Would you want to grow chocolate in your backyard?
Do I even need to ask?
I’ve been looking all over for an expert on growing cacao, and I found Alex with Tropical Mango Rare & Exotic Fruit Nursery, in Phoenix, AZ who is going to tell us all about it.
I’m so excited that we theoretically can grow chocolate sustainably and on a micro-farming scale (you can probably tell by looking at my face in the interview, LOL).
You’ll find out
– what temperature range Cacao produces in
– what temps the plant can survive
– how much space you need
– what fertility is required
– amount of chocolate per plant
– light requirements
Yes, these plants do need to be babied… But in my mind, this is the whole purpose of having a green house in your backyard 🙂
I am thinking of creating a challenge of building greenhouses and producing chocolate! LOL. Drop me a comment if you are interested. We’re going to be doing a lot more with greenhouses in the future, for sure.
Marjory Wildcraft is an Expedition Leader and Bioneer Blogger with The [Grow] Network, which is an online community that recognizes the wisdom of “homegrown food on every table.” Marjory has been featured as an expert on sustainable living by National Geographic, she is a speaker at Mother Earth News fairs, and is a returning guest on Coast to Coast AM. She is an author of several books, but is best known for her “Grow Your Own Groceries” video series, which is used by more than 300,000 homesteaders, survivalists, universities, and missionary organizations around the world.
COMMENTS(13)
Great video. Alex didn’t appear nervous to me. Of course you have become very comfortable in front of the camera with experience. Fascinatng idea – growing one’s own chocolate. No end to the possibilities for self reliance it seems. Thanks Marjory!
Mike, it would be a fantastic trade item. Only I would never have any to trade… LOL
Sweet!, thank you for sharing the information!. I love Chocolate, and I love growing plants and trees not from this area. This sounds like a great idea
Kidge, if you get a project going, please let me know!
My wife bought me “Growing Tasty Tropical Plants in Any Home, Anywhere” and I have been fascinated by this idea ever since. I believe, only from what I’ve read, you can do this in a walipini. I am defiantly going to do this when I get my farm up and running. At least 8 trees though, probably more. Thanks for sharing this video.
J.D., oh yes! A wallipini undergroudn greenhouse. Of course… you know I did that video on those just last summer. Keep us updated with your progress!
Marjory,
How synchronistic this email is! Just last night, I emailed my friend in Australia and asked if cacao grows in his garden / area. He’s a farmer and gardener for over 30 years and has a wonderful huge food garden where he practices permaculture methods along with several gardening methods of his own that he’s learned over the years. And he’s talked about putting up a greenhouse for some of the more exotic plants that he’d like to gorw. Have not heard back from him yet but I’m forwarding this cacao video on to him. I eat cacao as home made chocolate or in a shake or smoothie or as a cup of chocolate every day. Just had a nutrient-packed superfood cacao shake that was so so good! Very best to you and much gratitude for the wonderful work you do! Yours is a mission where we all benefit, including Mother Earth.
Angie
Hi Angie,
Thanks so much. Yup, I definitely love chocolate! LOL. Keep us posted on how your friend does if he starts growing it.
Marjory, appreciate your video about cacao. Alex seems like an expert. My hope is to greenhouse my own saplings. Now it looks like Alex is the man to start that process. My goal is to go for 10-20 cacao trees! I love chocolate too! Cheers! Marcus
Would like to know if its possible to grow cocoa trees and mango trees in a greenhouse. Can they grow alongside each other. How much roon would yoy need to grow 15 trees of each?
Ahhh the possibilities
Visual Color Discrimination — The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Thank you for showing this information about growing a chocolate tree. We just move to the midwest from the west coast. Figuring out how to grow the impossible plants. From the west coast I had a tropical plant that was in a big pot during winter I would bring it under the awning and cover it and then in spring I would uncover & take it out to the sun. Did this for 6 yrs. Before that in another home where I’d lived I would bring it inside the home, this time not covering up. When spring comes out it goes to get the full sun it needs. For 10 years, prune it so, um, it would fit from the ceiling, but it was all good. So I believe is possible with some ingenuity.