Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
Sesbania flower fritters: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
🔴Dip hummingbird tree flowers (Sesbania grandiflora) in light batter and fry until crisp.- 🔴Delicate, floral, and fun to snack on.
🛒 Add Hummingbird tree edible flowers tree to your garden
📚 Learn more:
- ▫️ Sesbania grandiflora in Plant Encyclopedia
- ▫️Why it's called Hummingbird Tree
- ▫️Bird-looking flowers: you can eat the whole tree
#Food_Forest #Recipes
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Date:
🌿 Bring the Jungle Inside: Winter Survival Guide Part 2: Temperature ❄️
Smokey: "This side is 58 F. Completely unacceptable."
Sunshine: "My side is warm and cozy. Completely acceptable."
Smokey: "How are you always on the better side of physics?"
🌡️ TEMPERATURE: THE TROPICAL DORMANCY LINE
Most tropicals stop growing below 70 to 75 F. They stay green, but their engine shuts down.
Below 70F:
- Water intake drops.
- Roots slow down.
- Fertilizing becomes risky.
- Root root becomes easy.
If you WANT your plants to grow in winter, you must take care of everything: Warmth, light, humidity, water. It all works together.
- Aim for 75 F with bright light. Water lightly. No fertilizer.
- Watch out for drafts. Cold windows. Door blasts. Garage entryways. Even one gust can trigger leaf drop.
- Vents are the opposite problem: hot, dry, dusty air. That gives you crispy edges and mites. Root zone temperature matters just as much as room air. Your thermostat may say 72 F, but your pot on a tile floor may be sitting at 55 F. Fix this by elevating pots on boards or stands. Use Styrofoam. Never keep pots directly on cold tile o windowsill
- Extra winter heat: Space heaters are fine if used smartly. Do not blow hot air directly on plants. Keep heaters away from cords, trays, and water. Oil filled radiators are the safest option for plant rooms.
- Use a humidifier if you want growth or want to prevent spider mites. But do not blow mist directly onto leaves. Always place the unit lower than the plant canopy.
- Grouping helps. Put tropical plants close together to share humidity. Do not mix succulents with humidity lovers.
- Cats and dogs love to knock over lights and stands. Secure your fixtures. Trust us.
- Airflow: Light airflow is healthy. Direct fan blast is not. Still, dry corners invite mites.
- A mild night drop is OK. A big one below 55 F will stop growth completely.
☂️ PLACEMENT: MICROCLIMATES RULE EVERYTHING
Indoors is one big tradeoff: light but cold near windows, warm but dim away from them. The winning combo is a warm room with supplemental light.
Best zones to keep plants in winter:
- South or east windows with additional light
- Warm living spaces
- Bright bathrooms for natural humidity
Worst zones to keep plants in winter:
- Behind curtains
- Directly on windowsills
- Near heaters or vents
- Against cold exterior walls
- Dark corners without supplemental lighting
💨 ACCLIMATION
Moving a plant from outdoors to indoors is a shock. Light drops. Humidity drops. Airflow stops. Soil cools. Even healthy plants may drop some leaves for a few weeks. That is normal.
Before you bring them inside:
- Rinse foliage to remove dust and pests. We recommend Sunshine NoBug - and organic, safe solution.
- Check for ants.
- Trim weak branches.
- Treat soil if fungus gnats are present.
Try to bring plants inside before the first cold front, not after. If you are reading this too late, do the prep now and expect a little leaf drop.
If you nail light and temperature, winter becomes simple. In the next mail-list we will cover watering, fertilizer timing, humidity, and other indoor tricks that keep tropicals happy till spring. Stay tuned.
✔️ WINTER INDOOR FAQ: LIGHT, TEMPERATURE, PLACEMENT
Cat Bob is inspecting his indoor garden around the tub with a bright skylight
✔️ WINTER INDOOR FAQ: LIGHT, TEMPERATURE, PLACEMENT
Q: I am in Home Depot. Which light do I buy?
A: LED shop light, daylight (5000K to 6500K), high lumens. Skip fancy plant
bulbs.
Q: Can I use clamp lamps or floor lamps for plants?
A: Yes. Clamp lamps with a bright daylight LED bulb work great for winter
holding.
Q: How far should the light be from the plant?
A: About 12 to 18 inches above the leaves.
Q: Can I run weak lights for long hours instead of using a
bright one?
