How To Grow A Home Coffee Plant: A Step-By-Step Guide

crazy by Editorial Staff | Updated on March 10th, 2023

A little-known secret is that the same plant that produces berries with great coffee beans also makes an excellent houseplant. You may have a coffee plant indoors with very little upkeep!


It is widely regarded as one of the most tenacious plants, making it ideal for novice and professional gardeners. Because the coffee plant is evergreen and does not shed leaves, it will look great in your home all year.

home gardening

So, if you don’t want to own a coffee farm but want to start a small coffee plant project, we’re here for you!

What is required for a coffee plant to grow?

Coffee plants develop to be medium-sized trees in their natural habitat. However, producers regularly prune the plants to keep them more manageable, particularly when they are kept indoors.

Even though coffee plants are fast-growing, it will usually take a few years for your plant to grow flowers and resultant fruits.

row of bean sprout

What month is the perfect time to grow a coffee plant?

Early April is the perfect time to cultivate a coffee plant. (Please remember that you cannot grow coffee plants from store-bought beans because they have been processed and roasted and will not germinate.)

Sunlight

In colder climates, coffee plants prefer partial sunshine or full sunlight. They are understory plants (those that grow beneath the forest canopy) and do not flourish in direct, intense sunshine. Overexposure to direct sunshine causes leaf browning in coffee plants.

Soil

Plant coffee plants in fertile, peat-based potting soil that drains well. Coffee plants like acidic soil, so if your plant isn’t growing, add organic matter like sphagnum peat moss to raise the pH of the soil. Coffee plants may grow in soil with a pH range of about 4 to 7, while 6 to 6.5 is the preferred pH range.

Water

These plants adore water and must be watered regularly and substantially. The soil should be wet but not waterlogged. Never let the soil dry out.

Humidity and temperature

A daytime temperature range of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and a nighttime temperature range of 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for coffee plants. Higher (hotter) temperatures might hasten growth, but they are not optimal for cultivating plants for their beans. The fruits must ripen slowly and steadily.

Furthermore, because these plants grow naturally on the sides of tropical mountains, they flourish in highly humid circumstances with plenty of rain and fog. A humidity level of 50% or greater should suffice. If the air becomes too dry, the leaf edges may darken. You should mist the plant at least once a day to increase humidity.

Fertilizer

Treat with a mild liquid fertilizer throughout the growing season every few weeks. In the winter, reduce fertilizer application to once a month or less.

Planting and Replanting

Every spring, repot your coffee plant, gradually increasing the pot size. Make certain that the container has several drainage holes. To maintain the plant’s growth reasonably, you can cut it to the proper size, restrict its pot size, and root prune it.

Propagating Coffee Plants

red round fruits in tilt shift lens

To propagate a coffee plant, use seeds from an existing plant or buy a new seed.

Cuttings or air layers can also propagate coffee plants (a quite engaging technique where you trim branches still attached to the parent plant). Early June is the finest time to do a cutting. Cut all but a pair of upper leaves from 8 to 10 inches long straight stem. Plant the cutting in a tiny pot of soilless potting mix, keeping the soil moist. You’ll tell roots have formed when you lightly pull on the plant and feel resistance.

Coffee Plant Toxicity

All parts of a coffee plant are toxic to dogs, cats, birds, horses, and other animals. Similarly, all plant parts harm humans, except the ripe fruit (the coffee bean).

Poisoning Symptoms

Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and appetite loss are classic symptoms of coffee plant poisoning in animals and humans. More severe toxicity might result in seizures, irregular heart rate, and, in rare cases, death.

Common Pests

Coffee plants are occasionally infested with aphids, mealybugs, and mites. Clumps of white powdery residue, tiny webs, or identifiable insects on the plant indicate an infestation. Infestations should be treated immediately to prevent them from spreading to the rest of your collection. Begin with the least harmful treatment choice first, moving on to more toxic chemicals only if your early efforts fail.

