Method of Planting and Multiplying Cacao/Cocoa Fruit Trees Easily

Method of Planting and Multiplying Cacao/Cocoa Fruit Trees Easily

Cacao, also called cocoa, is one of the world’s most valuable crops, providing the main ingredient for chocolate, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter. Farmers and gardeners who learn simple methods for planting and multiplying cacao trees can establish productive orchards with relatively little investment. With proper care, a cacao tree can produce pods for decades, making it a highly rewarding plant. Below is a detailed, easy-to-follow guide on how to plant and multiply cacao fruit trees successfully.

1. Understanding Cacao Growth Requirements

Before planting cacao, it is important to know its basic needs:

• Climate: Cacao grows best in tropical regions, between 20° north and 20° south of the equator. It requires temperatures between 21–32°C, high humidity, and annual rainfall of about 1,500–2,500 mm.
• Shade: Young cacao seedlings need partial shade for the first two to three years, after which they can gradually tolerate more sunlight.
• Soil: Deep, well-drained, loamy soil with a pH of 6–7 is ideal. Heavy clay soils should be avoided unless well-drained.
• Spacing: Trees should be spaced about 3 meters apart to allow proper canopy growth and airflow.

2. Choosing Planting Materials

There are two main ways to start cacao trees: from seeds and from vegetative methods such as grafting, budding, or cuttings.

a) Seeds

• Fresh seeds from healthy, ripe pods germinate quickly, usually within 5–10 days.
• Seeds lose viability within a week after being removed from the pod, so they should be sown immediately.
• Seed-grown trees have more genetic variation, which may result in uneven pod quality, but they are the easiest and cheapest option for beginners.

b) Vegetative Propagation

• Grafting and budding produce uniform trees with consistent pod quality and higher yields.
• Stem cuttings can also be used to clone high-yielding trees.
• Though more labor-intensive, these methods ensure that the orchard produces pods with the same desirable traits.

3. Preparing Seeds for Planting

1. Select Healthy Pods: Choose disease-free pods from productive mother trees.
2. Extract Seeds: Open the pod and scoop out the seeds covered in a sweet pulp.
3. Clean the Seeds: Wash gently to remove excess pulp, as this can prevent germination.
4. Soak in Water: Soak for a few hours to encourage quick sprouting.
5. Plant Immediately: Sow seeds in nursery bags filled with a mix of topsoil, compost, and sand. Plant with the rounded side facing down and the pointed tip upwards.

4. Nursery Management

• Shading: Provide shade using palm leaves, banana leaves, or shade nets. Too much sunlight can scorch seedlings.
• Watering: Keep soil moist but not waterlogged. Cacao roots are sensitive to standing water.
• Weeding: Remove weeds regularly to reduce competition for nutrients.
• Hardening: After 4–6 months, gradually expose seedlings to more sunlight to prepare them for field planting.

5. Field Planting

1. Land Preparation: Clear the land, but avoid burning, as ash can make the soil too alkaline. Retain some taller trees to provide shade.
2. Digging Holes: Dig holes about 40 cm wide and 40 cm deep, spacing them 3 meters apart.
3. Filling the Hole: Mix topsoil with compost or well-rotted manure to enrich the soil.
4. Transplanting Seedlings: Remove the plastic nursery bag carefully to avoid damaging roots. Place the seedling in the hole, fill with soil, and press gently.
5. Mulching: Apply dry leaves, grass, or husks around the base to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.

6. Easy Methods of Multiplying Cacao Trees

Besides direct seeding, there are a few practical ways to multiply cacao trees:

a) Stem Cuttings

• Select semi-hardwood shoots about 20 cm long with 2–3 leaves.
• Treat with rooting hormone and plant in a nursery bed or polybags.
• Keep under shade and mist regularly until roots form (about 2–3 months).

b) Grafting

• Use seedlings as rootstock and scions from a high-yielding tree.
• Side grafting or cleft grafting are common methods.
• Grafted seedlings can be ready for planting within 3–4 months.

c) Budding

• A bud from a desirable mother tree is inserted into a rootstock seedling.
• Once the bud takes, the rootstock is cut back to allow the new shoot to grow.

7. Care and Maintenance

• Watering: Regular watering is essential during dry spells.
• Fertilization: Apply organic manure or balanced NPK fertilizer twice a year.
• Pruning: Remove dead or diseased branches, and maintain 3–4 main stems for better canopy management.
• Shade Management: Gradually reduce shade as trees mature, but retain some taller shade trees for protection.
• Pest and Disease Control: Watch out for black pod disease, capsid bugs, and stem cankers. Use organic sprays, pruning, and good hygiene to minimize problems.

8. Harvesting

• Cacao trees begin bearing fruit within 3–5 years, depending on the variety and care.
• Pods ripen about 5–6 months after flowering. Ripe pods turn yellow, orange, or red, depending on the type.
• Harvest by cutting the pods with a sharp knife or pruning shear to avoid damaging branches.

Conclusion

Planting and multiplying cacao trees is not complicated when simple steps are followed. Whether using seeds for an affordable start or vegetative methods for higher-quality clones, cacao cultivation can be successful in small gardens and larger farms alike. With the right soil preparation, nursery care, shading, and ongoing maintenance, cacao trees will reward growers with abundant pods for many years. By mastering these easy techniques, anyone living in a suitable tropical region can enjoy the sweet success of growing cacao, the tree that gives us chocolate.