Coffee Beans

[Rzashida]

A friend gave me some fresh coffee beans. I have no idea how to grow them. I have soaked them and they started to root. But, after I put them in dirt or vermiculite nothing happens. Has anyone ever grown coffee from the bean?
Please advise me.

 

[thomas pendrake]

From what I have read, it takes several months to successfully start a coffee plant from a coffee bean. They are slow growing and need to be in a fairly warm climate. There is a high mortality rate. Florida and southern California are probably the only parts of mainland U.S. where it is possible to grow coffee.

 

[ACSAPA]

If I could grow my own coffee , I would never leave the house. Coffee is my main addiction and I have sometimes walked to the store at 3AM because I ran out of coffee.
I guess there's probably some kind of roasting that has to be done before you can actually make coffee though. I wonder if anyone actually grows their own coffee at home and drinks it.

 

[sweetkymom]

This leads me to ask...has anyone here successfully grown their own coffee and drank it? Was it a bit sour than store bought? Would you continue to grow your own coffee?

 

[Cjk85]

I have tried growing coffee, it was a great project but it takes that long to grow... It's one of the few things that doesn't like to be grown in an Aquaponics system..

To the OP, often you can find a coffee roaster in your local area, there are plenty here, that will often be willing to do it for you if you just let them take a little so they can try your wares

 

[RedNeckCowBoy007]

That would be pretty neat to grow your own coffee. Since fresh ground beans are the healthiest to brew, it obviously would be the best option. Quantity of scale is probably hard to do, though, if you drink more than a cup a month (guessing), especially with what people are saying about how slow growing they are. Would be a neat idea and cool if you could grow enough and then carve out a little niche at a farmer's market....

 

[Rosyrain]

I would never sleep again if I was able to grow my own coffee. I am not sure how you would roast it though. I have heard that green raw coffee has lots of health benefits, but tastes terrible.

 

[claudine]

I would never sleep again if I was able to grow my own coffee. I am not sure how you would roast it though. I have heard that green raw coffee has lots of health benefits, but tastes terrible.

Haha, same here I love coffee!
As for green raw coffee, I heard that its health benefits are a myth. My friend used to drink it every day to lose weight and it didn't work at all, she didn't feel any different.

 

[Rosyrain]

I am sorry for your friend Claudine, that is a terrible outcome. I heard that it tastes gross anyway so maybe it is just a way to get more people to consume it. I have never tried green coffee and do not intend to. I like mine roasted to perfection and in a cup.

 

[Twinsmommy31]

I use to want to start growing my own coffee plants but as I can see from reading this, it probably would be impossible. Well guess its just smart to keep buying it from the grocery.

 

[Cereus]

It's not impossible, just takes a lot of time, a lot of care and done in controlled climate. Coffee plants don't do well outdoors outside of the Tropics because the weather changes are too volatile. I think the window for a plant to start producing viable coffee beans is 3 years. However if you want high quality beans you need to constantly monitor the plant. Hawaii is the only state that produces commercially viable high quality coffee because their climate is perfect for growing the plant under the right conditions.

 

[rz3300]

Well from what I understand it is actually pretty difficult, and there is a lot that goes into it. I would love to be able to grow my own, and I would love to say that, but at the same time I love my coffee so I would be unwilling to screw it up and have anything less that what I am used to now. I would need lots of practice, but maybe one day.

 

[remnant]

I suppose the climatic conditions of the OP isn't suitable for the growth of coffee. Coffee thrives in a hot and wet climate which is found in the tropics. I would suggest that heating the beans and keeping them warm is essential . After they germinate, you can see how it goes.

 

[Corzhens]

From my husband's experience, coffee bean is easy to germinate but growing to a seedling is not that easy. We have tried planting more than 10 beans some years ago and only 1 was successfully germinated that grew to a sapling (it was given as a gift to a friend). From that experience, I think the soil, sunlight, and water has something to do so maybe the pot should be exposed to morning sunlight but placed in a shaded area before noon time.