Author Topic: Is Cacao Possible in SoCal  (Read 17277 times)

SocalKoop

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Re: Is Cacao Possible in SoCal
« Reply #75 on: July 31, 2016, 11:08:31 AM »
Hahahaha... this thread is incredibly entertaining. Please keep it going.  Seriously,  you both sound like knowledgeable guys in what you fruit and the particulars of your region.  And what you fruit and the challenges are so different not sure how either competes with the other. It's like a cat feeling he has to argue he's a better cat with a dog. Comic. Thank you both for the insight given in various posts.
"Failing to prepare is preparing for failure." -Benjamin Franklin

Bananaizme

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Re: Is Cacao Possible in SoCal
« Reply #76 on: July 31, 2016, 03:50:35 PM »
    Stan

 I had a cacao plant in a 5 gallon pot that I managed to keep alive for a couple of years. I would usually bring it into the house around November and then set it back outside again in the spring . I used to put it under the canopy of my sapote tree and it seemed to do fine there . One day I came home from work and found it burnt up. I always suspected it was from lack of humidity but not for sure positive. Anyway I'm getting ready to set up another greenhouse for my anon collection and will have misters etc. in this one.  I'd like to try another cacao in this GH . What are some of the cultural requirements for growing cacao ? How often should I water, fertilize, ect ?  What ph range does the soil medium need to be ? Acid ? Neutral ? Any advice you can give would be appreciated.

 William

Stan

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Re: Is Cacao Possible in SoCal
« Reply #77 on: July 31, 2016, 05:27:01 PM »
Funny thing is.. Mine was dumped to the gutter- true- by SF State. They did not want it and I was there to pick up other plants. I and my boss,a Professor quickly rented a truck and brought that back to the local U. It was mid winter,and the tree hadn't been watered for days to boot.
  It was so big and heavy we could only yank it out of its box,cut off 1/2 or more of the rootball
It THEN sat for a few days in a college classroom after we brought it back like adventurers- lol,until we could get a big pot for this 12' tall tree.
Well,after all that...most of the top, died. We potted it up in that soil mix Colleges use all the time. Sunmix? Its been a few years. BUT..do you know that when longer days came around..it spouted not only new growth,but flowered. It actually had two pods on it when I found it in the street- how tough is that??-Those pods were cut open.mmmmm what an aroma. All the seeds germinated. Temps inside ran from a regulated to no higher, 80f to a low in cold winter days of about 60f. The rest of the winter and year closer to 70f for a low.
So I can tell you, any good quality potting mix with  25% Perlite is good enough. If you make your own out of shredded bark? I think it would do just as well...keep the roots moist,the humidity moderate,the soils airy. It was never steamy humid in that greenhouse..I would though hose the tree down when I watered it. Really a beautiful tree with its new leaves being thin and papery...much more then even a well fertilized Mango to give you an idea. To touch a leaf would tear it. Later..normal.
Seedlings are an easy grow really.
One warning- they are pest magnets. I couldn't use any kind of pesticide..so just hose that tree as best I could.  Pesticide use would be up to you..I wouldn't know how fast a Bayer would wear off should you get a bloom..many years from now.
William,it was always a potted tree,I think it was about 30 years old,had a nice trunk and all that. But for SF State it was a reliable fruiter. I was told ants did the pollinating in their greenhouse. They had some tiny black tropical ant- no kidding- that not only did that,they also nested in the ant plants and the hollow leafed Cecropia plants of the SF greenhouse.
To this day,I  sort of marvel at what was going on in that big greenhouse.
« Last Edit: July 31, 2016, 05:32:33 PM by Stan »

Delvi83

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Re: Is Cacao Possible in SoCal
« Reply #78 on: July 31, 2016, 07:01:35 PM »
To my knowledge Cacao will not grow in SoCal....and i think the problem would not be only the winter temp (it dies below 50°F), but also the lack of rain during the summer.....Cacao grows in pluvial forest, with the same temperature all the year and with no drought season.

Stan

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Re: Is Cacao Possible in SoCal
« Reply #79 on: July 31, 2016, 07:31:53 PM »
To my knowledge Cacao will not grow in SoCal....and i think the problem would not be only the winter temp (it dies below 50°F), but also the lack of rain during the summer.....Cacao grows in pluvial forest, with the same temperature all the year and with no drought season.
No,its not a dig a hole,plant and add water. Mangoes yes, not Theobroma. But,I can tell you it will grow as a potted tree. William has the greenhouse. If you can get one to flower,hand pollinating can be done if no pollinator insects can get to it. They also are just great conversation plants.

ninascorner

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Re: Is Cacao Possible in SoCal
« Reply #80 on: September 02, 2017, 02:50:25 PM »
good news. sorry i haven't read the responses in the entire thread so i apologize if it has been answered already. There is a full grown tree in Carlsbad planted in the ground with adult fruit on it. this looks to be a very mature tree and is very happy so i want to say the answer is yes but it will take a whole lot of love to get it strong and happy

dwfl

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Re: Is Cacao Possible in SoCal
« Reply #81 on: September 02, 2017, 03:28:36 PM »
good news. sorry i haven't read the responses in the entire thread so i apologize if it has been answered already. There is a full grown tree in Carlsbad planted in the ground with adult fruit on it. this looks to be a very mature tree and is very happy so i want to say the answer is yes but it will take a whole lot of love to get it strong and happy

Photo?

starch

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Re: Is Cacao Possible in SoCal
« Reply #82 on: September 02, 2017, 05:19:11 PM »
good news. sorry i haven't read the responses in the entire thread so i apologize if it has been answered already. There is a full grown tree in Carlsbad planted in the ground with adult fruit on it. this looks to be a very mature tree and is very happy so i want to say the answer is yes but it will take a whole lot of love to get it strong and happy

Awesome! We go to Carlsbad / Oceanside usually once a year. Where is it at, I would love to see it!
- Mark

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Re: Is Cacao Possible in SoCal
« Reply #83 on: September 02, 2017, 05:58:35 PM »
Even if you can get it to survive, it will be hard to fruit.  I had trouble when I lived in Kauai with mine.
I am an American from California with a small farm in Southern Brazil. 
Sou americano na Califórnia e tenho um sítio em Brusque, SC, Brasil.

Marc Doyle

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Re: Is Cacao Possible in SoCal
« Reply #84 on: September 02, 2017, 07:18:25 PM »
I have 5 trees in my mini greenhouse. 2 of them are a foot tall and the other 3 are 3-6 feet tall. Took the larger trees a few months to adjust but they've been pushing new growth st daily for the past few months. This is my second experience with them and it's lasted a lot longer than my first.

I don't think they would do well outside at a young age. I've read that older established trees can take higher temps and direct light.

K

fruitlovers

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Re: Is Cacao Possible in SoCal
« Reply #85 on: September 03, 2017, 02:30:31 AM »
Even if you can get it to survive, it will be hard to fruit.  I had trouble when I lived in Kauai with mine.
Cacao does fine in any part of Hawaii, except for high elevation areas. Does not fruit well above 2000 ft. elevation.e win
Problem in California would be the very low rate of humidity and constant cool temperatures in the winter. Could be fruited inside a greenhouse.
Oscar