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Cocoa is the key ingredient in chocolate, so if you’re a big chocolate fan like us, then you might be wondering whether you can grow your own cocoa plant at home. As we’ll explain in this article, cocoa trees are actually incredibly selective about where they grow and demand a set of specific climate and soil conditions. So, while it’s certainly possible to grow your own cocoa plant at home, it’s no easy feat!
A lot goes into the process of creating your favorite chocolates, and it all begins with growing cocoa beans. Let’s take a closer look at what’s involved and how you can do it yourself. 
Growing a cocoa tree takes time and patience. And if you’re hoping to have ready-to-use cocoa beans in your hands after just a few months — we’ll tell you now, you’re going to be disappointed!
Cocoa trees are only likely to flower when they’re four to six years old and about five feet tall, and during this time they need to be grown in optimal conditions. After this, it then takes five to six months for the cacao pods to ripen from the pollinated flowers. Cocoa farmers expect two harvests a year: a main harvest and one with lower yields. This being said, the cocoa growing process varies depending on the country of cultivation, so if you’re growing a cocoa plant at home, expect your timeframes to be different.
Cocoa trees don’t just grow anywhere. In fact, they need a hot and humid climate to flourish. Cocoa evolved in the Amazonian forests as an under-storey crop, so they like to be under forest trees or other crops where there is shelter from direct light.
Almost all cocoa production takes place in the tropical regions around the equator, most notably, the West African countries of Ghana and Ivory Coast. Between them, these two countries alone provide around 50% of the world’s cocoa beans. The rest of the world’s cocoa is produced by countries such as Indonesia, Cameroon, Nigeria, Brazil, and Ecuador that boast similarly suitable climates for cocoa growing.
Believe it or not, cocoa plants are quite difficult to grow. If you want to have a go at doing it at home it’s not as simple as just mimicking a tropical environment — too much sunlight or shade and they’ll struggle.
However, you can grow cocoa plants in places other than equatorial countries. In the UK, scientists are successfully growing cocoa plants in specialist centres such as the International Cocoa Quarantine Centre (ICQC), which precisely simulates the necessary tropical conditions for the plants to thrive. Plus, we can’t forget about the considerable number of home growers tending to their cocoa trees all around the world!
Just as the climate is a crucial factor in cocoa production, soil type will also determine whether a region or area will be suitable for growing cocoa trees. Deep and well-drained soils are critical for this crop, and poorly drained soil will hinder its growth. Most areas engaged in cocoa farming have clay loam or sandy loam soils with a pH range of 6.5 to 7.0. What’s more, cocoa trees benefit from being in an area where water is readily available. This is because they are sensitive to drought, which makes irrigation crucial.
To grow a healthy cocoa tree you must plant it in soil that has a good structure. This means a soil that’s permeable and deep enough for the tap-roots of the plant to descend into and reach a sufficient depth.
If you’re determined to get stuck in growing cocoa beans, then it’s not impossible. Many people have successfully grown cocoa trees inside their homes — even in pretty cold climates like ours in the UK. Though we can’t say it’s going to be as easy as keeping a spider plant, it’s certainly possible if you follow each step carefully and commit to the project.
If you’re serious about cocoa growing we highly recommend doing some thorough research and speaking to someone in the know, but here are the basic steps to cocoa home growing so you can get a quick overview of what will be required:
This will contain 30 – 50 seeds from which you can grow your cacao tree. If you’d like to speed up the process you can order a viable seedling from an exotic plant nursery and skip straight to planting. Make sure you have all the information about the specific plant you’ll be growing from the supplier — the amount of time it takes for each variety of plant to start producing pods will vary.
Harvest the seeds from your ripe pod, being careful not to damage the seeds inside. After a rinse in lukewarm water, wrap the seeds in a damp paper towel and leave somewhere heated to germinate. Expect this to take three to seven days. This step is crucial — you must germinate cacao seeds before planting them.
Plant your seedling in a spacious pot (keeping to a rule of one seedling per pot) with plenty of space for the roots to grow. Fill it with a well-drained and rich soil such as a compost and sand mix.
Your cocoa plant will have the best chance if cultivated in a temperature-controlled, higher humidity greenhouse, but if this isn’t an option for you and you’re growing your plant indoors, just make sure that you choose a place to keep your pot that stays warm throughout the day. Position it in indirect sunlight and keep a humidifier (or failing this, a small bowl of water) next to your plant to provide it with the moisture it needs. Direct sunlight and nearby heat sources such as radiators may cause your plant to dry out.
Wet your plant throughout the day and remember to fertilize it every few weeks. Just take care not to overfeed it as this can burn your plant’s roots and stunt its growth — not what you want!
Keep in mind that even if you try your best to do things perfectly, growing cocoa beans is notoriously difficult. Even if your plant reaches maturity, there is no guarantee that it will produce usable fruit.
If you are successful and find yourself with fruits that are ripe and ready to harvest, make sure your efforts don’t go to waste and read up on the fermenting, roasting, and grinding that needs to be done in order to produce cocoa.
If you have your heart set on growing your own cocoa beans, consider investing in a greenhouse, be prepared to learn from your failed attempts, and don’t just place all your hopes on one plant!
