Want to grow coffee at home? Don’t worry, this isn’t as difficult as you might think. Learn everything about how to grow coffee from seeds in pots in your home.
In this article, we provide information about how to grow Arabica coffee, high-quality coffee beans with extraordinary fragrance. Now growing coffee from home is very popular and you can try it. This is not a bad idea, but it really gives its own pleasure.
- USDA Zones – 10-11b, you can plant arabica coffee in zones 7 or 9 with treatment in winter.
- The way to multiply is by the vegetative method or vegetative propagation
- Difficulty level – Moderate
- The type of soil that is good for growing coffee is acidic to slightly acidic soil.
- The height of the plant is 5 to 8 meters, you can reduce it to 2 meters by pruning.
- Flower color when blooming – White
The Growth of Coffee Tree
There are the most influential types of coffee in the world, they are Robusta (Coffea canephora) and Arabica (Coffea arabica) coffee. Among the two, the most popular is arabica coffee. Coffee is Ethiopia, Yemen and later developed commercially to Africa, Asia, and South America.
Coffee plants are small size trees with an average height of 5 meters. However, if you grow coffee in pots or containers you can control the growth rate easily, you can pruning. Coffee has thick green leaves, shiny and slightly stripped.
In subtropical areas, coffee can bloom twice a year. However, if you plant it as an ornamental plant and in a cooler climate, it will bloom during winter and spring. Coffee plants will usually flower after two years or three years of cultivation. When flowers bloom, you will see little white flowers like snow.
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After the flowering period, coffee will release the fruit for the first time and be green. Furthermore, in its development, the coffee fruit will turn red. Ripe coffee fruits that are ready for harvest usually decorate coffee plants for several months and the seeds will harden and dry out over time.
How to Grow Coffee from Seed
If your choice is to plant Arabica coffee, then you have to plant it from seeds because this is a rare plant. You don’t find it in the bush and then move it to the pot. So, we will discuss how to grow Arabica coffee from seeds.
To add Arabica coffee, you need fresh green seeds. To get it, you can explore online stores. Planting coffee beans is suitable throughout the year in sub-tropical and tropical climates. However, if you live in a cooler area, the best time to plant seeds is in spring or summer (mid-summer).
Plant coffee beans on soil with low acidity and a temperature of around 20 C. Coffee beans are different from other seeds, it has a long time to germinate. The time needed to germinate is around 1 month to 6 months. If you see your coffee beans have started to germinate, place them in the shade and avoid them from the sun other than the morning sun.
Also read: How to Grow Green Beans
If you decide to buy coffee beans that have grown, then choose seeds that are healthy with dark green leaves and no pests. Including no yellow leaves at the bottom.
How to Grow Coffee Plant in Pot
Our discussion is not only about planting coffee in general but also how to grow coffee in pots or more special places.
The first thing is to choose the pot you are using. Choose a pot with a nice and light drainage hole. Plastic pots are better because they are lightweight so they are easy to move around. Place the pot in a damp and warm place and stay away from the air blow. Arabica coffee can grow optimally if the air temperature is 53 F-80 F (12 C-25 C).
However, the best temperature for Arabica coffee growth is 45 F-85 F (7 C-30 C). If the temperature in your place is killed or above this temperature, coffee plants need extra care to grow healthy.
Requirements for Growing Coffee Plant
1. The sun. Coffee should not be exposed to direct sunlight, especially in the afternoon. This unique plant likes diffuse rays, so many coffee farmers who plant others besides coffee for shade. If the coffee is exposed to direct sunlight, the leaves will be as bad as burning.
2. Land condition. The soil must be loose and easily penetrated by the root of the coffee. The plant has a long root that rises into the ground, so the soil must be loose and not hard. Soil must contain high manure or contain topsoil. You can also add bonemeal to the ground. Land that is good for coffee cultivation is that the soil has high acidity, pH around 6.
3. Watering. Watering is very important for coffee plants because it is a tropical rain forest plant. Spring and dry season, coffee plants need abundant watering to grow. The way to pour coffee in a pot is to pour water from the top of the leaves to the stem. He likes the leaves to condense and always cool. So, watering from above is best. If you are in a place with a very cold climate, then you have to reduce watering in winter.
Coffee Plant Care: How to Care Coffee
Use slow-release Admix fertilizer when preparing the plant and give it after two months of planting as much as 100 grams. From April to the end of August (growth period), coffee plants need fertilizer regularly every month. You can use the fertilizer you use also for oranges.
However, if you grow coffee in the room, coffee needs certain moisture to grow. One of the best ways is to use an air moisturizer.
3. Pruning coffee plants
If your coffee plant has a body of about 2 feet, cut the tip to stimulate lateral branch growth. In coffee plants you can do harsh pruning. The method of pruning is very easy, you can only need to pinch the end of the plant to prevent the plants from rising and stimulating more branches.
Coffee is a plant that is not resistant to frost, so if the freezing season occurs it is dangerous for coffee plants. Temperatures below 30F can cause coffee plants to die easily. If the temperature is below 30F or 40F, you should keep the coffee plant in the room near the window to get daylight. While at night, place it under the growth lights.
How to Harvest Coffee
After we know about how to grow coffee, now we see how to harvest coffee. If the coffee plant grows well, it will start to bear fruit after 4 or five years of planting. Coffee is not only useful as an ornamental plant but also gives you good coffee beans that are enjoyed as aromatic drinks. It is not important about the seeds, whether or not the seeds are of high quality. One of the important and fun things is the coffee beans produced from your own plants.