Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 6 Oct 2025

Hot Pepper pickles: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

Hot Pepper pickles with hot and spicy pickles - Biquinho and Wiri Wiri peppers

Hot Pepper pickles with hot and spicy pickles - Biquinho and Wiri Wiri peppers

🍴 Hot Pepper pickles: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

  • 🔴If you like hot and spicy pickles - Biquinho and Wiri Wiri peppers (Capsicum) are perfect for new experiments!
  • 🔴Pickle whole little peppers in vinegar, garlic, Bay leaves (Laurus nobilis) and sugar.
  • 🔴Sweet, tangy, and spicy little bites! Perfect as appetizers, chasers and hot parties! 🔥

Hot Pepper pickles: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

🍲 Ingredients

🔥 Instructions

  • 🔴 Place whole peppers, garlic, and Bay leaves into sterilized jars.
  • 🔴 Boil vinegar with sugar and salt, then pour over the peppers.
  • 🔴 Seal and let cool. Store in the refrigerator for a few days before enjoying.
  • 🔴 Sweet, tangy, and spicy — perfect for appetizers, chasers, and hot parties!

🛒 Invite Biquinho, Wiri Wiri peppers and Bay Leaves to your kitchen

#Food_Forest #Recipes

Plant Facts

Capsicum chinense
Yellow Lantern Chili
USDA Zone: 9-11
Small plant 2-5 ftSemi-shadeFull sunRegular waterWhite, off-white flowersSpice or herb plantIrritating plant
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Date: 21 Mar 2023

How to grow Calathea indoors

Calathea  zebrina  -  Zebra  Plant

In the photo: Calathea zebrina - Zebra Plant

Calathea is a beautiful and popular houseplant known for its unique and colorful foliage. Here are the steps to grow calathea indoors:

1. Choose a suitable location: Calathea plants prefer bright, indirect sunlight, so choose a location near a window with filtered light. Avoid direct sunlight as it can scorch the leaves.
2. Select a pot that is slightly larger than the plant's root ball and has drainage holes. Fill the pot with a well-draining potting mix that is rich in organic matter. Plant at the same depth as it was in its previous pot.
3. Water: Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Use room temperature water and avoid using hard water or water that contains high levels of minerals.
4. Provide humidity: Calathea plants thrive in humid conditions, so provide them with regular misting or place a tray of water near the plant to increase humidity. You can also use a humidifier to maintain optimal humidity levels.
5. Fertilize: Apply Sunshine Boosters liquid fertilizer. It is safe to feed the plant with Rubusta formula with every watering and year around. Feeding plants is especially important in Spring when active growth starts.
6. Prune any yellow or damaged leaves regularly to keep the plant healthy and attractive. Use clean, sharp scissors to make clean cuts.

By following these steps, you can successfully grow a beautiful and healthy Calathea plant and any beautiful container plant indoors.

Calathea  makoyana  -  Peacock  plant

In the photo: Calathea makoyana

Date: 21 Dec 2022

Heat [Cat] Pack for Winter shipping

James  Coconuts  and  Riki  staying  warm  and  cozy

In the photo: James Coconuts and Riki are purrfectly hot People!

Not too warm on the way to your home? No problem! Heat Pack will help your plants to have a safe and warm trip from Top Tropicals to your house.

Heat  pack

Heat Pack maintains warm temperature while shipping, and is good for 20+ hours. It is a must if temperature drops below 40F in your area. Large orders require 2-3 packs. When ordering large 3-7 gal size plants (especially sensitive ultra-tropical plants), you may need 1 pack per plant. Contact us for more information on particular species.

Alternatively, we can include a warm cat!
(subject to limited supply)

Add Heat Pack to your order

Date: 4 Jan 2023

Ten steps to Happy Gardening in 2023

Beginning of the year checklist

Lagerstroemia  flowering  tree  on  crossroads

To assist our customers in creating a happy and enjoyable gardening experience this year, we consulted with our horticulturist to compile a list of ten recommended items. Here are the results...

1. A favorite. Get yourself a favorite small flowering plant that is compact, manageable, and easy. Such as Ground Orchid. Keep it in a pot or plant in the ground by the entryway where it can be seen often and enjoyed.
2. A fruit of your labor. You need at least one (or one more) fruit tree for your garden, or for container culture if you live in colder climate. Growing and especially harvesting tropical fruit will make you happy. The Winner of the last year was Cherry Lolita - an easy, compact fruit tree that can produce almost year around. Some fruit trees will fruit right away!
3. Be exclusive. A rare plant is a must for every gardener. It can be a useful gem such as Noni Tree or an unusual-looking like a Bat Lily - Tacca. Show your friends and neighbors something different they have never seen!
4. Make it cool. Finally plant that shade tree by your driveway. Yes it takes time to grow, but the sooner you plant it, the sooner you get that shade! There are some fast growing species, some only take a couple of years to the mature size.
5. Beauty. If you have an ugly fence or unwanted view in your yard, cover it with a flowering vine. Look at the beauty every day and make your life better. Replace a boring standard hedge with colorful flowering shrubs that will make you smile.
6. Scent. Add some fragrant plants to your landscape and inhale their healing magic.
7. Tropical. For a shady corner, select a showy tropical with lush foliage such as Philodendron or Monstera, or all time favorite Banana. Get a feel of tropics.
8. Happiness of giving. Buy a gift plant for someone you care about but don't know how to thank them. Live plant is the best expression of love and gratitude. If you are unsure what plant to pick, ask our Team or simply buy a Gift Certificate that will never expire - let them chose the plant they like.
9. Food for all. A set of quality liquid fertilizers is a must - try Sunshine Boosters that can be used year around. They will make your plants healthy, strong, fast growing, cold hardy and disease-resistant. You can choose formulas for different plant types from our selection, or simply buy online a Nutrition Kit of 8 bottles that will cover all your needs and save you 50% on fertilizer cost!
10. Share. Subscribe your friend to TopTropicals Newsletter so they can get a weekly Piece of Tropics in their mailbox. Cool Cat Photos come as a bonus!

Sunshine  boosters  Robusta  and  C-Cibus  with  a  bunch  of  bananas

Make sure to always have on hand at least 2 main formulas of Sunshine Boosters - Robusta for vegetative growth, and C-Cibus

Date: 3 Jul 2022

What is your Zodiac Lucky plant?
Plant Horoscope - Cancer (06/22-07/22)

Cancer  lucky  plants

by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...Despite the seemingly hard shell of Cancers, they are extremely tender and easily vulnerable... The full Moon can cause Cancer's unexpected whims and frequent insomnia... But some flowering plants can help them! It is very important for them to grow the so-called lunar flowers - white or light yellow, with a delicate aroma and soft leaves... Continue reading >>

Solandra  maxima  -  Variegated  Butter  Cup