Date: 20 Aug 2020
PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of The Month: Greenhouse King
King continues being on top of the poll... thanks to his adventurous
nature. This Purrrson just loves to travel! He likes driving and biking. How many times we pulled him out of customer's car or delivery truck!
Sure thing, he just did it again, joining contractor's team. Luckily he was noticed hiding in the back of the truck before the driver hit the highway!
ATTENTION VISITORS!
We are reminding you, please check your vehicles for cats before you leave!
On a bright side, King has been very helpful, helping to plant newly
arrived plant shipment from Thailand.
For those of you who has been waiting for rare plants, after a long delay
due to airlines lockdown, we finally got lots of rare stuff and it will be
ready for shipping soon.
Please make sure to add to your wish-list these coming-soon rare plants, this is the only
way we can ensure you will get notified when they are available for sale, on
first come first serve basis.
These are limited quantities, high demand plants!
Don't miss your dream plant! Just click on "Notify me when available" and add your email to waiting list.
Limited quantities - will be ready soon
(planted with King's help)
-
Amherstia nobilis - Pride of Burma
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Artabotrys siamensis - Climbing Ylang-Ylang
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Barringtonia acutangula - Indian Putat
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Barringtonia asiatica - Fish Poison Tree
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Bauhinia aureifolia - Fragrant Gold Leaf Orchid Vine
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Brownea ariza - Rose of Venezuela
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Brownea grandiceps - Scarlet Flame Bean
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Cananga fruticosa - Dwarf Ylang-Ylang
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Couroupita guianensis - Cannonball Tree
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Cyrtostachys lakka - Lipstick Palm, Red Sealing Wax
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Desmos chinensis - Ylang Ylang Shrub
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Dillenia philippinensis - Katmon, Philippines Elephant Apple
- Garcinia mangostana - Mangosteen
- Ixora congesta Thai Flame
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Melodorum fruticosum - Hot Lips Ylang-Ylang
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Monstera variegata Thai Constellation (available now for pick up only)
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Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus
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Posoqueria longiflora - Needle Flower Tree
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Rauwenhoffia, Melodorum siamensis
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Saraca declinata - Red Saraca
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Terminalia catappa - Tropical Almond
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Vallaris glabra - Bread Flower
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Wrightia vietnamensis - Dwarf
TopTropicals PeopleCat Club and Zoo
Thank you for supporting us in helping PeopleCat Community!
Make
your kind donation today and receive a surprise gift from us! Every little
bit helps. Thank you and God bless you and your pets!
Date: 14 Jul 2019
A Cup of Tea Plant
By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist
A: I live in Ave Maria, Florida. I want to try my hand at growing my own tea. Which plant do I need?
A: Most people do not realize they are actually enjoying
camellias when they sip their cup of tea. True tea comes from the Camellia sinensis
plant, an evergreen shrub or small tree.
In the fall and winter, the plant will produce small white flowers with
a lovely fragrance. The foliage is shiny and dark green with a very nice
informal and open look.
Camellia sinensis (or tea plant, as it is commonly known) prefers a
temperature between 65 and 86 degrees, which makes Florida an ideal area to grow
them. However, if you live in colder zones, you can certainly succeed
growing your own tea plants using a greenhouse. Alternatively, you can use
containers which can be brought inside when temperatures start falling. Tea plants
will usually survive a very slight freeze, though the leaves may be damaged or
killed. It will not tolerate a hard freeze. They prefer full sun or light
shade in the garden.
Tea plants will become small trees or large bushes if not pruned.
Hardcore tea growers trim back the shoots repeatedly to a height of around 4 feet
to encourage new growth and to contain the size.
Make sure to pick an area of your landscape where it does not flood or
remain wet during our rainy season. Camellia sinensis does not like wet feet
at all. They prefer well-drained, sandy and slightly acidic soil. If grown in
a container, add some sphagnum moss to the potting mix. They will benefit
from frequent applications of small amounts of fertilizer.
You will need some patience, too. Your plant should be around 3 years old
before you start harvesting leaves.
Recommended fertilizers:
Tropical Greenhouse Plus - Plant Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster
Harvesting recipes
Now that you know how to grow the Tea, you need to check this out: the Harvesting recipes how to harvest and make different kinds of real tea: Green Tea, Japanese Style Green Tea, Oolong Tea, Black Tea, Orthodox Indian Tea... Continue reading...