Coffee Plant Varieties

The Coffea genus has over 120 plants, with Coffea arabica accounting for most global coffee production. This genus contains the following plants:

  • Coffea arabica ‘Nana’: This petite variety grows only 12 inches tall, making it perfect for indoor cultivation.
  • Coffea canephora: Also known as robusta coffee, this plant is found in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its plants are hardy, but the coffee beans are less popular since they have a stronger, harsher flavor than arabica beans.
  • Coffea liberica: This species is indigenous to central and western Africa and was discovered in Liberia. It yields huge fruits with a higher caffeine level than arabica beans but a lower caffeine content than robusta beans.

How to grow a coffee plant

coffee plant

Coffee beans are formed on a lovely tiny plant with lustrous green leaves and compacted growth habits. The coffee plant (Coffea arabica), native to Ethiopia, flowers in the spring with white flowers and then produces half-inch berries that progressively darken from green to blackish pods. These fruits carry two seeds, eventually developing into coffee beans used to make coffee.

1. Coffee harvesting and seed preparation

Ripe coffee beans should be gathered and picked from trees producing well and free from disease or other afflictions. Hand-pulp the cherry, wash it with water, then ferment it in a small jar until the pulp falls out. Simply rubbing the coffee beans in your palms during fermentation will reveal this. Rinse with clean water once more.

Any coffee beans that float during the washing process should be removed. The coffee beans must then be dried on a mesh sieve in open and dry air, but not in direct sunshine, to around 20% moisture content.

Because coffee has a 60-70 percent moisture level after pulping, you can weigh the beans to establish the optimum stopping point. Otherwise, bite the bean open to ensure it’s dry on the exterior and mildly soft and moist on the interior.  Conversely, a pulped coffee bean can be planted immediately, which is advantageous in some places.

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2. Germinating coffee beans

Green coffee can be acquired from a green coffee source; however, the bean must be from a recent crop and shipping. I would suggest getting green coffee from Amazon.

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The propensity for germination will last nearly four months, but after that, the germination rate will be several-fold lower, and the germination duration will be substantially longer. Fresh seeds should sprout in 2.5 months, but aged seeds can germinate for up to six months. If pergamino is available, plant the coffee facing down in the pergamino.

It is recommended that the seeds be pre-germinated. Soak the coffee seeds in water for 24 hours before. The seeds should then be planted on damp sand, or moist vermiculite drained of excess water. Alternatively, you can put the seeds in moist coffee bags that should be watered twice daily and well-drained.

Remove the coffee seed gently from the sand, burlap bags, or vermiculite once it has germinated. Make a 1.25 cm-deep hole on friable loam soil with a high humus concentration. Rotted manure, dried blood, and bone meal can all be included. Consider lightweight and porous dirt if you can’t get this soil type. Place the seed side down the hole and cover it with soil.

3. Coffee plant care

Indoors, the coffee plant flourishes under artificial plant lighting. Outside the Tropic belt, the outside temperature is too unpredictable and cold for the tree to develop. Water the tree at least twice a week, once in full watering and once in half watering.

Add some water to the soil in a half-watering and allow it to drain. In a full watering, add water, let it drain, and then add water laced with fertilizer, again letting it drain. The important thing is to keep the soil moist but very well-drained.

Flowering and maybe cherries can be seen after two or three years, but do not expect good-quality coffee except if you are at a high altitude and closely monitor the conditions of the artificial microclimate.

Wait till the start of winter and drastically limit watering for 2-3 months to stimulate blossoming. When spring arrives, water the plant thoroughly, which should jolt it into blooming—water thoroughly and regularly from now on. Because Arabica coffee is self-fertile, you won’t have to worry about pollinating.

How much time does it take to grow coffee?

Your coffee plant might grow six feet tall with proper care, watering, repotting, and indoor conditions! This may take 3 to 5 years, but at that point, it could begin to flower, and those blossoms will later pollinate and create a fruit – the coffee cherry, which yields the bean inside.

