The cacao trees seem to like the office environment pretty well. Here is the largest and only tree not planted in an actual pot. I transplanted two almost just like it from solo cups to pots and the roots were already starting to wrap around the bottom a week ago. They really like it near windows where they can get a decent amount of light but not necessarily full sun.
This little guy sits by a south facing window in a "V" shape. It gets morning and afternoon sun through a window that has pretty good UV protection, keeps the office cooler in the summer. At mid day it's in the shadow of the support for the windows as if it's hiding behind another tree which is just about perfect for him.
The leaves were initially a very thin and translucent which worried me for a little while but as they matured they took on this nice healthy green look. The tops look like they might start to produce more leaves soon but so far that's just a guess. There are also two stubs on the side under the leaves that might also be possibilities for leaves/branches or may be the beginnings of the flower pads that will hopefully produce the lovely cacao pods I so hope will produce before too long. Either way they will have to be repotted well before that happens. I'm thinking a 5-10 gallon pot should suffice, especially if I keep them pruned to stay inside with max ceiling height of 8 feet.
For more progress see the update post.
For more progress see the update post.
