Tipping Cacao seedling - same as mangoes?

[shinzo]

Hi all. I have 2 cacao seedlings which are 3 feet tall but didn't branch out. I am wondering if i should remove the tips to induce branching like it is the case for mangoes.
 

[Finca La Isla]

Sure, modern cacao shaping has branching starting low.  3-5 branches from the main trunk
From low.  Generally cacao branches a lot on its own, too much.  We prune to keep the trees very open, cutting lots of small branches that tend to crowd each other.  Lots of growers plant at about 3m spacing and keep the height under 3m.  You can certainly give them more space but I wouldn’t let them get very high.  Cacao is intense in its demands for pruning and removal of diseased pods and managing the harvest.  With two trees you might not have issues, I just mention this for you to have an idea.
Peter

[TomekK]

Cacao should branch naturally at around 5 feet or so, the tip will split into 3-5 branches. Yes, you can tip them, and they’ll branch out lower, if that’s what you want.

[shinzo]

Thank you Peter and TomekK for your answers.
I forgot to mention that the two seedling are in a pot, and i plan to keep them potted inside. Actually they grew in the same pot and i didn't separate them.
Currently , the top 4 or 5 inches are new growth (still green) and below is woody, is it better to cut just the tip to induce branching from green part or to at the woody level?

[TomekK]

I don’t know which is better, I’ve generally let my cacao do what they want. My indoor plants unfortunately have had to deal with low humidity, so even when I do cut the tip only one or two new branches grow. I don’t know how many branches you’d get in a better environment. I’d cut back on the green to keep the newer leaves, but I think it would work either way. Nice plants!