How to Grow a Coffee House Plant

I want to put a little green liveliness into my living-room and I have decided that as much as I love my coffee that I might as well invest in owning a coffee tree as a houseplant. Now, I know that it can take several years for the coffee plant to mature enough to start producing beans (well actually they are technically fruit), but I’m not so much into harvesting beans as I am just wanting something green and growing in the house. And for me a coffee plant just makes sense.

I have found some wonderful info on ehow.com about growing your own indoor coffee tree:

1. Have patience. The most important thing to remember about growing a Coffee Tree is that it takes years to mature to a bean growing state.
2. Enjoy the dark shiny leaves of the Coffee plant. When taken care of properly, the tree grows beautiful fragrant white flowers.
3. Plant your Coffee Tree in a good potting soil. Keep the soil moist, but not over watered. Pot in an ordinary planter with good drainage is best.
4. Keep the plant in 60 to 70 degree F. temperatures day and night. Live in a warm climate; keep the Coffee Tree outside during summer months.
5. Fertilize your Coffee Tree every 2 weeks from March to October. Continue fertilizing monthly during the rest of the months. Use of an all-purpose fertilizer is fine.
6. Prune your tree if it gets too tall for your home. The Coffee Tree can grow 10 feet tall in a large pot. Reduce its size to the height you want by pinching it back or by cutting branches down near the base.
7. Pick coffee berries when they are dark red. Berries will not ripen if picked when green.

Tips

• The Coffee Tree takes six years to mature enough to grow bean producing berries.
• Each Coffee Tree berry contains two coffee beans.
• Roast beans before grinding them to make coffee.
• If leaves turn yellow or fall off, the container you’re growing your Coffee Tree in is too small.

I’m hoping that my coffee plant will work well in the large white planters that I have, they are urn planters and are very beautiful I love the antique feel that they give to my sunroom, but I’m tired of them being empty. Time to plant some coffee!