By: Amy Grant
In my world, chocolate will make everything better. A spat with my significant other, an unexpected repair bill, a bad hair day – you name it, chocolate soothes me in a way that nothing else can. Many of us not only love our chocolate but even crave it. So, it comes as no surprise that some people would like to grow their own cacao tree. The question is how to grow cocoa beans from cocoa tree seeds? Keep reading to find out about growing cacao trees and other cocoa tree info.
Cacao Plant Info
Cocoa beans come from cacao trees, which reside in the genus Theobroma and originated millions of years ago in South America, east of the Andes. There are 22 species of Theobroma amongst which T. cacao is the most common. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Mayan people drank cacao as early as 400 B.C. The Aztecs prized the bean as well.
Christopher Columbus was the first foreigner to drink chocolate when he sailed to Nicaragua in 1502 but it wasn’t until Hernan Cortes, the leader of a 1519 expedition to the Aztec empire, that chocolate made its way back to Spain. Aztec xocoatl (chocolate drink) was not initially received favorably until the addition of sugar sometime later whereupon the drink became popular in the Spanish courts.
The popularity of the new drink incited attempts to grow cacao in the Spanish territories of the Dominican Republic, Trinidad, and Haiti with little success. Some measure of success was eventually found in Ecuador in 1635 when Spanish Capuchin friars managed to cultivate cacao.
By the seventeenth century, all of Europe was mad about cocoa and rushed to lay claim to lands suited to cacao production. As more and more cacao plantations came into being, the cost of the bean became more affordable and, thus, there was an increased demand. The Dutch and Swiss began establishing cocoa plantations established in Africa during this time.
Today, cocoa is produced in countries between 10 degrees north and 10 degrees south of the Equator. The largest producers are Cote-d’voire, Ghana, and Indonesia. Cacao trees can live for up to 100 years but are considered productive for only around 60. When the tree grows naturally from cocoa tree seeds, it has a long, deep taproot. For commercial cultivation, vegetative reproduction via cuttings is more commonly utilized and results in a tree lacking a taproot.
In the wild, the tree may reach over 50 feet (15 m.) in height but they are generally pruned to half that under cultivation. The leaves emerge a reddish hue and turn to glossy green as they grow up to two feet (0.5 m.) long. Small pink or white flowers cluster on the tree’s trunk or lower branches during the spring and summer. Once pollinated, the flowers become ridged pods up to 14 inches (35.5 cm.) long, filled with beans.
How to Grow Cocoa Beans
Cacao trees are quite finicky. They need protection from the sun and wind, which is why they thrive in the understory of warm rainforests. Growing cacao trees requires mimicking these conditions. In the United States, that means the tree can only be grown in USDA zones 11-13 – Hawaii, parts of southern Florida, and southern California as well as tropical Puerto Rico. If you don’t live in these tropical climes, it may be grown under warm and humid conditions in a greenhouse but may require more vigilant cocoa tree care.
To start a tree, you will need seeds that are still in the pod or have been kept moist since their removal from the pod. If they dry out, they lose their viability. It isn’t unusual for the seeds to begin sprouting from the pod. If your seeds have no roots yet, place them between damp paper towels in a warm (80 degrees F. plus or over 26 C.) area until they begin to root.
Pot the rooted beans in individual 4-inch (10 cm.) pots filled with damp seed starter soil. Place the seed vertically with the root end down and cover it with soil just to the top of the seed. Cover the pots with plastic wrap and place them on a germination mat to maintain their temperature in the 80s (27 C.).
In 5-10 days, the seed should sprout. At this point, remove the wrap and put the seedlings on a partially shaded windowsill or under the end of a grow light.
Cocoa Tree Care
As the seedling grows, transplant into successively larger pots, keep the plant damp and at temps between 65-85 degrees F. (18-29 C.) – warmer is better. Fertilize every two weeks from spring through fall with fish emulsion like 2-4-1; mix 1 tablespoon (15 mL.) per gallon (4 L.) of water.
If you live in a tropical region, transplant your tree when it is two feet (61 cm.) tall. Choose a humus-rich, well-draining area with a pH near 6.5. Situate the cacao 10 feet or so (3 m.) from a taller evergreen that can provide partial shade and wind protection.
Dig a hole three times the depth and width of the tree’s root ball. Return two-thirds of the loose soil back into the hole and set the tree atop the mound at the same level it grew in its pot. Fill in the soil around the tree and water it well. Cover the surrounding ground with a 2- to 6-inch (5 to 15 cm.) layer of mulch, but keep it at least eight inches (20.5 cm.) away from the trunk.
Depending upon rainfall, the cacao will need between 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm.) of water per week. Don’t let it get soggy, though. Feed it with 1/8 pound (57 gr.) of 6-6-6 every two weeks and then increase to 1 pound (454 gr.) of fertilizer every two months until the tree is a year old.
The tree should flower when 3-4 years old and about five feet (1.5 m.) tall. Hand-pollinate the flower in the early morning. Don’t panic if some of the resulting pods drop. It is natural for some pods to shrivel, leaving no more than two on each cushion.
When the beans are ripe and ready for harvest, your work isn’t done yet. They require extensive fermenting, roasting, and grinding before you, too, can make a cup of cocoa from your own cacao beans.
