Caring for a Cocoa Tree at Home
Growing a cocoa at home may be a bit challenging, but it can be done if you can supply the right climate conditions. Cocoa trees also called chocolate trees require growing conditions of 68 degrees F or higher. The natural habitat for growing cocoa trees is found in South America and Central America. However, when you live in the climate zones of 10 or 11 or have a greenhouse, you may be able to grow and care for a cocoa at home.
Step 1
Select an ideal growing location for a cocoa at home. Choosing a location is most important because a cocoa at home must have protection from too much sun and wind. In its natural environment cocoas grow in tropical regions filled with an abundance of plants including palms and banana plants that provide shade and wind protection. Search for an area that has nearby trees that could provide shade. Shielding a cocoa tree with shade cloth to provide shade and act as a wind break could be another option if you have no shade trees.
Step 2
Take a soil test to sample for pH conditions. A cocoa at home will need acidic soil with a pH of 5.0. Soil acidity can be increased with the addition of sulfur mixed into the soil when you dig the hole for the tree.
Step 3
Prepare the hole for a small cocoa at home. The rule of thumb is to dig a hole approximately three times the size of the tree's container. The best mix to use is organic compost, which can be purchased from local nurseries. Add a minimum of about 4 inches of compost into the hole and mix with soil. Now is the time to ad sulfur if you need to increase acidity. Place the cocoa tree into the hole and backfill with the composted soil. The tree's soil should be level with the soil in the yard. Put up the shade screen after planting if needed. Water the cocoa at home thoroughly.
Step 4
Stay on top of watering and fertilizing. Coming from a tropical climate, cocoas need plenty of regular watering every two or three days. Let the soil dry out between each watering. A cocoa tree at home must be fertilized weekly. Apply granular fertilizer over the soil one foot from the tree trunk. Use a fertilizer ratio of 10-10-10 or 12-12-17. Each year, for the next two years, increase the distance from the tree trunk by one foot when spreading fertilizer.
Step 5
Harvest cocoa pods on a regular basis to protect the cocoa tree at home from cocoa pod borers and rodents. You may need to treat fungal diseases using fungicide or use broad-spectrum insecticides for insect control.
Step 6
Prune and harvest the pods of the cocoa at home. Cocoa trees in ideal conditions may grow as tall as 45 feet high. Pruning the tree periodically will keep it to a manageable size for harvesting cocoa beans. Pods are ripe when they turn purple or red.
Tips
Providing plenty of water and fertilizing will keep a cocoa at home healthy and producing a lot of cocoa beans. Examine your cocoa tree at home weekly for signs of insect infestation and treat according.