A: No. Brightness matters more than duration.
Q: I have a huge window. Why do I still need LEDs?
A: Winter sun is weak, short, and filtered. Plants need intensity.
Q: My window faces north. Now what?
A: North windows are decorative only. Use LEDs.
Q: Why are leaves dropping on the window side?
A: Cold glass. The room is warm but the window surface is much colder.
Q: Why is my plant not growing even though the room feels
warm?
A: Check the soil temperature. Pots on cold tile can be 10 to 20 F colder
than the air.
Q: Can plants sit directly on the floor?
A: Not on cold tile. Elevate on boards, stands, or trays.
Q: Is a cold room OK for tropicals?
A: They survive, but growth stops below about 65 to 70 F.
Q: Can I keep plants near a heater or vent?
A: No. Hot, dry airflow causes crispy leaves and mites.
Q: My plant is dropping leaves after coming indoors.
Why?
A: Normal acclimation to lower light and humidity.
📚 Learn more:
Date:
🌿 Bring the Jungle Inside: Winter Survival Guide Part 1: Lighting ❄️
Smokey: "Winter lighting must be precise. I need this light exactly at 14
inches."
Sunshine: "Sure. I am holding this… little number thing."
Smokey: "It reads humidity. Your main job is to look cute."
🌞 LIGHT, TEMPERATURE, PLACEMENT
Winter indoors is a different kind of battlefield. Dark rooms. Dry air. Cold windows. Random drafts. Weak light. Sad plants. We've been talking about keeping your tropicals alive outdoors previously. But some of you have no choice this time of year. You have to bring the jungle inside.
If that is you, then this is your plant survival guide.
☀️ LIGHT: THE WINTER LIFELINE
Light advice here comes straight from our in-house expert, Michael Dubinovsky, a high-tech lighting engineer with over 30 years of hands-on experience. If he says brightness beats hours, trust him.
Here is the truth: Indoor light in winter is 10 to 50 times weaker than outdoors. Short days. Low-angle sun. Windows filtering half the useful light. It all adds up.
Tropicals need 10 to 12 hours of real brightness. Winter sun cannot do that on its own. Not even in a big window. So we help them.
Use bright LED shop lights or utility lights. 5000K to 6500K CCT. High lumen output. Skip decorative bulbs. Skip purple grow fancy toy lights. If you want a single plant light, even a clamp lamp is fine if you screw in a bright daylight LED bulb.
Panels work best for plant clusters. Bars for shelves. Bulbs for single plants. And grouping plants under one bright panel always beats spreading them out.
Distance matters: keep LEDs about 12 to 18 inches above the leaves. Too close: leaf burn. Too far: stretching, weak stems.
Leaves reaching up? Light is too high or too weak. Leaves curling down? Light is too close.
If you want a reality check, download any smartphone lux meter app. Most indoor corners are 50 to 200 lux without supplemental light. Tropicals want much more
And a quick tip about windows: winter sun comes in sideways. A spot that looks bright at noon can go dull by 2 PM. Don't count of window light
Bright light or long hours
People try to fix weak light by running it for 16 or 18 hours. That does not work. Plants care more about light intensity. A few hours of strong light beats all-day dim light. If the light is weak, adding more hours will not change anything except your electric bill.
Simple rule: Short duration but bright is always better than long duration but weak. - by Michael, Top Tropicals lighting expert
No need for fancy horticultural panels
You do not need purple grow lights. You do not need special horticultural fixtures. You do not need expensive panels unless you want real winter growth.
For winter plant holding till spring, the inexpensive solution works great:
- Bright LED daylight bulbs (5000K to 6500K) from hardware store
- High lumen output
- Inexpensive clamp lamps
- Aim directly at the plant from 12 to 18 inches
This setup keeps tropicals happy until spring without buying anything fancy. Save the money for soil, pots, or your next plant.
Indoor plant lighting safety note:
- Use timers. Keep cords dry. Do not overload outlets.
- Do not hang lights over humidifiers.
- And do not put fixtures on piles of books to raise them. People do this.
📚 Learn more:
What Timo hides in the bathroom
🐈📸 Cat Timo is a big fan of tropical plants. He guards them in the bathroom with a big skylight - lots of light and Green Magic - that's the key to his green thumb secret!
TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden
#PeopleCats
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What Avocado is better - Mexican or Guatemalan?
