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When people purchase plants and trees either on-line, or from their local nursery, expectation and anticipation for their new find is high. Many times, however, disappointment is encountered due to a variety of reasons. These reasons include changes in light, temperature, water, soil conditions and transportation; just to name a few. So how can the stress on newly transported and transplanted plants be mitigated? Easy! There are plant stimulators able to reduce the shock encountered.

One such plant stimulator is SUNSHINE Epi, a revolutionary, broad spectrum, plant stress reliever, originally developed by innovative Russian scientists. Extracted initially from plant pollen, SUNSHINE Epi can bring back and keep the vigor to stressed plants in both the home and garden. Sunshine is indeed a plant stimulator on the cutting edge of plant care technology. Reasonably priced, and easy to use, Sunshine will be your plants' best friend, next to yourself, of course.

SUNSHINE Epi is a natural plant growth hormone and the first representative of a new generation of agricultural chemicals. It has a broad spectrum of stimulative and protective activities. Synthetically prepared epibrassinolide, active ingredient of SUNSHINE Epi, belongs to a class of brassinosteroids and is identical in all respects to naturally occurring plant hormone.

See also Overview of fertilizers.

The Guava is well known throughout the tropics, many people are familiar with it because of the large number of products made from this aromatic fruit. The plant is well distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics. This is a low growing tree up to 25 feet high and about the same spread. The bark is an attractive reddish brown and peels off revealing smooth gray bark beneath. The large coarse opposite leaves have prominent veins and young wood often is four-angled or winged. Trees flower and fruit throughout most of the year. Flowers are usually white and about an inch across with many stamens. Fruit size and shape is variable - from 2 to 4 inches across, from round to oblong and even pear-shaped. Guavas typically have very thin skins, easily bruised, so they have to be handled carefully when being shipped. In shape, size and other characteristics, the fruits of the numerous varieties are extremely variable. In color, the skin may be greenish white, yellowish, or pink. Flesh color inside ranges from light to dark pink or white with the pink-fleshed varieties having less acid than the white-fleshed. In flavor, varieties range from sweet to tart, all with the characteristic musky flavor and odor of the guava more or less pronounced. Most varieties bear many seeds embedded in the soft pulp of the center, there are a few varieties that are almost seedless.

Upon ripening, the fruit becomes soft and juicy. It may be eaten fresh, made into a juice or nectar contain fruit pulp, or made into preserves, jam, jelly, or paste. A distinctive, savory-fresh aroma of fruit is thermostable, thus survives processing. The guava is an excellent source of vitamins C and A.

Guava is a good tropical fruit tree not fussy on the soil quality, and produces fruit year after year. It is relatively cold hardy. Mature trees freeze at about 29 F, but young plants can be injured by light frost. Tropical Guava should be protected from extreme salt spray. Once established, it withstands drought well, but fruits better when watered on a regular schedule. The trees are rapid growers and start fruiting in 2-3 years from seed, however for specific varieties grafting is necessary as they don't come true from seed. Guavas are fast growers and heavy feeders, and benefit from regular applications of fertilizer.

Guava can make a nice container fruiting specimen, plants start blooming and producing fruit when they are as small as 1 gal pot size. It responds well to pruning and can be kept in compact bushy shape. In fact, Guava is probably the most popular container fruit tree among tropical plant growers.

Using SUNSHINE-Honey increases fruit production, fruit size and quality. On the photo below you can see Guava fruit without (left) and with SUNSHINE-Honey applications.

See Article about Guava Tree.

Plants, like living organisms, require adequate nutrition for grown. The concept of plant nutrition includes the following substances:

Carbon dioxide. In the process of photosynthesis with the participation of chlorophyll, in the leaves of plants from water, carbon dioxide and light, organic compounds are formed that participate in the construction of the organism. This is the main and only significant source of organic matter for plants.

MACRO-elements. The macroelements include inorganic compounds necessary for the vital activity of a living organism. The prefix macro-means a relatively high content of these elements in the composition of plants, respectively, their high demand. The macroelements include: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sodium, potassium, chlorine, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, nitrogen and phosphorus.

Liquid Sunshine Boosters - Mild stable formulas, can be used year-around. Organic acid-based, Sunshine Boosters are perfect for organic gardens, edibles and do not affect crop pure taste. Amino-acid stable formulas have NO EDTA chelators to eliminate nutrients lockup in soil. Pollinating insects friendly. Designed for continuous use, Sunshine Boosters contain no excess salts, maintain soil pH at optimal level (5.5-6.5) and do not require soil flushing or additional pH regulators. They can be use with every watering, year around.

Water-soluble fertilizers - dry (powdered) fertilizers that must be diluted in water before use. EDTA-chelated. Can be used only during hot weather, during active growth season.

Smart release (granulated) fertilizers - Slow-release during 1-3-6-12 month period. EDTA-chelated. Can be used only during hot weather, during active growth season.

MICROelements. Microelements are inorganic compounds involved in the synthesis of enzymes and biologically active substances. The content in a living organism is very low, but they play a vital role in the life of plants. The microelements include: iron, manganese, zinc, copper, boron, molybdenum, cobalt.

ULTRA-microelements. Very small amounts of almost all elements of the periodic table are contained in all organisms. They fall into plants with root nutrition from the soil. The necessity for the life of ultramicroelements is not fully proved. Of more or less necessary are considered: vanadium, iodine, nickel, titanium, aluminum, cadmium, fluorine (for plants).

See full article: The role of elements in plant nutrition.

Fertilizers, or Plant Food, contain macro- and micro-elements, for example:

Macro-elements: Nitrogen (N), Phosphate (P), Potassium (K).

Micro-elements: Boron (B), Molybdenum (Mo), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Zink (Zn), Sulfur (S).

Application: Follow directions on the labels. Do not exceed the recommended dose. Less concentration is always better than overdose. Generally, for tropical plants, dry fertilizers should be used only during the growth period when temperatures are above 65F, and Amino-acid based liquid fertilizers can be used year around.

See also: Plant Growth Hormones

For more information about Sunshine Boosters, see SUNSHINE BOOSTERS PAGE and learn more about Essential Nutrients.