Ryan's Chocolate Tree Grow

They came today !



It was disappointing they didn't actually send me a cacao pod. These seeds are very fragile, once they become dry they perish.

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I feel confident they will grow. They where packed in a zip lock bag full of wet peat. They all seem to have started a tap root so that's a good sign. It was a long trip from Hawaii so even though i wanted them ungerminated it is understandable.

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Beer pong anyone

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thats pretty cool. how long do they take to grow?

I spent last winter in Costa Rica in a little shack in the jungle. It was surrounded by Cacao trees, and the fruit is delicious freshly picked. It really isn't much of a "fruit" just some sweet and sour fiber that surrounds the seeds within the pod. They ferment, roast, and grind the seeds to make chocolate. The chocolate they make there is incredible. I brought some seeds back, but they got mold and didn't germinate. Where are you growing them? I have been told that they are too delicate to grow here in South Florida.

I'm in the south as well. I plan to container grow them so I can bring them in when it gets to cold. I should be able to keep them short by lst for a few years. If I still want them when they get to big I may build a terrarium. I just want the challange

Is it a chocolate tree or a bush? for leaves?

It is a small tree/plant 15-20 feet. If I train them in to widening spiral I should be fine. I will keep 2 unaltered just in case I mess up bending. They can be grown in a pot in non tropical climates because they do not need a lot light. From what I read, they are lower canopy plants only receiving whatever light the tall trees let through. The most important thing is to always keep the climate humid and above 60 F

Please keep us posted. I would like to see how this turns out. Next time I go to Central America I plan to bring a whole pod back so that I can make the attempt also.

I mean are you harvesting the leafs?

Its a fruit and you process the seeds to get coco powder. I wont get much but im just doing it for fun. when around 2 years old 3 plants should be able to make 1 lb of chocolate per season.

I grew some for two years before they died. No idea what happened. Good luck with em man.

t2skills said:

Is it a chocolate tree or a bush? for leaves?

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i think everyone thinks you are growing a coke plant, as in cocoa, and not a chocolate tree or w/e, hence all the ?;s about the leaves ryan..

chocolate still sounds like it would be a cool grow, i'm a chocoaholic..

racerboy71 said:

i think everyone thinks you are growing a coke plant, as in cocoa, and not a chocolate tree or w/e, hence all the ?;s about the leaves ryan..

chocolate still sounds like it would be a cool grow, i'm a chocoaholic..

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well the thread title say chocolate tree so...

the temps in my green house are chillen at 80-85 so they should sprout with the quickness

RyanTheRhino said:

well the thread title say chocolate tree so...

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yah, i know, but i guess some peps assume, choco, cocoa, same thing right?? lol..

Is that a Loquat tree in starting in the large pot?

Metasynth said:

Is that a Loquat tree in starting in the large pot?

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that is a plumeria. The plant that they make those Hawaiian necklaces out of.

that's awesome looking ryan.. i used to have to print labels for bath and body works plumeria, but i have never seen one in person..

Very nice!! That is sorta what my Loquat tree looked like when I first got it...here it is almost 10 years later.

The Hawaiian necklaces they make out of the frangipani are called leis.

Awesome plumeria. I have a couple.

Sweet loquat, is it any good? I LOVE loquats. I have one that gets tiny aborted seeds and the fruit tastes like an applepeach. Soooo goood. Did you know you can make tea from the new young leaves and even the seeds? I do it when I get sick. It is the best panacea I have discovered.

Well it has been 12 days and I was starting to get worried but today several beans have broken dirt. Not much to see yet but at least I know they are going to sprout. I may have planted them to deep.