Growing Coffee
 

Re: Growing Coffee
 

This is a topic that I am interested in myself. I want to try to find some great strains, and try them in the Florida climate. I do remember watching a show about them, and it mentioned that the pros all put them on trellises. It also showed the process of how they dry them and so forth. I would love to learn how to grow them, and make my own home grown coffee.

Re: Growing Coffee
 

hello BJ and BC,
I've some coffee seedlings going, they do not like cold, if it gets below 32F, they need protection. Mine enjoy part shade and are kept moist (potted). If you can find green coffee seeds (not roasted) you might be able to get them to sprout. Check with you serious coffe shops, many of them carry green beans. A place to order green coffee beans from is Tradewindsfruit.com, they have some different varieties, though the seed packs contain just a few seeds (cheaper at coffee shop). They seem to be slow growers at first, but hopefully with size, that will change.

-Ethan:2739:

Re: Growing Coffee
 

Bamboo man..FL is great for coffee...I got a ton of beans last year...and have quite a few friends locally who have grown coffee....saw some plants at Lowes a month or so back...

Chris

Re: Growing Coffee
 

Thanks for the info. Let us know how its going, as it should be interesting. What I am interested in finding is the strain that produces the Mocha Java. To me, that coffee has such a unique aroma and taste like nothing else, and it has zero flavoring to it.

Re: Growing Coffee
 

I have seen a few plants myself at Home depot, but I was not impressed with the type. I believe it was the inferior type robusta.
You mentioned that you got a bunch of beans last year, did you grow some yourself? If so, how big is the plant, and how many beans would you say you got?

Re: Growing Coffee
 

Yes..I grew from a tiny seedling I got from Garden Web..grew like a weed...probably 300 or so beans...unfortunately I had to move the plant....I bought the lot next door to my house and what was formerly the edge of my yard became the middle of my yard....

Chris

Re: Growing Coffee
 

Here in the Dominican Republic we grow wonderful coffee. I would never drink it in the UK or USA, but I love it here - so smooth and flavourful. If anyone is interested, I could try to get some raw beans for sprouting - a friend will need to help me as my spanish is not up to scratch in this department. The locals dry their beans for their own consumption on the roadside and it is easy to see when the harvest times are. PM me and I will see what I can do.

Re: Growing Coffee
 

looking on the sale rack at Lowes, I found a 4' (with pot) tall coffee plant. Best part is it is Arabica coffee, not robusta or others. The plants does not look real happy, but I think I can take care of that. I'm pretty excited, the ones I've seen with fruit were just a little bigger than this size.:woohoonaner: My 'Kona' seedlings have a little inspiration now.

cant wait to pot is up,
-Ethan:guitarris

Re: Growing Coffee
 

Sounds good Ethan, and I might have to look at the Lowes around here.
Looks like my beloved Mocha java is a blend, so I would need two type of beens, as MJ is a combination of 50/50 Yemen Mocca and Java Estate. If I could find green beans of these two, that would be great. Of course I would love to find any decent type of coffee, so I will keep checking.
island cassie, I would be interested in those, if its not too much trouble. I'll send you a pm.

Re: Growing Coffee
 

BC, check any real coffee shop, not that corporate place, but places that roast there own or check this link. I think these are all green coffee beans, saw Mokha and Java there. Shoot, I might have to buy some, if they are fresh, they should sprout?

http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.greencoffee.mvc.shtml

here is a picture of my bounty, after a bigger pot and lots of water.

-Ethan:2239:

Re: Growing Coffee
 

Re: Growing Coffee
 

hello BJ,
the plant itself kind of stinks, very vegetative smelling. The green beans, dont get that rich roasted smell and taste, until they are roasted. There is nothing quite like that roasted smell though, makes me want a cup now.

-Ethan:2708:

Re: Growing Coffee
 

Dear Blue Java . . . I have 2 acres in Puerto Rico with coffee already growing and producing. For Sale. However if thats a photo of you on the ID, I might let you have the acres for small favors !

Somebody else here is wrong. Its not a smelly plant. Its absolutely beautiful. You do not pick and roast the fruit green. Wait till thier red and ripe. Something most people do not know about Coffee Plants . . . The are related to Gardenias and in summer are covered with beautiful garlands of tiney gardenia blooms with the sweetest smelling odor you could immagine !!

Re: Growing Coffee
 

Coffee like high elevations and cool temperatures.

Re: Growing Coffee
 

coffee plants are fairly easy to grow in the home as a potted plants,especially outdoors in the summer. they will do best in filtered sunlight (mine grow in 60% shade), with night temperatures in the lower to mid 60s and day temperatures of 70F or higher - they do not like temps down below 45, they will wilt faster than bananas, if this happens water with warm water and they will perk up. plant them in any good commercial, fast draining potting soil, keep them on the moist side, but never soggy.

like formontcalamus said,,,the flowers smell great!

