diff --git a/api.txt b/api.txt
index b9d5cff..2500df3 100644
--- a/api.txt
+++ b/api.txt
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ The farming API allows you to easily register plants and hoes.
 
 ### Hoe Definition
 
-
 	{
 		description = "My Hoe",                -- Description for tooltip
 		inventory_image = "unknown_item.png",  -- Image to be used as wield- and inventory image
@@ -42,6 +41,7 @@ The farming API allows you to easily register plants and hoes.
 		-- ^ Always provide a plant texture for each step, format: modname_plantname_i.png (i = stepnumber)
 		minlight = 13,                         -- Minimum light to grow
 		maxlight = minetest.LIGHT_MAX           -- Maximum light to grow
+		can_grow = function(pos)               -- Called every growth tick to check if plant can grow returning True if needs are met (optional, defaults to checking for wet soil below plant).
 	}
 
 Note: Any crops registered with the above function will use the new growing routines, also if crops are manually added with the {growing=1} group they will also grow.
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ Note: Any crops registered with the above function will use the new growing rout
 
 If a mod registers nodes to be used as crops using the {growing=1} group then an additional function can be used for custom growth checks instead of the standard 'are we above wet soil'.
 
-growth_check = function(pos, node_name)
+growth_check = function(pos, [node_name])
 	-- check surrounding for jungle tree
 	if minetest.find_node_near(pos, 1, {"default:jungletree"}) then
 		return true -- place next growth stage
diff --git a/crops/cocoa.lua b/crops/cocoa.lua
index 1032b49..e67ad1d 100644
--- a/crops/cocoa.lua
+++ b/crops/cocoa.lua
@@ -160,6 +160,8 @@ local def = {
 	},
 	is_ground_content = false,
 	sounds = farming.sounds.node_sound_leaves_defaults(),
+
+	-- custom function to check for growing conditions, returning True when found
 	growth_check = function(pos, node_name)
 
 		if minetest.find_node_near(pos, 1,