My cacao is still in transplant shock........

[AnnonaMangoLord45]

Hello, there is an arctic cold front right now, and my cacao tree still hasn't recovered from the horrid shock. Please help me and Give me Advice! The tree's leaves are completely silver, but the main stems are still ok. Help me Please

Thanks
Matthew

[Jsvand5]

Hello, there is an arctic cold front right now, and my cacao tree still hasn't recovered from the horrid shock. Please help me and Give me Advice! The tree's leaves are completely silver, but the main stems are still ok. Help me Please

Thanks
Matthew

If you don't have it bagged I would do that to keep the humdity up and bring it inside next to a sunny window until the cold snap passes.

[AnnonaMangoLord45]

Thanks!

[Daintree]

You may need to give it supplemental light so it can set new leaves.  I am guessing that if the leaves are silver, they will all fall off.  A person I gave a cacao tree (in a pot) to had the same thing happen, and with a humidifier and a couple of shop lights, it came back just fine.

[SoCal2warm]

Hi Matthew

Interesting to hear someone is growing [or trying to grow] cocoa in Southern California. I grew vanilla orchids. They prefer a spot with morning sun where they won't get too dried out in the summer heat. It's important to keep them consistently watered in the summer.

Something a lot of people don't realize about potted tropical plants, it's important to keep the roots warm.

[DimplesLee]

I am confused - haven't you already been advised to remove all dead leaves and keep it enclosed in plastic sheet to keep it humid and keep it someplace warm?


IMHO - be patient - gardening is NOT an instant gratification kind of thing. Just because you did something good for the plant today doesn't mean when you wake up tomorrow it's gone from bad to bloody blooming overnight. Please tell me you didn't put the blasted thing outside - the arctic cold front wouldn't be much a of problem if you had been keeping it inside - to quote from your post: "Hello, there is an arctic cold front right now, and my cacao tree still hasn't recovered from the horrid shock."

[bsbullie]

Main problem(s) that will always be here is climate, with lack of humidity first and heat being the other.  Even inside, it will be tough to keep the heat and humidity up.  Young cacao do not like full sun, they are more an understory tree which thrives on moist, rainy, humid and warm to very warm temps.  None of which can be given inside a house and even outside in SoCal or any other Cali location.


edited to correct spelling errors.

[AnnonaMangoLord45]

Fortunately, i put it inside way before the cold front even occured Dimples Lee

[bsbullie]

Fortunately, i put it inside way before the cold front even occured Dimples Lee

See my email above.

[AnnonaMangoLord45]

Oh dont worry, once it recovers, i plan on planting it between a bunch of trees in order to create an artificial rainforest climate, the larger trees keep in shade and humidity, while it blocks the cold weather. I dont plant tree without a plan!

[AnnonaMangoLord45]

Just to revive this thread from the archives, it still is in transplant shock, but it doesnt seem to be progressing any worse. I have been watering with a combination of fish emulsion, kelp fertilizer, molasses and wetting agent to help the roots grow, anyways, here are a few pics and give some 
critique on whati should do to further improve its conditions.


also proof it still alive