Avocados come from three main regions, and each group has its own special look, taste, and growing habits. The three types are Mexican, Guatemalan, and West Indian. Many of today’s popular varieties are hybrids, mixing traits from these types.
Mexican type:
Guatemalan type:
West Indian type:
These avocados are small, with thin skin and rich flavor. The skin often turns dark green or black when ripe. The flesh is very buttery, with high oil content (up to 30%), and the leaves smell like anise. Mexican types are also the most cold-hardy, so they do well in cooler areas.
Popular Mexican avocado varieties: Anise, Bacon, Brazos Belle (Wilma), Brogdon (Brogden), Fantastic, Florida Hass (Haas), Lila (Opal), Mexicola, Mexicola Grande, Ulala (Oh La La, Super Hass).
Hybrids Mexican x Guatemalan: Winter Mexican, Buck, Wurtz (True Dwarf), Maria Black, Fuerte, Hall, Ettinger, Thomson Red.
These are medium to large avocados with thicker, sometimes bumpy skin. They have a creamy texture and rich flavor with plenty of healthy fats. The fruit is usually pear-shaped and ripens in winter or spring. Guatemalan types are commonly grown in both Florida and California.
Popular Guatemalan avocado varieties: Black Prince, Booth 8, Joey, Nishikawa, Reed, Tonnage, Yamagata
Hybrids Mexican x Guatemalan: Winter Mexican, Buck, Wurtz (True Dwarf), Maria Black, Fuerte, Hall, Ettinger, Thomson Red
Hybrids of West Iundian and Guatemalan: Beta, Catalina, Choquette, Day, Hardee Red, Kampong (Sushi), Loretta, Lula, Marcus Pumpkin, Miguel, Monroe, Oro Negro.
These avocados are the biggest, with smooth, shiny green skin and a lighter, more watery taste. They have less oil but lots of pulp, perfect for salads and guacamole. The fruit can weigh up to 2 pounds! They grow best in tropical climates like Florida, the Caribbean, and the Bahamas, but not in California.
West Indian avocado varieties: Bernecker, Donnie (Doni), Hialeah Red, Pollock, Poncho (Pancho), Red Russell, Russell, Simmonds, Waldin.
Florida originated varieties: Catalina, Hardee Red.
Hybrids of West Iundian and Guatemalan: Beta, Catalina, Choquette, Day, Hardee Red, Kampong (Sushi), Loretta, Lula, Marcus Pumpkin, Miguel, Monroe, Oro Negro.
✍️ In short:
- ✦ Mexican - small, rich, cold-hardy
- ✦ Guatemalan - medium, creamy, thick skin
- ✦ West Indian - large, smooth, tropical
✔️ Check outAvocado Variety Guide interactive chart. Sort them by flower type A or B, tree habit, fruit shape and quality, cold hardiness, origin, season and more!
🛒 Explore Avocado varieties
📖 Our Book: Avocado Variety Guide, Snack or Guacamole?
- ·
📚Learn more:
- · Avocado Variety Guide
- · Posts about #Avocado
- · Avocado tree in plant encyclopedia
#Food_Forest #Avocado #How_to
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Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals
🐈📸 Cat Charlie - she climbs fence poles, supervises the garden center, and wins hearts from above at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden
#PeopleCats
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SOS!
Magnolia champaca, the Joy Perfume Tree
- ✔️ Magnolia champaca, the Joy Perfume Tree, can look a little rough in Winter through early Spring. The leaves may yellow, drop, and make the whole tree look tired. Many gardeners think something went wrong, but this is completely normal. Champaka is semi-deciduous, which means it sheds leaves for a short period during cooler months, even in warm climates.
- ✔️ This is also the time when the tree sets its seeds for spring. As long as you keep your regular watering routine and don’t overreact with extra fertilizer or pruning, the tree rebounds in Spring. Within a few weeks it pushes fresh new foliage and starts blooming again, filling the air with that unmistakable sweet fragrance.
- ✔️ Champaka isn’t declining - it’s just taking a winter nap!
🛒 We always have them for you: Joy Perfume Champaka trees
📚 Learn more:
- 🟡Which Champaka tree is better - White or Golden?
- 🟡Golden and White Champaka side-by-side
- 🟡What does Joy Perfume flower smell like?
