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Index > Garden Blog

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New Video:
Shaping your Mango Trees

by Ed Jones, the Mango Guy (and the Boosters Guy)

Learn how to shape your mango trees using a technique known as tipping. Tipping your mangos will help to develop more branches and will give the tree more places to flower and produce fruit.

WATCH NEW VIDEO >>

See more by Ed Jones:
How to prune mango trees for best shape and production

...Why should you prune your mango trees? There are at least 3 reasons.

  1. A good foundation is the key to strong growth and a shapely tree.
  2. If you get your mango tree started off on the right foot with a strong foundation, it becomes much easier to keep it shaped nicely.
  3. It will be forced to produce more branches allowing for more places for fruit production.

    CONTINUE READING >>

    Stay updated with TopTropicals Videos by subscribing to our channel at YouTube.com/TopTropicals and get our latest video news of what is fruiting and blooming!

    WATCH NEW VIDEO >>

    See all available mango varieties from our store.

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Season star:
The Purple Tango of Hypnotizing Jacaranda

by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...Hypnotizing bluish-purple, trumpet-like flowers create the magical image of the tree. Incredible, long-lasting purple blooms in spring give way to rich, yellow hues in the fall, making the Jacaranda Tree a season-to-season star that stands out. Fern-like foliage lends volume to its bold, dramatic silhouette for a landscape look unlike any other. When the trumpet-shaped blooms finally fall, they form a lilac carpet beneath the awe-inspiring Jacaranda for luxuriant curb appeal...

CONTINUE READING >>

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Top Tropicals Top House Plants

Photo above: Clerodendrum indoor garden of Ludmila Ezhova, St Petersburg, Russia.

Enjoy the Tropics Year round!
Bring them inside...

Q: I just discovered your amazing website and spent hours browsing your beautiful tropical plants! I wish I could have them all! But it's getting cold here (I live in Chicago area), too late? Can you recommend something of a small size, colorful, that I can easily overwinter indoors? Thanks for bringing this beauty into our lives!

A: Don't get discouraged even in colder climates. Yes, you can grow tropical plants indoors! Remember that all traditional houseplants are in fact tropical plants that grow in tropics in a wild habitat. Humans didn't invent them as indoor plants, they originally collected them from the rain forests and jungles! Most of tropical plants, including trees and fruit trees, can be grown in containers and even indoors. It's just a matter of space limitations and amount of time you are willing to spend caring of your exotic babies. Many gardeners up North are very successful with their tropical plant collections.
Below are a few suggestions of compact growing, easy species for your indoor collection. Enjoy the Tropics Year round!

See more plants well-suitable for indoor culture and our specials at the end of this newsletter.

Photo above: small tropical indoor garden of Julia Nikolayeva, St Petersburg, Russia.

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Edible Landscape: fruit bearing hedge

Photo above: Biquinho Pepper (2 months old plant)

Q: My mom had to remove a hedge for some renovations and after being heartbroken about losing my little bird haven, I've decided to plan on a fruit bearing hedge that offers some privacy and places for the little fledgling to wait for food. Any suggestions? I was thinking blueberries or citrus but open to any ideas.

A: Below are a few suggestions for a fruit bearing hedge planted with fast-growing, tropical species. They will contribute to a nice edible landscape for both your family and the birds - they will be very happy!

Larger size hedge (small trees), grows full-size within 1 season:
- Loquats
- Dwarf Mulberries (very cold hardy too) such as Dwarf Everbearing

Medium size hedge (shrubs or vines), 2-3 seasons to grow full size:
- Black Surinam Cherry Lolita
- Blackberries and raspberries

Low hedge (4-5 ft tall, 1 season, fast growing):
- Biquinho Pepper
- Wiri Wiri Pepper

Citrus is probably not a good idea, not bird's favorite, and blueberries require a special acidic soil here in Florida, so they will need extra maintenance, special soil, and heavy mulching.

