Author Topic: What’s killing my indoor cacao?  (Read 1340 times)

TomekK

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What’s killing my indoor cacao?
« on: October 19, 2019, 12:35:26 PM »
So I’ve grown cacao in northern Virginia for about 4 years now, starting with a nursery seedling and a few years ago getting fresh pods from Montoso gardens. I take my plants out during the summer, and have just taken them back inside last week. As usual, the growth of the plants momentarily stops (except for the smallest seedlings). I have recently discovered that my plants are severely iron deficient, and have to do something about it. I do know how an iron deficient cacao looks, and the problem I have I think is not any nutrient deficiency (though I do need to buy some iron supplement). The original nursery seedling has grown fine in the summer outside, but immediately after taking it indoors a number of leaves fell off. The leaves start to have a sort of discoloration at the tips, and then turn yellow all over and fall off in a matter of a couple days. All the leaves now have that yellowing at the tips, and are falling off one by one. Is this just shock from coming indoors, or something different. I really don’t want to lose this cacao, please help.

Thank you,
Tomek
















knlim000

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Re: What’s killing my indoor cacao?
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2019, 02:43:29 PM »
4yrs in same pot??  if so, maybe you should have repotted them every year to give enough nutrients?   Probably trim their roots first before putting into a new pot of soil??
« Last Edit: October 19, 2019, 02:51:50 PM by knlim000 »

TomekK

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Re: What’s killing my indoor cacao?
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2019, 03:25:23 PM »
I’ve repotted about every year to 2 years. Do you think it’s the roots? I am seeing this a little on other cacaos of mine, just not to this extent. Thank you!

PlantHoarder

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Re: What’s killing my indoor cacao?
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2019, 09:58:23 PM »
Looks like bug and fungus/bacterial issue. Suggest repotting them yearly if possible and some insecticidal soap or oils.

knlim000

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Re: What’s killing my indoor cacao?
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2019, 10:23:33 PM »
I don't have any experiences with cacao.  But I did have similar issues with my mandarin that was in a pot so many years and  got root bounded sinceI never repotted it.   It was on the verge of dying with leave mostly yellow.  Then I decided to repot it and at the same time cut the bounded roots off ,and amazingly, it came back to live really fast and it has lushes of green leaves and larger plants as well.    So, I'm not sure if it was the soil or cutting of the bounded roots off that did the work.  That was about 1.5yrs ago.  I will need to do the same thing again next year.  This time, I will pot it into a 10gal nursery pots so that I can later on cut the bottom off and just let it grow into the soils.   

roblack

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Re: What’s killing my indoor cacao?
« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2019, 11:55:22 AM »
My guess is that the answer to your question is that you are growing it indoors. Cacao needs high humidity and heat. Stress leads to susceptibility to disease. Unless you have it in an enclosure or keep your home moist, it will probably not fare well.

TomekK

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Re: What’s killing my indoor cacao?
« Reply #6 on: October 20, 2019, 02:33:08 PM »
But would a disease show itself suddenly when taking the plants back indoors?  Deficiencies don’t kill the plant so quickly, while the only disease that I saw that kind of resembles my dying leaves is vascular stream dieback, but my leaf scars do not show the discoloration that this disease causes. Could it be just shock from coming back indoors?

PlantHoarder

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Re: What’s killing my indoor cacao?
« Reply #7 on: October 22, 2019, 04:43:35 AM »
I don't have any experiences with cacao.  But I did have similar issues with my mandarin that was in a pot so many years and  got root bounded sinceI never repotted it.   It was on the verge of dying with leave mostly yellow.  Then I decided to repot it and at the same time cut the bounded roots off ,and amazingly, it came back to live really fast and it has lushes of green leaves and larger plants as well.    So, I'm not sure if it was the soil or cutting of the bounded roots off that did the work.  That was about 1.5yrs ago.  I will need to do the same thing again next year.  This time, I will pot it into a 10gal nursery pots so that I can later on cut the bottom off and just let it grow into the soils.
I was under the impression that potted citrus won't produce fruit until the roots run out of space to grow.