Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 21 Jun 2025

A single soul inhabiting two bodies

Philemon and Sushi the cats at PeopleCats.Garden

Philemon and Sushi the cats at PeopleCats.Garden

➕ A single soul inhabiting two bodies

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." - Aristotle

🐈📸 Philemon and Sushi at PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats #Quotes

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Date: 21 Jun 2025

What avocado can you eat with the skin? Cold hardy Avocado Joey

Avocado Joey

What avocado you can eat with the skin? Cold hardy Avocado Joey
  • 🟢Prime picks for serious gardeners! Cold-hardy, creamy, and compact - Joey is a must-have for growers in cooler zones!
  • 🟢Joey avocado is a cold-hardy, Type  B avocado with creamy, nutty flavor and purple-black skin. The fruit has smooth, thin, purple-black skin and rich, buttery, somewhat sweet flesh with a nutty flavor - perfect for slicing. The skin is so thin - you can eat it with skin!
  • 🟢Discovered by Joey Ricers in Uvalde, Texas, Joey is a compact egg-shaped avocado that thrives even in cooler climates (surviving the teens to 20s F) and ripens from August to October. It survived temperatures around 10F near San Antonio, Texas (Zone 8b). Once established, the tree can take temperatures down to 15F for short period of time without significant damage.
  • 🟢Growing into a dense, upright tree reaching 10-25 ft, it's self-pollinating but pairs well with a Type  A variety to boost yield
  • 🟢Heavy bearer, Joey is a top choice for cooler subtropical regions and container gardens alike.


🛒  Shop Cold Hardy Avocados

📚Learn more:

#Food_Forest #Avocado

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Date: 21 Jun 2025

Flowers never seen before: Adenium Rainbow, Part 2

Adenium Rainbow, Part 2

Adenium Rainbow, Part 2 🌈

Continued from the previous post ⤴️

📚 More about #Adenium

🛒 Shop Adenium colors and hybrids

#Container_Garden #How_to #Shade_Garden #Adenium

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Date: 20 Jun 2025

Tomorrow is another day

Bobby the Dog at PeopleCats.Garden

Bobby the Dog at PeopleCats.Garden

🐶 Tomorrow is another day

"After all, tomorrow is another day." - Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind

🐈📸 Bobby the Dog at PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats #Quotes

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Date: 20 Jun 2025

Ten common greenhouse mistakes and how to avoid them

Greenhouse with tropical plants

Greenhouse with tropical plants

🏠 Ten common greenhouse mistakes and how to avoid them
  • 1. Overwatering

    • It's easy to overwater in a controlled environment. Many greenhouse plants need less water than you think. Overwatering can lead to root rot, yellowing leaves, and fungal issues. Monitor soil moisture regularly and adjust watering based on the plant type, season, and current weather conditions.
  • 2. Not enough light

    • Don’t block too much light - plants need full-spectrum light to thrive. Most greenhouse plants require as much light as possible to ensure healthy, vigorous growth. Lack of light causes leggy, weak plants and increases the risk of disease, pests, and fungal problems.
  • 3. Too much of sun and heat

    • Greenhouses with plastic covers can trap intense heat, and during sunny afternoons, plants may get “cooked”. Direct sunlight can quickly overheat and damage foliage. Use shade cloth during the hottest months or to protect light-sensitive plants and prevent heat stress.
  • 4. Overcrowding plants

    • Packing in too many plants reduces airflow, creating ideal conditions for disease and pest outbreaks. Give each plant enough space to breathe, grow, and receive light. Proper spacing also makes pest control and maintenance easier.
  • 5. Poor ventilation

    • Lack of airflow leads to overheating, humidity buildup, fungal disease, and weak growth. Use fans, roof vents, or roll-up sides to improve circulation and maintain healthy growing conditions.
  • 6. Skipping pest inspections

    • Greenhouses can trap pests in an ideal environment. Check plants regularly for aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, and fungus. Use systemic insecticides or organic treatments like neem oil at the first sign of trouble.
  • 7. No consistent schedule

    • Inconsistent watering, feeding, and lighting can stress your plants and reduce productivity. Set a simple routine, and monitor conditions daily - even a quick walkthrough helps catch problems early.
  • 8. Neglecting temperature and humidity control

    • Temperature and humidity can fluctuate dramatically between day and night. Use a thermometer (preferably with max/min memory) and a hygrometer to track conditions. Install heaters, shade cloth, misting systems, or dehumidifiers as needed.
    Modern WiFi-based sensors that monitor temperature and humidity 24/7 are convenient tools - you can keep tabs on your greenhouse right from your smartphone.
  • 9. Recycling old soil

    • Avoid reusing soil from plants that died, as it may harbor root diseases or pests. Always use fresh, high-quality soil for new plantings. Don't cut corners - healthy soil is key to healthy plants.
  • 10. Dirty tools, containers, and covers

Reusing dirty pots or tools spreads disease. Clean and disinfect containers, trays, and tools regularly. Use a diluted bleach solution to clean clear plastic or ground covers if they show mold or algae buildup.

