Healthy Plants. Q&A from Mr Booster: Fertilizing Mango trees in Winter

Q: I'm living in Maryland growing zone 7A and would like some info on when to fertilize my potted mango trees. I ordered your Sunshine Mango Tango 2-2-4. All your mango trees are in pots.

A: You can start using this fertilizer right away, any time of the year, and every time you water your plants.
Sunshine Mango Tango, as well as other Sunshine boosters, is an amino-acid based liquid fertilizer that is scientifically developed for daily plant needs in all necessary nutrients. This means, you may use this fertilizer with every watering, including winter period.
Traditional fertilizers (both granulated and soluble, EDTA-chelated) can only be used during hot months while plants grow actively, and must be limited or not used at all during cooler months, to avoid nutrient lock up in soil (which basically means "building up unused elements"). With Liquid Sunshine Boosters, it is safe to add them every time you water your tree.
During cooler weather and when plant metabolism slows down, a tree will consume less water (as well as food), and you will automatically reduce watering, to keep over-wintering plants on a dry side. This means, less fertilizer too. This allows you to control elements intake naturally, like you control water amount just as much as the plant needs.

Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster

How to keep bugs away naturally?

Q: I started moving my tropical plant collection indoors as it's getting colder... And all of a sudden, I noticed bugs on leaves! I know for sure all my plants were bug-free when I kept the pots outside in my lanai. What happened? And how can I keep them clean and healthy without using any harsh chemicals? I have many edibles and herbs that I use in my cooking and prefer to stay away from insecticides. Any suggestions?

A: It is very common when healthy looking plants, once moved indoors for the winter, get insect infestations. The main reason is change of environment that puts a plant into stress and makes it susceptible to parasites and diseases. Just think about what a plant is missing, a whole combination of necessary conditions that provided a good life:
- Bring light -> light level reduced, so beneficial UV spectrum is gone
- Air circulation -> less wind = more bugs thriving
- Warm temperature -> from upper 80's in summer to 70's in your AC room
- Air humidity -> although humid air is believed to be causing some issues (for example fungus), however, reducing humidity overall puts a plant into stress and makes it more vulnerable.

Many gardener prefer to avoid chemicals, especially when it comes to treating edible plants and indoor collections. The solution to your problems is - Organic Solution!

SUNSHINE NoBug - Natural Plant Protector.
Shampoo for Plants - for both indoors and garden

SUNSHINE NoBug - is a natural solution to keep your plants healthy and bug-free without harsh chemicals. It is great for organic gardening and edibles, eco-safe and non-toxic for humans and pets. It kills, repels and prevents: spider-mites, mealybugs, whiteflies, aphids and many more. No wait time required - spray and play! And it smells like jasmine, forget stinky insecticides!
How does it work? Just look at these ingredients: Kosher Glycerine, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Palm Oil, Oat Protein, Organic Soap, Horticultural Oil, Jasmine Oil, Water. Yum! But bugs hate it - they suffocate in it! This is why your plants will have NO BUGS with NoBug, that's it!

Directions are simple:

- Mix 100 ml (3-4 oz) with 1 qt (32 oz) of water, or 500 ml (16 oz) in 1 gal of water - for larger applications
- Spray foliage to drip point, including underneath leaves.
- Repeat the treatment in 7 days.
- As a preventive care, spray leaves once a month to keep insects away.
- You may use a paper towel saturated with this solution to wipe the leaves and remove residue from insects.
- Store at room temperature.

This poor Pepper plant was tossed into garbage can by a neighbor... it looked hopeless, infested with mealybugs. We saved it with NoBug ! In 2 days it perked up, and after 4 weeks its healthy and fruiting!

What fig trees are good for Florida?

Q: My baby fig tree was sprayed by the lawn people with weed killer :( Any ideas? Also what figs do you have available to grow here in Florida?

A: Unfortunately once a plant is affected by a herbicide, there is not much you can do about it. If you don't rinse the chemical within a few seconds, it gets into the plant internal system and nothing can be done to save the plant. The tree may remain green for a few days up to a week, but then gradually dies back. If your fig tree wasn't rinsed immediately after herbicide spray, it is probably too late.
If you want to replace it with a new one, here is a few suggestions of our favorite fig varieties which are great producers and grow well in Florida heat:

Brown Turkey Fig - our favorite!
Black Mission Fig
Beers Black Fig
Texas Everbearing Fig
Magnolia Fig
LSU Purple Fig
Olympian Fig
Texas Blue Giant Fig
See full list of Fig Trees.

Make sure to get appropriate plant food for your fig tree so it develops faster for you and gets well-established before winter: SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster from Garden Series, or Combo Total Feed Collection - all nutrients in just one bottle, for fruit trees and edibles.