Re: Growing Coffee
 

been trying to talk wife in to growing a few:2124:

curious to how many beans can be collected from a coffee plant

Dan

Re: Growing Coffee
 

There are several "species of rare coffee" that grow into small trees, produce less seed (beans) and will not grow in Florida. The quality of coffee is in the processing of "ripe" red seeds, not green and quality also depends on climate of the plants. Coffee likes cool nights, part shade and damp clay soils. Some coffee has been grown to produce seed in Homestead Florida, but further north, it needs a greenhouse for winter. All coffee is commercially grown for best flavor in the mountains of the Caribe and South American northern countries. Puerto Rico grows coffee in the mountains known to be the worlds best in flavor. If you buy a jar of Maxwellhouse instant coffee, somewhere in the jar is coffee grown on my farm in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico ! I offer seeds on web-site: plantcollectors. net

For members of Bananas org, if anyone cares to send me about three dollars, for postage, I will send you 50 to 100 viable seeds free to try. (members only).
Logos Formont Calamus

Re: Growing Coffee
 

cash, check,or money order?:0518:

Re: Growing Coffee
 

I forgot to mention the best part about Coffee . . . Coffee is related to Gardenias ! In spring the plants bloom hundreds of tiney Gardenias on long sprays weighing down the plants with flowers that have a sweet odor stronger than popular Gardenias. If you never see coffee but get flowers, its well worth growing and waiting the 2 to 3 years for flowering !

Each Spring for about a month the entire Island reaks with the entoxicating odor of Coffee bloom. Ever wonder why Old Ladies love Gardenias . . . like Gardenias, Coffee blooms are "aphrodisac" which are proven to arouse sexual awareness.

In Puerto Rico the birth rate rises every year February and March (9 months after the blooming !! There are actually many songs written and song by the mountain people (Jibaros) about "Falling in love in Spring when the Coffee blooms !!
Logos

Re: Growing Coffee
 

D & T Coffee beans ripen radically over about six weeks on the plant. You pick thoes red each week untill all are picked. One large healthy bush will produce only about a quart/ 1-1/2 lb. You would need 4 or 5 big plants to actually enjoy your own harvest.

Re: Growing Coffee
 

i llllooovvveeee tropical plants including coffee plants!

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like to get some seeds when weather gets warmer up north, as been 0 to 21F all week

Re: Growing Coffee
 

Coffee plants are commonly sold as an indoor tropical, ornamental plant under the botanical name "Coffea". To grow them to produce coffee beans, they need to be grown outdoors in part-shade, warm area with no danger of freeze. You'll need two plants for each person who drinks coffee. Processing the beans is error-prone, you can easily ruin your crop. In some cities you'll find a place that roasts fresh (green) coffee beans. Coffee plants do not grow true to variety from seed. Don't be fooled by internet sellers of coffee seeds or plants grown from seed. To get a true variety, you'll need a rooting. Always ask how the plant was propagated.

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Aaron - the US postal system will no longer accept seeds by post from outside the USA - so you will be better off to order coffee beans from Formontcalamus as he can send them from Puerto Rico without any problems. Sorry but I cannot send any from here.

Cassie

Re: Growing Coffee
 

When you grow from seed (beans), you will not get the cultivated variety but instead the species, typically Coffea arabica. The beans the plant will produce will be of o.k. quality, but nowhere near the quality of the parent.

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I grew some from seeds, once. I gave one of the seedlings to my mother, who had it on a stepped plant stand, in front of a glass patio door, in Pennsylvania. She grew it into a sizeable, beautiful plant with glossy green leaves, wonderfully fragrant little white flowers, and beautiful red berries. She extracted the seeds from the berries, and replanted. She had three or four generations growing there - all on her little plant stand, in front of the glass doors.

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Interesting to know, Richard. So the coffee plantations are all started from cuttings, huh? That's alot of cuttings. How fast does coffee grow?

Cassie, I haven't heard about the US not allowing seeds in from other countries. I have gotten some from other countries in the past month with out problems. Anyhow, that eliminates me getting palm seeds from you. :ha::ha::ha:

Re: Growing Coffee
 

Tissue culture is common now, too. In the tropics the plants grow very quickly. In temperate parts some varieties are grown with out shade, otherwise species of Inga and Erythrina trees are used to provide inexpensive shade. Enterprising growers also grow orchids and other epiphytes in the tree branches.

All plant material coming into the U.S. is regulated by federal law, and many states have additional requirements. The postal inspectors can't catch it all, but anything they do discover will at best end up in quarantine for two years.

Re: Growing Coffee
 

Dean - our post for the USA goes via our Miami box and they specifically exclude seeds.

Cassie

Re: Growing Coffee
 

Coffee is grown commercially in Kona, but, a century ago, it was grown in East Hawaii, as well. I found some trees from an old plantation still hanging on in the forest, and, even better, two seedlings that were small enough to move. They look just like the variety that is currently grown in Kona; one has red berries and the other, yellow. Both are highly productive, but I haven't made any attempt to quantify just what they yield. But the branches are pretty packed with berries.

A later expedition into the forest (by my son) recovered 5 more coffee seedlings, but they are slightly different; the new growth has a pronounced redish tinge, and the berries are bigger. And yields appear lower, too.

I've been growing out seedlings to plant as a forest understory; so far; I've got about 1 1/4 acres that I've hand cleared the weed trees from. Around 280 coffee plants so far (and 70 bananas, but most of those are along the edges, where there's more sun). Coffee is easy enough to grow, it's the picking that's so time consuming.

Re: Growing Coffee
 

It almost die with the cool temperatures early this year..them i trimmed down in march ( i thouth i killed.. terrible! )and is just now that is growing back..can anybody give some growing tips and how to go from here growing in a container ...is in a 10gal pot now.
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