All About Cacao Tree

  Hi everyone, Byron Martin here at Loi Greenhouses. Today, we're diving into the fascinating world of Theobroma cacao, commonly known as cacao. We'll discuss how to grow it, and we'll even cut open a cacao fruit to reveal its edible pulp. Introduction to Cacao Cacao is a New World plant native to South America. The variety we're showcasing today is called Long Pod Yellow, but cacao fruits can also come in red, yellow, large, and small varieties. This particular cultivar is known as Trinitario, one of the key types used in cocoa production. Growing Cacao Our cacao plant, which we've nurtured for about 15 years, is much smaller than it would be in its native habitat, thanks to its growth in a greenhouse container. Cacao plants are unique because their fruit forms on old woody stems rather than new growth. You can often see hundreds of flowers along these stems, though not all will develop into fruit due to space and root system constraints. Key Growing Conditions Roo