Date: 17 Apr 2019
Secrets of Happy Bougainvilleas
Q: When I visited Hawaii I saw their everblooming bougainvilles, flowering non-stop! How come our bougainvilles in Florida are not flowering as much? Is there any special secret to make them bloom?
A: Bougainvilleas prefer drier climate and especially drier summers. Florida summers are rainy and humid. The steaming greenhouse conditions are favorable for most tropical plants (except desert plants like most cacti). Bougainvilleas also grow vigorously in Florida heat and frequent rains, but most cultivars prefer dryer conditions for profuse flowering. These are a few tips that can help you grow happy Bougainvilleas and enjoy their showy flowers even in humid climates:
- In Florida, Bougainvilleas bloom mostly in Winter. If you are a
snowbird, this plant is definitely for you!
- Choose sunny, dry, and elevated location for Bougainvilleas, never a
low spot and never a shade spot. Give it as many hours of sun as possible.
- Use only well-draining soil. Usually, sandy soils work well when
mixed with some compost. If your soil is too heavy, add soil conditioners like
perlite, bark, sand.
- Take advantage of cultivars that are well adapted to humid climates:
Dwarf
Everblooming Pixie, Thornless B. arborea.
- Remember Bougainvilleas are the easiest and the most rewarding potted
plants.
- Use bloom boosters along with well-balanced slow release plant food.
We recommend these: Pink-N-Good flower booster and smart-release granulated Tropical Allure.
- Do not overwater and keep the plant on a dry side.
Date: 4 Jun 2024
Iguana attacking!
Iguana attacking! your plants...
Q: I am having a hard time keeping iguanas eating everything! Any solution to keep them out?
Iguanas may become quite a problem in the garden. Our first suggestion would be - get a Duck as we have (Duck Dobi), she is so dominant and keeps any wild animals away from the property, including gators... and cats! They are scared of her! Dobi thinks she owns the place.
Here are a few other ways to control iguana problem in your backyard:
✅ Rid your lawn of dropped fruits. Iguanas love fruit. And they love low-hanging fruit or fruit that's easy to get to. If you have fruit trees, take the time to pick up your yard and dispose of any dropped fruit.
✅ Keep a lid on a garbage can. Put your garbage cans in a place they can't get to, or put a cinder block on your can lid.
✅ Do not leave pet food out. If you're putting a bowl of dog food or a plate of cat food out for your pets, you're inviting iguanas into your yard.
✅ Fill iguana holes. Iguanas like to dig. Wherever you see a hole, fill it. Stuff rocks into the hole first, then fill it with dirt and top it with sod. The iguana may return to dig again, but he won't dig through large rocks.
✅ Do NOT feed the iguanas. Don't be friendly with them, so they won't come back.
✅ Wire netting around plants. You can use wire netting or screens to prevent iguanas from entering plants and shrubs.
✅ Spray them with a hose. When you see an iguana in the yard, spray them with the hose. They also hate loud noises. Constant "harassment" can keep them from returning.
✅ Keep your yard clean. Excessive overgrowth or yard storage are great places for iguanas to hide.
✅ Do not leave food out, unattended. Iguanas are mainly herbivores but that doesn't mean they won't smell something good and want to eat it. They will TRY anything.
Hopefully these tips help keep your iguana problems to a minimum!
#How_to
🏵 TopTropicals
Date: 11 Jun 2024
How to make plants green?
❓ How to make plants green? Give them some Superfood!
🍀 Pale or yellow leaves? Green veins on yellow leaves? How to improve that look? Any special fertilizer?
✅ Leaf chlorosis or in other words "iron deficiency", especially during wet rainy weather - may be not harmful to the plant but bad for the looks.
✅ This deficiency can be corrected with microelement applications - Sunshine Superfood.
✅ Use Sunshine Superfood once a week to correct the iron deficiency that usually goes away within a month.
✅ Then maintain plants health with monthly applications.
✅ It is beneficial to use microelements in combination with regular applications of health boosting fertilizer such as Sunshine Robusta.
🛒 Shop Sunshine Superfood
#Fertilizers #How_to
🏵 TopTropicals