The Tropical Fruit Forum

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

Hello,

In recent months, my tropical fruit plant collection has grown wildly out of hand, mainly due to me planting most seeds from each of the fresh cacao pods I got (cacao is my favorite plant and is one of the few that reliably grows from seed for me). I will soon have to take my plants indoors, but I do not have enough space for all the cacao seedlings and some other plants.

I want to swap some plants and give away others. I live in Vienna Virginia and cannot send the plants by mail, so you will have to either pick up the plants or I can drive to a location up to about 30 minutes away (I would drive only for trades).

Included with all the plants I give away or trade I will include some marigold seeds, some year-old papaya seeds from trade winds fruit (Papaya seedlings always die on me. They grow, but eventually all the leaves fall off) and, if you want, a small dragonfruit cutting.

These are my plants that I want to give away. I am giving them away and you don’t need to give me anything for them, but if you can spare some (heirloom) tomato seeds I would be grateful

1. Small Trinitario cacao seedlings. These are either from a medium red pod or a large red(ish) pod. Most are from the small red cacao. Giving away around 14 seedlings, plus a couple less nice ones. These are all around 3 months old.



2. 1 half-dead (but putting out new shoots) purple passion fruit I grew from a seed.



Some plants I will not give away, but will trade for some seeds. I am looking for heirloom tomato seeds and seeds from tropical solanum fruits, as well as some other tropical fruits.

1. Medium Trinitario cacao seedlings. I have 6 larger seedlings of the large podded Trinitario variety, these are 5 or 6 months old. I also have 2 more with some chlorosis (probably nitrogen difficiency and easy to fix). Would like some kind of plant or cutting for these, but not necessary.







2. A couple small yellow passion fruit (from Puerto Rico) seedlings.



Finally, here are the plants I want to trade for other plants. I am looking to trade for most tropical fruit trees of any size (can be smaller than my plants). I do not want any jackfruit, lychee, avocado, fejoia, coffee, mamey sapote, tree tomato, lemon, orange, rose apple, jaboticaba, and Spanish tamarind because I already have them. I also could trade for shampoo or torch ginger and heliconias. Some of my most wanted plants include the jarilla, theobroma gileri, and the porcelana cacao. I would happily trade a few of my plants for one of those (or another special plant).

1. 5 two year old passion fruit plants. These were pruned heavily several times, have not flowered yet.
2. 1 Ugli fruit seedling I grew from seed. For this I want a different citrus, preferably a blood orange.
3. I may consider trading this cherimoya I am growing.
4. Round leaf jaca cacao plants. I have 5 two-month old seedlings to trade. For these I would rather have a different rare cacao, theobroma, or herrania plant but will consider other species.
5. Criollo cacao plants. I will trade 2 of my 6 month old seedlings. Again, would like to trade for a different cacao/theobroma/herrania but other species also considered.




















If interested, please contact me at Tomasz.kleczek@icloud.com

Thank you!