#How_to

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Date: 20 Jun 2025

Adenium Rainbow, Part 1

Adenium varieties

Adenium Rainbow, Part 1 🌈
  • 🌸 Our Desert roses at Top Tropicals - Adeniums - were planted in March - and the first video posted in April.

    • Now, in June, they have more and more blooms! We are sharing these amazing colors with you.
    To be continued, check back soon!⤵️
  • 🌸 Check out the varieties still in stock and grab yours before they’re gone. Some are already sold out, but you still have a chance to score amazing blooms!
  • 🌸 Why Collect Adeniums?

· Easy to grow indoors or out
  • · Thrive in sun, shade, and low humidity
  • · Drought-tolerant, low maintenance
  • · Not picky about soil
  • · Stunning blooms and unique caudex shapes

  • 🌸 How Many Varieties Exist?

· Over 200 hybrids at Top Tropicals
  • · 100+ varieties in stock now
  • · From doubles to red, purple, yellow, striped, dotted, rainbow, even black flowers - you'll want them all!


🌸 How to Grow a Big, Swollen Caudex - a simple trick with big results:
Each time you repot, raise the plant slightly to expose more of the upper roots. This encourages new root growth downward and helps form a thicker, more dramatic caudex.
  • · Use a well-draining mix
  • · Water only when dry - Adeniums love dry conditions
  • · Feed with Sunshine Megaflor Booster that supports both caudex and blooms
  • · Grow best in filtered bright light


📚 More about Adeniums:

🛒 Shop Adenium colors and hybrids

#Container_Garden #How_to #Shade_Garden #Adenium

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Date: 19 Jun 2025

Find it yourself

Sushi the Cat finding her sushi dinner in refrigerator

Sushi the Cat finding her sushi dinner in refrigerator

🍴 Find it yourself

"To find yourself, think for yourself." - Socrates

🐈📸 Sushi the Cat finding her sushi dinner at PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats #Quotes

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Date: 19 Jun 2025

Valencia Pride mango - a stunning shade tree with red-blushed, fiberless, honeyed fruit

Valencia Pride mango

Valencia Pride mango - a stunning shade tree with red-blushed, fiberless, honeyed fruit.
Mango Rainbow🌈

Valencia Pride is a vigorous Florida heirloom - a Haden seedling from 1941, famed for its large, oblong-sigmoid fruit with yellow skin and crimson blush. The nearly fiberless, firm flesh is juicy and flavorful, offering sweet-tart notes of honey, coconut, and stone fruit . The tree grows tall and open, making it ideal for shade in zones 9-11, and is moderately cold-hardy with good disease resistance. It ripens mid- to late summer (July-August in Florida) and produces reliably once established.

🛒 Shop Mango varieties

📚 Previous posts: #Mango_Rainbow - varieties you should try

#Food_Forest #Mango #Mango_Rainbow

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Date: 19 Jun 2025

One look and youre hooked: Macaranga!

Macaranga grandifolia - Elephant Ear Tree

One look and you're hooked: Macaranga! 🐸
  • 🐘 These leaves are bigger than your head!

    • Macaranga grandifolia – the Elephant Ear Tree - came from Hawaii. It has leaves so huge, they look like elephant ears or jungle umbrellas! Each one can grow over a foot wide, with a glossy, rounded shape that's pure eye candy.
  • 🐘 Macaranga is easy to grow - perfect for a frost-free garden or in a big pot.
  • 🐘 Macaranga is a real conversation starter. It looks like something straight out of a rainforest dream. Big, bold, and totally tropical! Fast-growing, it brings that lush, exotic vibe instantly to your garden.
  • 🐘 Hard to find, super cool, and ridiculously showy - you’ll want this beauty front and center. Once you see it, you have to have it!


🛒 Get your giant leaves - Elephant Ear from Hawaii

#Nature_Wonders #Trees

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Date: 19 Jun 2025

♥️ Best Mementos of Fathers Day Event

Father's Day Event at Top Tropicals, Cat at checkout

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our Father's Day Plant Market! Your TopTropicals Team works hard in the field and is always happy to help with your garden needs, plant selection, delivery, and installation. Our friendly PeopleCats are always hard at work, guiding guests through the garden as they picked out the perfect plants to brighten their spaces.

See also on Facebook: Reels of the event and Video of Hand Pan Lady Performance at Top Tropicals 6-14-2025.

See more event photos

Father's Day Event at Top Tropicals, Happy Customer

Hand Pan Lady playing music at Top Tropicals Fathers Day Plant Market

Hand Pan Lady Performance at our Garden Center - see a short video of her wonderful music.

Hand Pan Lady Music Video

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