COFFEE SEED IS SPROUTING!

[applestar]

Coffee update


First time seeing this Level of multi-cherry clusters.

[!potatoes!]

Very cool. Gonna make tea from the fruit as well as coffee from the roasted bean?

[Gary350]

I am glad I found this thread. I ordered 100 coffee seeds 2 weeks ago. Online says I can't grow these but it looks like I can.

How long after your seeds germinated and grew a plant did it take for you to get ripe cherries?

If I plant all 100 seeds and get 100 plants in my garden by May 1st wonder if I will have ripe cherries by November?

[applestar]

Well... these are shrubs, so you will have to be a bit more patient. This thread is actually following the pictured plant from seed, so it’s almost 8 years old. But remember that mine is growing in a container and indoors for 7 months of the year. I believe where they are grown commercially, it only takes about 3-4 years.

Like many shrub/tree seeds, they need to be fresh to be viable. I hope you get good ones. Keep us updated.

Note from the beginning of this thread that my first purchased seeds took several months to germinate with abysmal germination rate, but you will see in my later entries that freshly harvested seeds from fully ripened coffee cherries germinated 100% in 3-4 weeks — typical tropical shrub/tree seed germination time at least for things I have tried when seeds were freshly harvested and didn’t need any stratification.

[applestar]

BTW, this plant has started to grow what looks like replacement leaders since ...last year? The year before last? — side Shoots that want to grow straight up. I think this might be what one of the links described as renewing the plant by chopping it down nearly to the ground, then waiting for the new leaders to fill out.

I was GOING TO take cuttings from all of the branch ends, then cut the main trunk down to just above the replacement leader shoots LAST SUMMER, but I didn’t get around to it. Seeing the massive cherry clusters ripening now, I’m glad I didn’t ...but wonder if this might be the “last hurrah” that fruit trees sometimes exhibit? I really do want to propagate more plants from its cuttings this season just in case. ...just on principle, I CANNOT chop down what appears to be an otherwise healthy plant without taking cuttings and propagating it first.

I do also have 5-6 baby plants that I grew from fresh seeds 2 years ago. They were somewhat neglected last season so they are not very well grown... only in 3-4” containers still — I Need to uppot them this spring and really pay more attention to them. They do make excellent houseplants, not needing particularly strenuous care — light, humidity, water, fertilizer — to keep them alive.

[applestar]

I have too many projects going and getting overwhelmed by other responsibilities. I finally got around to harvesting the coffee cherries — some of them had started to shrivel into mummies/raisins.

Here they are in measured zip bags — total harvest from what seemed like loaded bush was 1-1/4 cups. ...maybe this will yield enough for a couple of cups of coffee?



...I have to decide quickly whether I want to try growing some of these seeds before they lose viability.

[applestar]

I discovered a single coffee cherry starting to blush on my much neglected coffee tree ...

[dobro13]

I just found this thread. Thanks

[applestar]

Coffee cherries are starting to ripen

[imafan26]

It takes about 9 months to ripen and they do not usually ripen evenly which is why coffee is a labor intensive crop. The cherries need to be hand picked. You have done a good job with your coffee tree. I have not grown one for a few years. I might look for some seedlings and pick one up again. Coffee seedlings are usually weeded out in the botanical gardens. Most people who can grow gardenia can grow coffee. They are in the same family and like similar conditions. The coffee flowers are fragrant, they just don't smell like coffee.

[applestar]

Thanks @imafan. Coffee is turning into one of my favorite houseplants. It is pretty forgiving, and does well in the winter indoor conditions — looking handsome with dark green , glossy and healthy-looking leaves and interesting bark on the older trunk/branches, even when not blooming or fruiting... and it’s practically carefree in the summer when placed outside in protected mostly shady location.

In addition to the 3 (or 4) newer seed-grown plants, some of which have started to branch and will likely bloom next season, I tried propagating from cuttings of the original plant, and these 4 or 5 appear to have taken root. I have them at the end of the Winter Wonderland lights along with the blooming orchids, and will uppot them in spring when they go outside. Since they are cutting-grown, they should mature and be ready to bloom/fruit earlier.

[applestar]

I promise not to bore you with too many progress photos, but I just had to share this one


...yeah, I really should’ve moved the Venus flytrap...

[Bluenoser]

Thanks for this post. I'm currently soaking 10 seeds for planting. I'm hopeful that they were treated and still viable, but will find another solution if they aren't, such as buying a seedling. Great information throughout.