Seedlings:
In the wild, new cacao trees sprout when birds or other animals feasting on the pod’s sweet pulp discard the bitter seeds. Unlike many other plants, the cacao tree has no way to release its own seeds and must rely on animals to do the work.

Delicate seedlings are easily sunburned, and so they must have direct cover from larger “mother” trees in the rainforest canopy.

On farms, growers generally sow seedlings in a nursery. The small trees are planted in fiber baskets or plastic bags beneath shady covering, such as a sheltering layer of palm fronds that have been stretched over a frame.

In a month or so, the seedlings will be big enough to be transplanted beneath the protective branches of taller trees like bananas or coconuts.

Mature Cacao:
In the wild, cacao trees grow up to 30 feet tall. They always grow beneath the much taller rainforest canopy. Cacao trees finally begin to flower and produce pods when they’re about five years old.

Most wild cacao trees are no longer productive after age 25, though they can live much longer.

On farms, most growers prune back cacao trees to about 15 feet tall, which makes them easier to harvest and improves their yield. With intensive care, these trees can sometimes be coaxed to blossom in their third year—and that means faster income for the farmer.

To give it an even better (yet short-lived) boost, farmers often grow cacao in full sun. The extra sun increases output temporarily, but most cacao trees grown this way may not produce pods for as long as wild cacao trees. Plus, trees that have no shade cover tend to be more susceptible to disease.


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