Coffee tree cultivation – an interesting addition in your garden

How about an aromatic coffee from your garden? The coffee tree is an exotic plant that can be grown both in the garden and in a pot on the balcony. The coffee beans are the seeds of the coffee tree fruit and look a lot like cherries, due to their round shape and the red color they have when ripe. The coffee tree has characteristic green glossy oblong leaves, grows relatively quickly, and can reach 5-10 meters in height.

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Under what conditions does the cultivation of the coffee tree thrive?

The coffee tree as a tropical plant does not tolerate excessive cold and generally, at low temperatures, it slows down its growth, as well as it is not resistant to temperature changes that can cause its leaves to fall. For planting the coffee tree in the soil we choose a sunny place to thrive and give us good production. The coffee tree loves slightly acidic soils and fluffy soil with good drainage. When preparing the soil, before planting the coffee tree, add well-fertilized manure or compost to enrich the soil with nutrients. Although planting distances depend on the variety of the plant, coffee trees are planted at distances of 2 meters between planting lines and 1.5 meters between planting locations within the line.

What care does the coffee tree need in a pot?

The coffee tree can be grown even in a pot on the balcony, as long as we provide it with a sheltered place from the wind and frost. We will definitely need a large enough pot with a diameter of 40 x 40 cm that has drainage holes. The coffee tree when planted in a pot can reach a height of up to 2 meters and can be planted outside on the balcony in a semi-shallow place or even inside the house in a bright place that is not hit by direct sunlight. As for the soil, for the coffee tree, we choose fluffy general soil, rich in nutrients.

What are the watering and fertilizing needs of the coffee tree crop?

Every principle and demanding! The coffee tree needs frequent watering during the early stages of its development. In summer, both excessive humidity and lack of water can cause problems for the coffee tree, so watering twice a week is enough. To give us better production and growth, the coffee tree needs fertilization once a month during the spring and summer. Specifically, we choose a complete fertilizer with a high content of nitrogen and potassium and much less phosphorus. If you have a coffee tree in a pot, it is good to add liquid fertilizer for fruit trees every 2 weeks.

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How is the coffee tree pruned and propagated?

A good time to prune the coffee tree is early spring. We try to reduce the uncontrolled and intense vegetation by pruning the coffee tree to 1.5-2 meters in height to make it easier to harvest. In pruning, we remove dry and weak branches, as well as shoots that are low at the base to create proper ventilation and lighting conditions. The coffee tree is propagated by seeds, but we mainly prefer propagation by cuttings. We choose cuttings 15-20 cm long that we receive in the spring from tender shoots of the coffee tree. Remove most of the leaves from the cutting leaving 3-4 at the top, immerse it in rooting hormone and plant it in a pot.

When is the fruit of the coffee tree harvested?

The coffee tree gives production during the 4th-5th year of its cultivation, so we will need a little patience. The harvest season varies depending on the variety, as well as the climatic conditions that affect the ripening time of the fruit to be harvested. However, the fruits of the coffee tree grow along with the shoots and take many months to ripen. We should be aware that the fruits do not ripen all together, which creates problems in large intensive crops, as mechanical harvesting is avoided and done by hand or by shaking the shoots. Of course in this case we also collect several immature green fruits.

And a secret for the coffee tree

There are many varieties of coffee, but two are the most important varieties grown: the Arabica variety which accounts for 70% of world coffee production, and the Robusta variety which accounts for the remaining 30%. The Arabica variety contains less caffeine but is much more aromatic than the Robusta variety.