Blackberry hedge

Surinam Cherry Lolita, 2 year old plant

Loquat (5 years old bushy specimen)

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A Native Virgin - Sweetbay Vanilla Magnolia
(Magnolia virginiana)

by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...Fossilized specimens one of Magnolias have been found dating to 20 million years ago. Magnolia virginiana as a true American pioneer - it was the first magnolia to be scientifically described, and is the type species of the genus Magnolia; as Magnolia is also the type genus of all flowering plants (magnoliophytes), this species in a sense typifies all flowering plants...
...The flowers carry a very strong vanilla scent that can sometimes be noticed several hundred yards away! Fresh off the tree, the flavor of leaves is unique and fun to use. If you have a Florida Sweet Bay, your cooking will have flavors folks outside Florida can never hope to duplicate. It likes moist soils, so if you have a wet spot on your land - plant this tree. The lifespan of individual trees has been estimated at 130 years! No bugs, no pests!..

CONTINUE READING >>

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Mango Talk: How to prune mango trees for best shape and production

by Ed Jones, the Booster Guy

...Why should you prune your mango trees? There are a few reasons.
First, a good foundation is the key to strong growth and a shapely tree.
Second, if you get your mango tree started off on the right foot with a strong foundation, it becomes much easier to keep it shaped nicely.
And third - it will be forced to produce more branches allowing for more places for fruit production...

...We received our Mango tree in late February of 2020 as a relatively small plant in 3 gal pot...
...The opening photo was taken just last week and you can see that as she grows, her shape is very nice...
...She is now about 7' tall and just as wide. She has a great foundation and a lot of branches. We also have less grass to mow. She also got her very own marker painted on a brick:

...We have also enlarged the circle of mulched area under the tree to allow it to be able to get nutrients from it's SUNSHINE Boosters Mango Tango without having to compete with the grass. This is one mistake that I see frequently in my neighborhood with all trees...

CONTINUE READING >>

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Hibiscus: TopTropicals' first plant

- September 2001 @ TopTropicals -

Q: I wonder how you started your plant business and what was your first plant?

A: It was 20 years ago this month that we started Top Tropicals Project. No idea where it was going or how to even get "there", just started with the idea of sharing these wonderful creatures we call plants with anyone and everyone who felt the same way.

Believe it or not, the first plant at TopTropicals was a hibiscus. Right before we opened our plant nursery in Florida, we ran into a place called Winn Soldani's FANCY HIBISCUS. The variety of colors inspired us to start our own tropical plant business. We asked the owner Winn Soldani: what plants do you suggest us to grow in Florida? His answer was, "Your plant will find you". Very soon we discovered jasmines, then perfume trees and fruit trees - all those became our specialty. Then very quickly TopTropicals.com turned into a large Plant Mall where you can find every tropical plant you can think of!
But at TopTropicals we still grow hibiscus!

- September 2004 @ TopTropicals -

Hibiscus Plus

Hibiscus is a wonderful plant, considering there are thousands of hybrids with color palettes you can only imagine. Especially interesting are those rare and useful species, yet very easy to grow, such as:
- Salad Hibiscus - Hibiscus furcellatus - yes, used in salads
- Coral Hibiscus with crazy pendant flowers - Hibiscus schizopetalus
- African Cranberry hibiscus that is used for making teas and salads - Hibiscus acetocella
- Cotton Candy Hibiscus mutabilis - the flower changes color, opens as white and turns into bright pink within 3 days, like Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow

Photo above: Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy

Care of Hibiscus and other flowering tropicals

"If your plant isn't flowering, feed it."
- Winn Soldani, Fancy Hibiscus -

Among gardeners, Hibiscus plants have a reputation to have couple maintenance issues:

  1. they can get bugsy (because they must be so tasty!)
  2. they can get leggy, especially fancy grafted cultivars, and after a while they don't look as perfect as when they came from a nursery.

    4 tips for healthy and pretty hibiscus plant

    1. Full sun. Essential for profuse flowering and keeps away diseases.

  3. Pruning. Keep it pruned and it will get bushy and produce more blooms.
  4. Well-drained soil. Hibiscus likes regular watering but hates wet feet.
  5. Nutrition program. Hibiscus plants are heavy feeders. But keep in mind that if you just keep pushing granulated plant food, you can over-fertilize the plant. Excessive salts will accumulate in soil and you will end up with a sickly looking plant.

