Cocoa Ball

CROP TIME

From planting to harvest: 16 weeks

PLANTING DENSITY

42 plants/m2 net (3-4 plants/ft2  net).

PRE-PLANTING

Substrate: Plant in beds using burned rice husk as substrate.

pH: 5.6 to 6.5

Netting: 2 levels

PINCH

Pinch 4 weeks after planting leaving 3 pairs of leaves. If plants don’t have enough length, do the pinch one week later.

SHOOT SELECTION

Depending on the plant development, shoot selection is done in weeks 6-8.  Choose the 3 best stems.  Selection criteria is be based on the vigor and thickness of the stem. Discard any reproductive stems. A second selection is done two weeks later.

LATERAL DISBUDDING

As stems grow, remove lateral buds from the internodes in a weekly manner.

IRRIGATION

During the first three weeks, maintain the subtrate’s humidity homogeneous using overhead irrigation according to  atmospheric and organoleptic conditions. Then change to drip irrigation at the time of planting,  or 7 days later, applying a volume of of 6-7 l/m2/day depending on atmospheric conditions.

FERTILIZATION

A general fertilization formula can be the following:

N: 120 ppm;  P: 40 ppm; K: 160 ppm; Ca: 120 ppm; Mg: 60 ppm; S: 50 ppm; Fe: 2 ppm: Mn: 2.5 ppm: Cu, Zn and B: 0.2 ppm.

Additional fertilization can be done in weeks 10-14 with the following formula:

K: 150 - 200 ppm

Ca: 150 -200 ppm.

EC: 1.0 to 1.4

HARVEST

Harvest when flower heads are well formed and when their diameter is 8 cms. Do not let the flowers ripen. Harvest as soon as the head shape is ready.

POST-HARVEST TREATMENT

Use AVB (0.5cm3 /Lt of Water). The pH after applying the AVB should be between 7 and 8. Mix very well and add AVB Booster (1 cm3/Lt of Water. Once mixed, the pH should be between 3.5 and 5.5. Keep the flower in this solution for 4 hours. Then hydrate for 4 hours in CHRYSAL PROFESSIONAL 2 (10 cm3/Lt of Water). Once mixed, the pH should be between 3.5 and 5.5.

PESTS & DISEASES

•Leaf Miner (especially when the plant is young)

•Thrips sp

•Aphids

•Fusarium sp.