Spending too much money on coffee and thinking how nice it would be to grow your own coffee beans? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to reach into a tree in your garden and easily pull out some coffee beans roast them yourself? At last, the tropics are millions of miles away ” therefore it may not be possible. Or is it?
For years, my husband and I have been thinking about growing our own coffee bean tree. We loved coffee and had success growing other trees inside our house, so we were not sure why it wouldn’t be possible. Later, we found it was possible! Here is how to grow your own coffee bean tree inside ” minus the tropical weather outside your window.
First of all, there are three choices that one can grow a coffee bean tree: 1) a coffee cherry (which has two seeds inside it); 2) an unprocessed seed that still has the pergamino (parchment) attached; or finally 3) a processed green bean can be used. Whichever choice has been selected, it is important to make sure they are fresh and have not molded. A coffee cherry is usually available only in those countries that can grow coffee trees outside. For most of us, this option is not available therefore an unprocessed bean is the best option. An unprocessed coffee bean or processed green bean can be purchased from a local coffee producer or purchased at different locations. If a recent crop is not available, make sure that it has been not been over four months, as this the duration that a seed will be available to germinate fast. It is possible to germinate after these four months however it takes much longer and sometimes will not grow properly.
To plant the green coffee bean, place it in water for about twenty-four hours. This will allow the bean to pre-germinate which will speed up the process and make everything easier. Next, sow the bean in damp sand. It is important to not plant in topsoil as this is too rich with nutrients and will not allow the tree to grow properly. Once the bean has germinated, place it in a light weight and porous soil that has been placed in a small pot. If available in your area, adding humus, rotted manure or bone meal can be beneficial however not necessarily needed. It is important to allow the bean to breathe though so reframe from pressing down on the soil as is a common practice with planting other seeds. Daily, water the seeds but make sure that too much water is not given as it will kill the plant. For a healthy germination period, it is best to make sure there is a low pH level and high nitrogen content. Soil can be tested by taking it to the local gardening center or soil kits can be purchased from the local gardening center.
Since this is a tropical tree, it is important to give the tree plenty of artificial light indoors. Try purchasing a light from the local home improvement center to encourage healthy tree growth. Watering at least one, sometimes twice a week is important to the health of the plant. Other than making sure the tree’s soil is drained sufficiently, there is not much else that one can do to grow a coffee tree inside the house. Therefore, it is possible to grow coffee trees inside the house; it does take a long time before cherries are grown. If anything else, it is a great conversational piece!
