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Topic starter
I received some Theobroma cacao pods today. The pods contain seeds (cacao beans), the same ones that are baked/ground up and made into chocolate. I tried germinating Theobroma seeds once before, but I think I kept them too damp and too cold. It's very important that the seeds are fresh, as they lose viability VERY quickly!
Pods:
Cut open, showing the seeds and the pulp that surrounds them:
Seeds from 3 pods:
After around 2 HOURS!!! 🙄 of cleaning the pulp off the seeds, I ended up with about 35 good ones:
Put in for germination:
Cameron.
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Posted : 19/05/2011 9:19 pm
very cool Cameron.....let us know when they germinate!
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Posted : 20/05/2011 9:52 pm
Topic starter
I will! 😈
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Posted : 20/05/2011 11:18 pm
Holy cow, Cameron, are you sure you have SPACE for a few more seeds in your house? 😆
Family's probably moved into the yard tent by now...
Good luck with them.
They do look kinda yucky, though.
😕
How can something so wonderful (chocolate) come from something that looks so...well...ugly and slimy?
Sorry..
Barb
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If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.
Posted : 20/05/2011 11:21 pm
Are you hoping to someday make your own chocolate? I hope you are successful in getting some to germinate.
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Posted : 21/05/2011 12:28 am
Topic starter
Barb, my computer room is now completely full (barely enough space to move), so I've had to start stacking trays on top of each other 😆
I tried the pulp from one of the pods, and although it tasted sweet, it didn't taste like chocolate. I think I should have tried the bean itself.
Thanks, Jubaea! I hope I'm successful too 😆 I hear that Theobroma is quite hard to grow (likes to be well-watered but be potted in well-draining soil, likes light shade not full sun, needs high humidity, and will go into decline/die if average temp is below 70 F or exposed to temps below 40 F even briefly)!! That being said, some people have managed to get them to fruit inside their houses. I think if I can get some trees to survive I'll be happy enough 😆
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Posted : 21/05/2011 12:45 pm
I would've thought your computer room was bulging a month ago.
At what stage are you potting up palm seedlings? One leaf? or Two?
Barb
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If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.
Posted : 21/05/2011 1:38 pm
Topic starter
I think I'll be potting most of them up at 2 leaves. I'll be spending a fortune on pots 😆
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Posted : 21/05/2011 1:51 pm
...and potting soil 😕
And the nursery was born! :cheers:
Barb
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If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.
Posted : 21/05/2011 2:55 pm
Topic starter
😆 😆
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Posted : 21/05/2011 7:26 pm
What do the leaves look like?? How big?
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Posted : 21/05/2011 10:20 pm
Topic starter
The leaves look similar to avacado leaves. I've heard that as seedlings, the leaves will emerge as a reddish colour. Theobroma cacao can eventually get up to 25 feet tall in the wild!
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Posted : 21/05/2011 11:35 pm
Topic starter
Some of the seeds have started to pop now! I'll eventually take some pics when the stems start breaking the surface 😀
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Posted : 24/05/2011 12:41 am
Some of the seeds have started to pop now!
Man, that was quick.
Beats waiting for palms to pop.
Congrats.
Barb
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If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.
Posted : 25/05/2011 1:29 pm
Topic starter
Thanks 😆
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Posted : 25/05/2011 3:19 pm