    Keys to balanced plant food and bloom booster

    1) Use liquid fertilizer, preferably amino acid based, it won't create nutrients lock up

  6. Fertilize on regular basis, it's better dilute concentration and add food with every watering
  7. Always add micro-elements - they are essential for plant health

    If you do this part right, the result will be:


- healthy, green plants, like they just came from a nursery
- reliable blooming circle
- better cold tolerance and disease resistance. Remember that a strong plant will be less stressed and less "bugged" by bugs!

We always suggest Sunshine Boosters - scientifically balanced liquid fertilizers that are amino acid based = they are natural and organic, can be used for both flowers and edibles, and what's most important - year around. They are safe to use virtually with every watering.

This is all you need for healthy plants and lots of flowers!

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Tropical Fruit Collections

September is a great month to plant. The soil is warm and the air is beginning to get cooler which helps to encourage new roots to grow. For much of the Country, September typically brings more opportunity for additional rain and moisture, allowing you to water less. Take advantage of this time of year to establish new plants in your gardens!

Tropical Fruit Starter Collection

Tropical Fruit Starter Collection - 4 plants for price of 2.
Tropical Fruit Starter set for half price! Rare tropical fruit trees that are easy to grow even for beginners. Start today to get fruit of your labor tomorrow! The Collection includes 1 of each: Fig, Banana, Mulberry, and Pomegranate.
Ficus carica - Fig Brown Turkey
Musa - Banana Double Mahoi
Morus sp. - Mulberry, Dwarf Everbearing
Punica granatum - Pomegranate var. Eversweet

Super Foods Bundle

Super Foods Bundle Collection - 4 plants for price of 2
Super Foods Bundle for half price! Get health foods right from your backyard. Start today to get healthy tomorrow! The Collection includes 1 of each: Goji Berry, Spice Ginger, Pomegranate, Tropical Asparagus (Katuk).
Lycium barbarum - Goji Berry
Zingiber officinale - Spice Ginger
Punica granatum - Pomegranate var. Eversweet
Sauropus androgynus - Katuk, Tropical Asparagus

Rare Fruit Collection

Rare Fruit Collection - 4 rare plants for half price.
Rare Fruit Set for Real Collectors - for half price! Hard to find, much wanted species all at once at low cost! Limited time offer. The Collection includes 1 of each: Chocolate Tree, Vietnamese Pepper, Peanut Butter Tree, Jackfruit.
Theobroma cacao - Chocolate tree
Piper sarmentosum - Vietnamese Pepper, Lalot
Bunchosia argentea - Peanut Butter Tree
Artocarpus heterophyllus - Jackfruit Super Thai

Date:

Plants and Trips...

Where are all the tropicals?

By Kristi, the Florida girl...

...Jamie and I recently took our first real vacation in four years! Yep, that's right, we packed our bags and loaded the Challenger for a two-day drive from Florida to New Hampshire. I know what you are asking "Are you crazy? That's a long drive!" Yes, yes, it is a long drive. One this Florida born and raised girl didn't realize would be as long as it was...

...As we got into the driving, the world as I knew it began to change. All of a sudden, the roads started twisting and turning. The streets were no longer palm tree lined but in their place were huge jetting rocks and cliffs. I was like a kid at Disney! I have never seen anything like this, there were Christmas trees growing out of the ground! Right up out of the ground!..

CONTINUE READING

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Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster - Mango Talk

Today we are introducing a new column - Mango Talk! Everybody loves Mango - the most delicious fruit in the world. Fruit experts like to talk about varieties, how to grow a Mango tree better, and the fruit bigger and sweeter. And beginners want to know more! What variety to get? How to take care of it? How to get more fruit sooner than later?
This easy-read blog from Ed Jones is about the first steps - what to do when you get your first Mango tree...
In our future publications, you will hear from Mango experts and have a tour on Mango varieties...

Fertilize your Mango trees

By Ed Jones, the Booster Guy

Ok, you finally did it. You bought your first mango tree. Now what? Well, you have to love it and feed it and trim it and love it some more. But today, lets talk about how to fertilize your mango tree. The photo above shows some very small grafted mango trees. This is probably how yours will look when you bring them home or have them delivered....

CONTINUE READING >>

The photo above is of the two trees at the beginning of this blog after just under 10 months of TLC.