How many coffee plants should I grow?

A single indoor coffee plant is unlikely to produce enough coffee to brew a full pot, but who knows? Maybe you’re an expert gardener, and homegrown coffee is yours!

Growing tips for your coffee plant

Here are a few more pointers to help you achieve your coffee-growing objectives.

1. Enjoy the process of growing, not the process of gathering.

Many first-time produce growers expect that once their plant grows, they can enjoy as much of its harvest as they wish. Sadly, many plants, such as the coffee plant, take years to mature and only produce a small amount of fruit. It’s an exhilarating feeling when your plant blooms and yields cherries. However, remember that a single plant can only yield so much. Learn to appreciate the process and the number of cherries you produce.

2. Keep children and pets away from the plant.

Coffee beans are tasty, but the rest of the tree is poisonous. Although you should not use the coffee plant’s leaves or branches to prepare food or drink, small children and animals may be unaware of how harmful this plant can be. If a child, cat, dog, horse, or other animal ingests the leaves or branches, they may become ill or develop health problems. On the other hand, cherries can be a choking hazard.

3. Keep pests out of the plant

Some houseplants are known to attract annoying pests, and the coffee plant is no exception. Ants, mites, coffee berry or white stem borers, scale insects, leaf miners, aphids, and mealybugs are just a few of the insects that may try to infest your plant. Although you want to get rid of the pests, you want to do this in the least dangerous way possible. Begin with biological pest control remedies before progressing to mildly toxic alternatives. When possible, you should keep your plant’s natural health.

4. Check your plant for disease signs

Pests aren’t the only issue your coffee plant may face. Diseases can also afflict your plant and spread if you don’t treat it promptly. Many of the first signs of disease appear on the leaves. If you notice the color of the leaves changing to yellow or brown, whether in patches or on the entire leaf, it is most likely sick. Sickness is also indicated by dried-out leaves falling off the tree or discolored wood right beneath the bark. Examine the cherries for lesions or rotting.

5. Learn how to roast, grind, and brew your beans

Although some love just growing coffee plants, those who want to brew their beans must first learn about coffee-making, many factors influence your cup coffee taste, such as the grind size, roasting process, brewing method, and water-to-coffee ratio.

What are the benefits of growing your coffee plants?

Growing your coffee plants can offer various benefits for coffee lovers. Some of the benefits include the following; 

Cost savings over store-bought coffee

One benefit of growing your coffee is cost savings over store-bought coffee. Coffee can be expensive, and growing your own can be a cost-effective way to enjoy high-quality coffee at home. 

While some upfront costs are associated with buying coffee plants and equipment, long-term savings can be significant. By growing your coffee, you can avoid the markup associated with commercial coffee production and enjoy the satisfaction of producing your food.

Potential for experimentation and customization of coffee blends

Another benefit of growing your coffee is the potential for experimentation and customization of coffee blends. You can experiment with different varieties of coffee plants, growing conditions, and processing methods to create unique and customized blends when you grow your coffee. 

Growing coffee can be fun and rewarding to explore your taste preferences and learn about the complex flavors and aromas possible with different coffee varieties.

Contribution to local and global coffee communities

Growing your coffee can also contribute to local and global coffee communities. By growing your coffee, you can become part of a community of coffee enthusiasts who share a passion for sustainable and ethical coffee production. 

You can share your knowledge and expertise with others and learn from their experiences. By supporting small-scale and fair-trade coffee production, you can contribute to the well-being of coffee farmers and their communities locally and globally. 

Final thoughts

As you can see, cultivating your coffee plant is not a difficult or time-consuming and requires great care and attention. If you’re passionate about growing your coffee plant, it may also be a fulfilling and satisfying experience — give it a shot and let us know how it goes!

crazy

Editorial Staff

The editorial staff at Crazy Coffee Crave is a team of coffee enthusiasts & Baristas who enjoy the one thing we all think about as soon as we get up in the morning. Trusted by thousands of readers worldwide.