spent in the garden doesn't count against your lifespan..."
Want to live longer? Surround yourself with plants
If you want to live longer, live around green space. The Barcelona
Institute for Global Health found that for every 10% increase in vegetation that's
within 1,600 feet of your home, your probability of death drops by 4%.
LEARN MORE >>
Why gardening could help you live longer:
1. It gets you into Nature.
2. It's good exercise.
3. You'll eat what you grow.
4. It exercises your mind, while also relieving stress.
LEARN MORE >>
Gardening helps you live to 100
Many of the world's centenarians share one common hobby: gardening. Could you extend your life and drop your stress by taking up the pursuit, too? People living in these so-called "blue zones" have certain factors in common - with daily exercise habits and a plant-based diet, for starters. But they share another unexpected commonality. People are gardening well into old age - their 80s, 90s and beyond. Could nurturing your green thumb help you live to 100? Let nature nurture you!
LEARN MORE >>
The healthiest people in the world don't go to the gym.
Moving naturally throughout the day might sound pleasant and romantic,
but the reality is that 100 years ago only 10% of us had sedentary jobs,
whereas today it's 90%. However, there are still easy ways to add more movement into your busy lifestyle. The research also showed that walking even as little as two hours per week could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cancer, and help you live longer.
What work out can be better than Gardening? Fresh air, lots of exercise, yet fun and rewarding!
See also: Forget the gym and get to gardening.
In the photo: The Father of American Tropical Fruit Horticulture Bill Whitman, age 92, is presenting his book Five decades with tropical fruit to Top Tropicals after giving a tour
Date: 23 Mar 2020
Garden Sustainability Tips: Live your Life. Dig your Garden.
You can grow herbs and vegetables that can be easy incorporated into your home landscape. You don't need a raised bed for a few little things that will come really handy for your kitchen.
1. Parsley. Get a small 4"pot parsley plant from a local garden
center. It grows super fast and just one plant can provide great healthy
addition for your cooking for a few months. Plant in in full sun, under a tree or
shrub, where it gets hit by a sprinkler.
2. Dill. This one grows from seeds quickly and easily. It also needs
full sun and regular water.
3. Chives, or Green Onion. Don't through away"bulbs"from chives
you got from the store. Stick them in the ground, pretty much anywhere in your
garden. You will have supply of fresh chives loaded with vitamins right away
(withing a few days!) and for many months. You can also plant an onion bulb
(root-end down... duh) - this one will produce greens even faster!
4. Bay Leaf. If you live in a mild climate, plant a Bay Leaf in your yard (closer to the door - closer to the kitchen!). It
is a wonderful healthy spice for soups and stews that makes them super
flavorful. If your winters are cold, keep the plant in a pot. Bay Leaf makes a
great undemanding houseplant that needs bright light, but very little water.
5. Cherry tomatoes are easy to grow, heat tolerant and even grow in
lower light, so they are easy to incorporate into any existing landscape. Get
Sunshine Boosters to double your crop: see how it works.
6. More herbs and spices. Check out our large selection of herbs and spices - they are on sale today!
7. Garden work is a great exercise. While the gym is closed - get to
gardening. Read about Fun workout and Calories Burning Gardening.
8. Lemons. Vitamin C is your best friend for boosting immune system,
and Lemons have tons of it! In areas where citrus can grow outside, Lemon
tree is a must-have for your garden, or at least find a friend who has one!
Citrus also makes a great house plant, so you can keep it in a pot, too. Just
make sure to have a grafted tree that will produce right away.
Lemon Juice Health Booster Recipe
1. Squeeze juice from 1 lemon and mix it with 1 cup of water.
2. Add ice cubes and 1-2 tbsp of any flavored syrup (optional). You may add
some fresh mint for Mojito flavor.
3. Enjoy this drink at least once a day.
4. Get a bunch of lemons, squeeze fresh juice into ice cube trays and
freeze. 1 lemon = makes 1 ice cube. Store in freezer and use 1-2 cubes to make the
above drink, daily.
Besides being rich in vitamin C that will boost your immune system,
Lemon juice is a Natural medicine that helps to treat:
- cold and flu
- headaches and high blood pressure
- stomach problems
- insomnia
- and much more
Drinking lemon juice on regular basis will make your body stronger and more
resistant to infections and many illnesses.
Please take good care of yourself and your loved ones. Stay healthy.
