Thank you!

Keep them in very organically rich well draining media and keep it perpetually moist. Let the water drain out - don't let it sit in water. But, every couple of months or so during the growing season it is good to soak the pot for half an hour or so to eliminate any dry hydrophobic spots that can develop in the media.

They like bright light - but loath full-on day-long sunlight - an east facing exposure is ideal. They like warmth and humidity in abundance. If it's a bit warm for you and drippy humid for you, they're happy as pie.

Cacao also benefit and may actually need mycorrhizal fungus - purchase and apply mycorrhizal inoculant when you pot up the seedling. They don't like their roots messed with much tho - when potting up don't do much with the roots.

These guys are heavy feeders. I rotate feedings - sometimes I use fish emulsion, other times diluted molasses, and still other times liquid seaweed. On the borderline of almost but not-quite organic is Hasta-Gro, which works well too. But I would *NEVER* use Miracle-Gro! I lost nearly 20 cacao seedlings thanks to that stuff and only when I went organic and applied mycorrhizal inocula did the remaining nearly defoliated cacao recover and explode with vigor.

I've germinated a lot of cacao seeds - usually I'll pregerminate in moist peat under 16-hour flourescent plant-lights and when I see rootlets I'll remove them from the ziplock and sow them with mycorrhizal inocula into their initial pot. A deeper pot is best, if you can. Their taproot can form a J-curve in shallow pots that will stunt their growth.

I had one flowering at 3 years - but a hard winter in the greenhouse and a summer of extraordinary heat and drought did that poor plant in. I have another that's 4 years old that's about ready to put out flowers. And several yearlings and some new'ish seedlings. They sure are neat to grow. You'll be amazed at how big their leaves get when the vigor kicks in - over 11" not counting the petiol!

Have fun,
Mike

Cacao also have very insignificant root systems. That's why workers don't climb the trees when harvesting (aside from damaging flowering pads) - they use long poles with knives attached, lest they knock the tree over with their weight. Thusly, cacao has a high dependance on mycorrhizal fungus - a symbiotic root fungus that extends the root system's capabilities in a big way. This fungus, tho, would be damaged or killed by fertilizers like MG.

Mycorrhizal fungus is what basically opened me up to the soil foodweb and organic methods and it's been a dream since then... Definitely do some research on that - several places sell inocula and I've had extraordinarily good performance using the fungus...

Be well,
Mike

http://www.horticulturalalliance.com/DIEHARD_Mycorrhizal_Inoculants_and_Microflora_Stimulants.asp

I've been using mycorrhizal fungus for about three years now. I like seeing all those mushrooms grow out of the pots, yard, and all.

Heathen, you are so correct about water and warmth. I seen mangos growing right next to rice fields which I thought was quite amazing. I didn't know they could tolerate so much water. Put something like that in our cool winters and the roots will rot in no time.

Regards,
Michael
mwwoodruff@earthlink.net

Montoso Nursery in Puerto Rico usually has cacao pods/seeds for sale. http://www.montosogardens.com/online_store.htm

Govardhan Gardens, also in Puerto Rico, sells trees and seeds
http://organicfarm.net/

I also sent you this info in an email.

I live in south Florida. I just wanted to mention that I grow Theobroma cacao from seed in a pot. It's flowered for a few years now.

Tomas