How to Grow a Theobroma Cacao as a Houseplant

Grow cacao plants in a mixture of 1 part sand and 1 part compost to provide quick drainage and fertility. Your local nursery might not sell the sapling, but it is available online in 6-inch pots. Repot it into the next planter size whenever the Theobroma cacao roots outgrow the current container. A potted cacao tree reaches a maximum of 8 feet in height. It requires several successively bigger planters to accommodate the developing root system until the tree stops growing larger.

Run a humidifier in the room to maintain a moist environment. Spray the plant's foliage with water twice a day. Irrigate the plant as often as it takes to maintain the soil consistently moist.

Control the room temperature to maintain it above 40 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Keep it at tropical levels, in the 80s, as consistently as possible.

Place the tree in bright sunlight. The sunlight should be indirect to prevent scorching. Supplement light and heat with a grow lamp installed 6 to 12 inches above the plant if needed.

Handpick wooly aphids off the houseplant as they appear. These insects are 1/8 inch long with a pear-shaped body covered in a cotton-like substance. They feed on all parts of the plant, sucking the sap. Spray large infestations with insecticidal soap. Cacao plants are also susceptible to fungal infections. Spray spores with a commercially available blend of copper sulfate and hydrated lime.