Can You Grow Coffee At Home?
So who would have guessed that coffee is a fruit and it grows on a tree hey?
Well for all of you DIYers you can take your ‘home’ brew coffee one step further than roasting your own coffee in the shed.
Or maybe you just want to add a nice looking house plant with a backstory to your collection.
Either way, coffee plants are a thing - even in Blighty.
Can I grow a coffee plant in my house?
You certainly can.
I personally have a coffee plant in my house that I have owned for over 4 years which lives in my conservatory.
Although I didn’t grow it myself, it was gifted to me from a friend that had bought some seeds/beans back from Peru and germinated the coffee at home.
How to grow coffee beans at home?
Well, firstly you need to find a seed (or a bean).
Coffee beans should actually be called coffee seeds, they grow on coffee plants as a pair that are in the centre of a coffee cherry which is usually red.
These raw beans (usually referred to as green coffee) is then exported to coffee consuming countries before it is roasted into the coffee beans that we know and love.
Although one would assume you’d be able to nip down to your local roaster and ask to buy a few green beans to attempt to grow a coffee plant at home, these beans (or seeds) will not be able to germinate.
Once the coffee cherry is picked at origin it is processed and dried in various ways which takes the moisture level of the coffee bean below a certain point which it then is unable to grow.
Instead you’ll need to find somebody that either has a flowering coffee plant and is willing to share their seeds with you or somebody that has access to coffee cherries.
Once you have a coffee seed, it is similar to growing any other plant. Use a fairly deep pot and keep the soil moist.
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How long does it take to grow your own coffee?
Coffee plants are a fairly slow growing plant especially at home.
It will take around 2 months for the sprout to fully emerge from the pot.
After around 6 months you should have some fairly round looking leaves.
After 9 months you will have a very small coffee plant that will have started to grow your typical waxy looking coffee leaves.
For the plant to start fruiting you may have to wait for at least 4 years, sometimes much longer.
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Can you grow a coffee plant from a coffee bean at home?
If you’re referring to a coffee bean that you would use to brew coffee then the answer is no.
This has been processed and roasted beyond the ability to germinate.
However, if you are lucky enough to know somebody that has a coffee plant that fruits then the coffee beans harvested from the plant are good to grow coffee plants at home.
How hard is it to grow your own coffee at home?
Coffee plants are not easy to grow at home.
They are typically a slow growing plant and are fairly fussy when it comes to sunlight and temperature.
Although coffee plants are not the hardest house plant to rear, it does take a bit of plant based knowledge to successfully grow a coffee plant in your house.
How many times a year does coffee grow at home?
If you are already at least 4 years into growing your coffee plant you may be asking yourself how many times a year will my coffee plant fruit?
Normally a coffee plant would only have 1 harvest per year in coffee growing countries (apart from Colombia and a handful of other countries that can have 2).
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How many years can a coffee plant live in your home?
A coffee plant can live in your home for up to 20-30 years, although the productivity of the plant typically declines after about 15 years.
Proper care and maintenance can help extend the lifespan of a coffee plant at home, allowing it to continue producing high-quality coffee beans for a longer period of time.
Are coffee plants good for beginners?
Growing coffee plants at home can be challenging, especially if you are a beginner, as coffee plants require specific growing conditions to thrive.
Coffee plants need a warm and humid environment, well-draining soil, and regular fertilisation and watering.
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In addition, they are susceptible to pests and diseases, which can be difficult to control.
However, if you are up for the challenge and willing to put in the effort, growing coffee plants in your house can be a rewarding experience.
Watching your plant grow and eventually produce coffee beans/seeds can be fun and educational.
There are many resources available online and in books that can provide guidance on how to grow coffee plants successfully, and many coffee plant nurseries sell starter plants that can help you get started.
Just be prepared to invest time, effort, and patience into growing coffee plants in your house, as it can take several years for it to reach maturity and produce a significant harvest.
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Do coffee plants smell like coffee?
The coffee plant itself does not have the aroma that resembles the smell of roasted coffee.
The leaves of the coffee plant have a slightly sweet, floral scent, while the flowers have a jasmine-like aroma.
However, the coffee cherries that grow on the plant, which contain the coffee beans, have a fruity and sometimes slightly floral aroma.
This aroma can vary depending on the variety of coffee and the degree of ripeness of the cherries.
The roasted coffee beans are what give off the distinctive and familiar aroma of coffee that most people are familiar with.
