Cacao seeds

Placed the seeds from two different cacao pods into small plastic pint containers for about 10 days to ferment. One pod was red, one yellow. One container was white hdpe, the other clear hdpe. Placed both containers on the top shelf of an indoor pantry where they would stay constant temperature and receive less light.

Removed the seeds from both containers and rinsed with water, rubbed lightly to remove the majority of the mold.

The seeds in the clear container formed a darker layer of growth and sprouted. The seeds in the white container turned out an amber color.

Planted the sprouting seeds in a shallow tray with black cinder. Placed the amber seeds on a tray to dry (see photo).

Gulch cacao

Located 7 cacao seedlings in the gulch slope near studio. Most are about 18" tall now, good leaf health, maybe a bit pale. It appears some vines regularly overgrow them and need to be trimmed back.

Located two cacao seedlings at top of "peninsula" in gulch. Decent health but growing more slowly than main slope cacao, maybe due to less sunlight infiltration.

Moved two coconut seedlings down to peninsula and will plant in the ground shortly.

Planted "Hawaiian chili" bush near patio.

Four medium sized stalks of bananas are ripening simultaneously. The one orange tree is producing lots of ripe fruit right now. Appears to be good for juicing but not for eating (the meat doesn't separate easily from skin.)

Planted mangosteen and cacao saplings

Planted 3gal mangosteen from Paradise Plants ($40).

Planted two small (12-18") cacao saplings that were sprouted from seed approximately 20120315.

Mangosteen planting method:
Dig hole approximately 24" deep, approximately twice the diameter of the pot the tree came in. Mix a bit of small black cinder and manure (about 1 gal total) and place in bottom of hole. Roll sapling out of container and rest in center of hole atop soft cinder/manure mix. Toss in about 1/2 cup triple 16 fertilizer. Fill rest of hole around roots with manure/cinder mix.
Cut two pieces of weed block cloth about 4 feet long. Cut a slit in each about halfway across at the center (don't cut all the way across the cloth). Slide slit around base of tree, with both pieces so that they overlap.
Place some cinder (about 5 gal) on cloth around tree base to hold cloth down and block light. Create a cylindrical wire cage around the tree using square wire mesh (1" or so) to a height of about 3-4 feet. Stake the cage to the ground using eg a sharpened piece of scrap 1x4. Tie the stake(s) to the cage using scrap wire, twine, or tubing.
After the cage is staked, pour more black cinder around the base of the tree inside the cage: some should leak out of the cage onto excess cloth.
Plant perennial peanut stolons on top of the cinder inside the cylinder.

Peninsula status

The old lilikoi vine continues to drop a few fruits though it's foliage is sparse and far overhead.

Strawberry guava and other guava continues to spread, requiring a machete to gain access.

Found one cacao planted in a shady spot. It looks healthy but has grown very slowly. Perhaps insufficient light.

Found one potted coconut palm that looks very healthy. Would consider moving additional potted coco palms down there.

Took a clipping of a tree I didn't recognize, growing in a few places on peninsula. See photo.

Back 40 status

There are currently multiple potted trees in the back 40. The avocados continue to thrive, though they may be a bit root bound by now. The tallest is about 5 foot.

The kamani is still growing slowly: tallest about 18".

The cacao is growing slowly: much more slowly than the cacao that was potted under the large avo tree. Maybe a bit slower than studio gulch-slope cacao. Possibly it's getting too much shade from grasses.

Peanut planted in the pots with cacao etc has sent out long tendrils but not really filled in near the pots. This may be due to weaving among taller grasses.

Cacao status

Nine cacao keiki, roughly one foot talk or less growing on the slope behind studio. Was partly covered by climbing yellow-flowered vines. Lots of African tulip saplings sprouting up in the vicinity.

Removed vines to clear daylight for cacao. Cleared access path a bit (1h)

Potted cacao

This one was planted in May?
Left under large avo tree canopy for shade, surrounded by other seedlings such as avo.

Cacao terrace

Checked cacao terrace in gulch near studio. Counted nine keikis in good health, maybe one foot tall with 4-8 healthy leaves each. Perennial peanut is sprouting out of at least one planting.

So far they remain uncovered by any vines or grass. There is some yellow flower climbing vine approaching them.

Will check again before July. Otherwise, looks like a good humid shady spot to plant cacao.

Back 40 nursery.

• Moved three kamani, avacado, and avacado with junior cacao seedlings to "back 40" triangle 1 hour
• Moved the loose fence gate back to cover the "back 40" entrance.  Not attached to anything yet, just leaning.
• Hacked some tall grass in the back 40 (15 mins)
• Weeded extensively in the pasture (2 hours)
• Setup water spigot mount by shed (45 mins)
• Tested out inverter connection (30 mins)
• 
  

Planted 4 cacao in gulch

Pound stepping stakes near dropped african tulip trees in gulch:
Plant reforestation cacao (2 hrs)