Today I want to talk to you about something that I have valued a lot in my home, but that due to so much work and routine I had left a little aside: my cocoa plants. 🌱 These plants that we brought from the coasts of the state have been with us for more than seven months now, and although day to day sometimes takes me out of focus, there is something special in taking care of something with so much history and energy of its own. 💚 I tell you that we have two cocoa plants at home. We brought them when they were tiny, almost defenseless. The owner of the land where we got them from had planted them some time ago, but they were still small. We decided to take two of them home and give them a new home, planting them in solid ground and under our care. We planted one of the plants in an almost hidden place, as if it were a little cave, surrounded by other plants that gave it shade and a cooler climate. The other one, we planted it in a place with a lot of sun exposure, and of course, cocoa needs a balance: not so much sun, not so much shade, but more towards shade. So the place was not ideal for it.
Recently, I started working on the one in the sun because it was wilting. Unlike the other one that has green and healthy leaves, this one was sadder, duller. 🥺 The first thing I did was dig a hole with a pickaxe to move it to a better place. But before that, I went over to the plant that was in the cave to give it a light pruning and leave it room to continue growing. I made sure that its shade was sufficient and that nothing was in its way.
Then I went back to the wilted plant. With patience and care, I dug a furrow around the base, creating a circle so the water could seep through and give it some relief. While digging, I took my time, because I'm not very strong, so I had to go gently. In the meantime, I distracted myself a little by petting my pet nearby, and in the background, I saw a beautiful woodpecker in the garden. Sometimes, those little moments of country life remind you how simple and beautiful it is to connect with nature. Something curious is that while I was digging the hole, I found a small snake living right under the cocoa plant. What a surprise! There were also a lot of ants around, which made me feel a little bad for the plant, which had been through so much. So I hurried to finish preparing its new home, although I did it slowly because I didn't have much strength.
At night, with the hole ready, I moved the plant to its new location. I moistened the soil and, as a final touch, put a circle of salt around it to protect it from pests. Now all that remains is to wait for its roots to strengthen and recover. Although it was hard work, the gratification you feel afterwards is incomparable. Taking care of something living, like these plants, reminds you how magical nature is and how much you can learn from it if you take the time to observe and care.
Thank you for reading me, this is my first post in this community and I hope to continue sharing everything I do in reference to agriculture, especially cocoa plants, I also have others that I will soon show... If you have any advice to help my plant improve, I am open to reading and learning from you, a hug.
