Carob Seeds

When ground up, the seeds inside the carob pod create a powder similar to cocoa, which works beautifully in many chocolate-based recipes.

If you live in a warmer USDA hardiness zone, you can grow a carob tree in your back yard and harvest its pods for your own benefit.

Prepare the Carob Seeds

Carob trees grow best in USDA zones 9 to 11.

Before you plant dry carob seeds, prepare them for germination by pre-soaking them in warm water.

Germinate the Seeds

Plant your soaked or fresh carob seeds in 4-inch-diameter peat pots filled with high-quality potting mixture.

Add a little perlite to help the soil retain moisture, and water your peat pots until they are moist.

Poke a 1.5-inch planting hole in the soil, and drop your carob seed into the hole, covering the seed up gently with potting mixture.

Transfer your peat pots onto a warming mat, and place the mat in front of a south-facing window or in another warm, sunny location.

Make sure the temperature doesn't drop below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or your seeds may go dormant instead of sprouting.

Your seedlings should start to emerge 30 to 45 days after planting.

Make sure the soil stays damp, rather than wet, to prevent fungus, which could kill a newly germinated carob plant's roots.

Transplant Your Carob Sapling

Once your little carob saplings reach 3 inches in height, you can transplant them into larger pots.

Fill larger pots with a mixture of loamy soil and sand.

If you plan to plant your seedlings outside, ensure the soil in your yard drains well.

If it does not, add cotton burr compost, peat, or sand to the earth.

Tear off the bottom of your peat pots to allow root growth, and transplant the pots directly into the soil.

Cover the ground around your seedlings with bark or leaf mulch to deter weeds, which commonly compete for nutrients.

Protect and Maintain Your Carob Sapling

Particularly during the first year of growth, young carob trees need protection from animals like deer and rabbits.

You can keep your saplings safe using extra-wide tree shelters or small cages made of wire fencing.

As they become established, carob trees grow strong and thick and remain fairly resistant to disease and insect damage.

You can expect your carob tree to grow up to 55 feet tall and to remain productive for 80 to 100 years. Harvest and Process Your Carob Seeds When ground up, the beans inside carob pods make an excellent chocolate substitute.

Simply remove the beans from your pods, and place them in a blender to create carob flour.

Use the flour in brownie and cake and other recipes that require cocoa powder. Carob powder also makes an excellent