How To Grow Cocoa

Top with chocolate chips. Add corn syrup, mixing well. I've been disappointed so many times because the flavor of the soda in the cookie overpowers the chocolate.: The dough is so tasty, I occasionally reserve some and serve it as a chocolate mousse.

Many chocolate lovers would like to grow their own "food of the gods," which is the interpretation of the cocoa tree's (Theobroma cacao) genus name. For U.S. gardeners, the tree should survive outdoors in much of Hawaii and parts of southern Florida and...

Most are quite reasonable when you go to purchase them.I enjoyed this book immensely and even learned a thing or two. It stands to reason if they can be attractive in these commercial environments, they will thrive in a home environment, cared for by...

I mow them over, pull them or relocate them...and am grateful for the free plants! If you want to save the seeds, just cut the crests and turn them upside-down in a paper bag each fall.

Sprinkle the tiny seeds on damp potting mix, press them into it and keep the mix damp. The most economical are the un-named six packs that can be picked up for a couple of bucks while gardeners with more specific tastes can choose cultivars with names...

(including myself) They will make your containers and gardens shine! Caladiums can give them bright colors in the shade and they are very easy to grow in most areas.Caladiums are native to South and Central America and were discovered by Europeans in...

It is never fertilized and the only pruning it gets is when I need to shape it. It is especially fragrant in the evenings and nice for sitting outside nearby just to enjoy it.Albas produce large, attractive hips that turn red in the fall and are considered...

Powdery mildew is a fungus that thrives in damp, humid conditions, so keeping the leaves dry with good air circulation is the best prevention. Zinnias are cheerful summer annuals that our grandmothers loved.

It was thought to protect inhabitants from thunder and lightning strikes, so was a common sight planted on thatch and sod roofs. This little succulent is native to the dry slopes of southern European mountain ranges like the Alps and has been a familiar...

Your little plants are ready to set in the garden when they are about hand high if the weather agrees. This way, you can watch over your seedlings and give them proper amounts of water and light.

If you use this technique you will never have a fallen tulip again.

Use a dropcloth and wear gloves when pruning to keep the milky white sap off skin and soil or pavement -- it contains toxins that can cause irritation or gastric upset. Wherever your plant lives, keep the soil moist and allow it to go almost dry before...

The trees are shade loving and are often grown under the forest canopy for more protection. The soil, however, must drain well.Wind-intolerant, cacao trees are often planted in regions where wind is low, typically in protected areas along the slopes of...

On average, the last frost of spring for northern Missouri is April 20 and for central locations is April 10. Many places will sell much larger plants -- often at a higher cost -- but tomatoes of this size do not tend to transplant well and any extra...

Blot them gently with paper towels. Plumeria flowers, also known as plumeria rubra and frangipani, are tropical flowers planted to scent gardens and are used in the making of leis because they are less prone to bruising.

Homemade mousetraps can cut down on costs, while leaving the gory scenes to a minimum.Rats menace your house, destroying everything in their paths.Glue a piece of barbwire over the top opening of the bottle.

Wine grapes come in over 5,000 varieties each ranging in different colors, flavors and sweetness. For most people, eating a sour treat is not enjoyable. If you have an egg allergy, you can use an egg substitute.Pour 2 cups of white granulated sugar in...

Add them during the last five minutes of cooking to retain the texture of the leaves.Fresh and dried ginger leaves make a mild and delicious tea. Ginger leaves still impart the flavor you want without overpowering the other flavors in your recipe.

You can grow the mushrooms indoors or outdoors, as long as the mushrooms have the necessary humidity levels and growing temperature.Drill about 10 holes, spaced approximately 6 inches apart, staggered around the center section -- the space that reaches...

If the plant is a little leggy it can be planted deeper than it was growing in the pot and more roots will form along the stem.Fill with potting media. The hole at the bottom of the planter that you will insert the plant root ball through is only 2.5"...

Leave the roses for two to three weeks.Remove the dry roses form the hook. Use only healthy, disease-free roses that are nearly at their peak.Remove the leaves from the stem and cut the stem down to 2 or 3 inches.Spread an inch of silica gel in the bottom...

The nitrogen makes the urea water-soluble and easy to mix in soil. This is how urea is the most useful and used mostly as a fertilizer, in some medications and industrial-made compounds.Urea was first discovered in 1773 by Hillaire Rouelle of France.

The Tater Tot was born. Luther Burbank found a single mutation of a potato in his garden in 1872. How many other foods are eaten regularly for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Over 70 million pounds of these "leftovers" are consumed annually.Do you know how...

If you started with 1 cup of dried peas, for example, add 5 cups of water, even though the peas have expanded in volume through the soaking process.Cover the pot with a lid and bring it to a boil over high heat.

Instead, try ripening the butternut squash in your home.Cut the unripened butternut squash from the vine. Squash must have sunlight in order to ripen. Leave at least 3 inches of the vine attached to the squash.

Put on the cap and screw it on lightly. You can make your own CO2 generator with yeast and a sugar solution. It shouldn't be airtight, because excess gases in the bottle may need to escape.Place the other end of the tubing near some plants in the greenhouse.

Cut each fruit into individual slices. Toss the peaches with lemon juice or fruit preservative to prevent browning.Combine two cups sugar and four cups water in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.