How to Grow Coffee Tree Plants

About Coffee Tree Houseplants

Have you ever thought about growing a Coffee plant? You can grow it outdoors, as long as you have a tropical environment, where there is never a frost, and the low temperatures do not go below 65 ° F for any length of time. For the rest of us, we know it and grow it as the Coffee Tree houseplant. It is indeed a tree. And, it’s easy to grow indoors. So, let’s explore how to grow coffee trees inside of your home.

Native to the Mediterranean, Coffee plants are evergreen and do not annually shed their leaves. As a result, it makes an excellent indoor houseplant. It is hardy and easy to grow, a great choice for beginner gardeners. Coffee tree houseplants are attractive plants and will be a conversation piece for your visitors to your home.

The tree takes about 4-5 years to reach maturity and first begins to produce flowers. The sweetly scented white flowers are long-lasting, about a month. Coffee beans emerge and grow after the bloom dies off. Don’t expect an abundance of indoor blooms. But, with a little luck, you can get enough coffee beans to produce a “cup of joe” after the beans have grown and ripened.

Plant Height: Grown outdoors, a mature coffee tree grows 60 – 75 feet tall.

Bromeliacae

Coffee Tree Plant Propagation

Growing coffee trees is a novelty for most home gardeners. They are grown from coffee beans, the same ones you use in your morning coffee. But, you can’t take a bean out of the bag you use to make your cup of coffee, as they have been roasted. Rather, you need a mature, raw coffee bean that has been dried and is ready for planting.

The plants can also be propagated from cuttings.

Most people look to purchase a coffee tree seedling, that is available in some garden stores and online. They are usually 3-4 inch seedlings that you can take home and plant in 4″ pots. Later, you can transfer it to a larger flowerpot, as needed.

Coffee Tree Plant Care and Maintenance

Coffee Tree plants are easy to grow indoors as a houseplant. The plants are long-lived. The tree requires about 4-5 years to reach maturity before it blooms and produces coffee beans.

Temperature: Normal to warm indoor temperatures. It is native to warm climates. So, do not let the indoor temperature drop below 65°F overnight, or for long periods of time.

Soil: Use rich, organic potting soil that is well-draining.

Light / Sunlight: The plants grow well in bright, indirect light. You can provide full morning light, but avoid direct sunlight in the afternoon. Plant leaves can burn indirect lighting, and it can kill the plant.

Water: Use warm water for the plants regularly, keeping the soil moist but not wet.

Fertilizer Regimen: Use a light fertilizer every two to three months. As it grows to maturity, it needs a fertilizer high in nitrogen, to fuel the plant’s growth. As it matures, switch from high nitrogen to a fertilizer higher in phosphorous to promote blooming.

Humidity: Plants like high humidity.

Pruning: Prune your coffee plant if you want to keep the plant in a shorter, bushier shape. Many people prefer the bushier appearance. Pruning is best done in the spring. Remove any dead or dying leaves and branches.

Pollination: The flowers will appear on mature trees. They are self-pollinating. Trees grown indoors will produce fewer flowers. Hand pollination will ensure more successful pollination of the flowers that bloom.

Ideal Soil pH: Grow these acid-loving plants in the 4.0 to 7.0 range.

Potting and Re-Potting Coffee Tree Houseplants

Most people buy 3–4-inch seedlings. There are usually several plants with the roots balled together in the package. Place the root ball in water overnight, to make it easier to separate the individual plants. The next day, carefully separate each coffee tree, and plant them in 4″ pots. Do not plant more than one per pot. As the plants grow, they need to be repotted twice more. After they outgrow the 4-inch pots, repot them into 12″ pots. Then, as they become really big, they will outgrow the 12-inch pots. Finally, repot them once more into 24″ or larger pots. It is important not to let them get root-bound, allowing the roots plenty of room to grow. Otherwise, you can stunt their growth.