- 🟡What does a mature Champaka Tree look like? Practical Growing Guide
- 🟡How to grow Magnolia champaca and get some Joy
- 🟡When does Champaka tree start blooming?
- 🟡Why Champaka is such a popular perfume tree
- 🟡Flower of the most expensive perfume
- 🟡White Champaka
- 🟡Article about Champaka
📱
#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Trees
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Soursop freezer whip: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
Soursop freezer whip
Guanabana, Soursop (Annona muricata)
- 🔵Blend frozen soursop (Annona muricata) pulp with a splash of coconut milk.
- 🔵Freeze 15 minutes, then stir for a soft, slushy whip.
- 🔵Perfect for a hot day, this whip is instantly refreshing and cooling, like a little tropical breeze in a bowl.
- 🔵And on a cold winter day? It still tastes amazing - like a quick escape to the tropics!
🛒 Grow your own delicious Guanabana Soursop
📚 Learn more:
- ▫️Annona muricata in Plant Encyclopedia
- ▫️Guanabana - Soursop fruiting in apartment
- ▫️The most delicious Annona fruit: Guanabana
#Food_Forest #Recipes
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Cluck like a chicken before you roar like a lion - sound on!
Cats Cash and Bob
"Sometimes you gotta cluck like a chicken before you roar like a lion."
- Albert Einstein, "Play is the highest form of research'
🐈📸 Cash and Bob cat circus at TopTropicals / PeopleCats.Garden
#PeopleCats #Quotes
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Can Poinsettia grow for years? 5 most common mistakes with new container plants
Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima tree
Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima colorful leaves
Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima in a pot
Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima bush
You buy a beautiful plant from a big garden center, or maybe you received one as a holiday gift. It looks perfect - lush, bushy, colorful, spotless. But a few weeks later… what happened? It is dropping leaves, getting leggy, or simply dying. Think about poinsettias after Christmas - most end up in the trash like annuals. But poinsettias are actually perennial shrubs that live for many years in their native environment!
So what went wrong? Here are simple ways to avoid these disappointments and keep your new plants as happy as they were in the greenhouse - and even help them grow bigger and nicer for a long time.
- ❌ Do not put a plant directly into hot, bright sun.
Most nursery plants are grown in filtered light under shade cloth, and sudden full sun can burn the leaves.
✅ Move sun-loving plants gradually into full sun.
- ❌ Do not rely on the original container.
Holiday and gift plants often come in decorative pots that have issues:
- no drainage holes
- glazed or heavy plastic that traps moisture and causes root rot
- dry, porous terra cotta that loses moisture too fast
- cone-shaped pots that hold water and create waterlogging
- pots that are simply too big or too small for the root system
✅ Use simple black nursery pots with straight sides.
They:
- hold moisture at the right level
- are made of safe professional-grade plastic
- make it easy to remove the root ball when stepping up
For a fancy display, place the black pot inside a decorative planter. It will also act as a saucer to collect excess water - no stress, no mess.
- ❌ Do not skip checking the soil. Even plants from professional growers can hide surprises:
- the plant may be buried too deep. Large nurseries sometimes add extra soil on top to make the pot look full, but burying the stem can kill the plant in days.
- soil type on top may be wrong. They may pack peat moss or sphagnum on top to keep stems tight for display.
- the entire soil media might be temporary. Many orchids in stores, for example, sit in glazed pots stuffed with soggy sphagnum - not how orchids should grow.
✅ Take the plant out of the pot and inspect the roots and soil.
Remove excess peat or sphagnum. Use a quality, well-drained mix like Abundance and repot into a container that matches the root size or is just slightly larger.
- ❌ Do not forget fertilizer.
Your plant came from a professional nursery where it likely received constant feeding through a liquid injection system - almost like being on life support. Once removed, it can decline within weeks.
✅ Put your plant on a regular fertilizer schedule.
When repotting, mix in Green Magic controlled-release fertilizer and refresh it every 6 months. Simple and easy! You can also apply liquid Sunshine Boosters - safe to use with each watering.
❌ Do not ignore individual plant needs.
✅ Take a moment to ask what the plant prefers and what to avoid, when buying from a nursery where you can talk to a grower, like Top Tropicals. The grower knows exactly how it was grown and what it likes. Getting a plant is like adopting a baby - knowing its habits makes all the difference!
🛒 Select plants for containers
#How_to #Container_Garden
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