How to grow Coffee

Coffea arabica nana

“Coffee has a unique, predictable growth and bearing habit that is managed by pruning to maintain good production. A new plant will produce one or more upright stems that do not fruit, but produce horizontally growing lateral stems that eventually will fruit. The laterals grow several inches in their first year, cease growth and initiate flowers in the dry season, then flower and fruit in their second year. As the one-year-old section of the lateral is fruiting, the apical bud breaks and extends the lateral vegetatively. Since only the portion of stem that grew the previous year can fruit, in successive years the bearing wood moves progressively further and further from the upright stem. Lower laterals eventually shade out, leaving the lower and central portions of the canopy devoid of leaves and fruit. The type of pruning practiced is called renewal or rejuvenation pruning, which basically constitutes cutting the entire plant back to about 18” and allowing it to re-establish a canopy of fruiting laterals. This is done every 4-7 years. Depending on grower preference, cultivar, and spacing, each tree is thinned to one, two, or several upright stems after pruning, which generally grow unchecked for another 4-7 years. If a single stem is retained, it may be tipped periodically to keep it from becoming too tall before the next pruning cycle. In multiple-stemmed trees, one or two stems may be kept for the year after pruning to provide photosythate for the new growth and bear a small crop. The stems left behind are called “lungs” or “breathers”. This is from the U. Georgia (U.S.) website.

Growing Coffee from seed

plant 1/2-1" deep, keep soil moist and soil temperature above 70-75 Fahrenheit.

Transplanting Coffee

Coffee plants grown in containers ideally should be re-potted every spring into a slightly bigger container. As with many other trees to keep it manageable prune it to the desired size, slightly restrict the pot size, and root prune for best results.1

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Coffee is a tender plant.

How long does Coffee take to grow?

These estimates for how long Coffee takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take Coffee to germinate?
60 days

Average 60 days | Min days | Max days (0)

Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Coffee?
+ days

Average days | Min days | Max days (0)

Days to Maturity How long until Coffee is ready for harvest / bloom?
+ 373 days

Average 373 days | Min 373 days | Max 373 days (1)

Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Coffee?
= days

Other names for Coffee

Footnotes

1 houseplants.about.com/od/Tropicals/p/Coffee-Growing-Coffee-Plants.htm


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