Growing a coffee plant

General tips / questions on seeding & planting

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PLUMPUDDING
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I've been growing a coffee plant from seed and it is now about 1 year old and 30 cm high. It is in a soil based compost with plenty of sharp sand added for good drainage.

It keeps making good sized new leaves which are lovely and glossy, but the lower leaves get brown marks and drop off. It isn't leaf scorch as we haven't had any sun.

Has anyone any ideas about preventing the leaf drop or on caring for a coffee plant indoors?

I'm keeping it at about 65F in a light place.

I've looked it up on-line, but most of the answers are from California or other US gardeners so not much use here.
hilary
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Hi,
I seem to recall that they like high humidity? You can buy plants from the Eden Project so may be worth dropping them an e-mail and seeing if they can advise. There are two types of coffee bean and it may helpful to know which you are growing.

Good luck

Hilary
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FelixLeiter
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Old leaves fall off as new leaves are produced. Coffee plants can end up looking very sparse in the centre of the bush, the lower branches bare. Many shrubs develop like this. I've seen coffee growing in plantations and they're rather woeful looking, not ornamental (by my definition, anyway). As long as those new leaves appear every now and again, that's a sign of health. You're not going to sae any new leaves in January, though, I don't suppose.
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I suppose that all depends on whether it's an instant coffee plant, or not. :oops:
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PLUMPUDDING
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Thanks for your comments. I've never seen them growing, but it does seem to do what Felix says, produces nice new leaves and drops the lower ones. At least it isn't dying. And it is definitely not an instant one OH, although I've no idea what variety it is.

It does seem to send out new leaves after I've watered it. I'm trying to keep it slightly moist but not wet over winter, and it is in humous rich soil with good drainage as I've said.

I try one or two new plants every year just out of interest but do find some of them rather temperamental - you can't really blame them with our weather.

This leads me on to James Wong's book. He's a lovely chap and very enthusiastic, but he seems to think that if he can grow these more exotic edibles in his London garden it is possible to grow them all over the UK. I think a lot of people will be disappointed because even though most things will germinate and try to grow, a lot of them won't thrive or produce a decent crop. Even undercover we don't have the light or warmth for long enough to keep them happy.

There are exceptions and some things he suggests are very easy, but not something most people have tried eating in this country, so there are
some quite fun things to try like hosta shoots and dahlia tubers!!!

I have had nice crops from Lablab beans, calaloo, and asparagus peas and am thinking of trying chick peas this year.
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FelixLeiter
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PLUMPUDDING wrote:This leads me on to James Wong's book. He's a lovely chap and very enthusiastic, but he seems to think that if he can grow these more exotic edibles in his London garden it is possible to grow them all over the UK. I think a lot of people will be disappointed because even though most things will germinate and try to grow, a lot of them won't thrive or produce a decent crop. Even undercover we don't have the light or warmth for long enough to keep them happy.

I quite agree with your about this. There are a lot of books like this which put razzmatazz above practicality. It's like Bob Dewdrop and his polytunnel-grown bananas. Yes, it IS possible to grow bananas in this country, but what he doesn't emphasise is the shear number of BTUs required to keep them heated sufficiently, beyond any economical level, and far beyond most humbler folk's means.
But you might be onto something with your coffee plant, though, PP. It might not be long now before you see a few flowers, then berries. They quite like our summers, needing no particular special care, so if you're overwintering it successfully then that's the battle mostly won.
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Plumpudding - I grew chick peas a couple of years ago - mice liked them but what crop I did get was lovely - loved them raw & I'm not a raw green pea person - but they were sooo nice. When I lifted my black plastic off in the spring I found the mice stash - don't know whether that is to be celebrated but felt good the little fellows survived & food chain continued. Just bought mine from the Health Food shop!

I'm personally thinking tea as my experiment this year - but tobacco was OK but didn't have a humidifier! I always grow something 'different' each year - also looking at chokos - grew them in Aus & had one season here - boring but a bit like courgettes, take up other flavours well!

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PLUMPUDDING
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I'll let you know if the coffee plant produces anything. It is quite pleasing to look at with it's wavy glossy leaves.

You've made my mind up to definitely try the chick peas Westi.

My son sent me all sorts of veg seeds from his travels round China, Vietnam and Thailand, so I tried lots of exotic things the year before last and they were really good. A lot of the Chinese ones were fine grown outside as their climate is more like ours. The Thai Holy Basil did well in the greenhouse as did some nice little beans with pretty blue and white flowers.
Oh, and the little white egg plants were very productive even last year.
I've still got quite a few different ones to try this year which will hopefully be a bit warmer and sunnier than last year.
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Envious PP! Had long distance travelling friends but seems recession is keeping them in Europe mostly - my wonderful stash of foreign seeds got stolen from the shed before I even tried most of them :evil:

Keep posting results of your trials with your sons seeds - won't be long before they will be available to us here in UK & would be interested in your results before choosing.

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retropants
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PP....it would be nice to see a pic of your beautiful coffee plant!

I grew chickpeas and kidney beans my first year of growing (that's 20 years ago now! yikes!) they did quite well, the chickpeas were the most prolific, I loved their little fuzzy seed pods.
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I've grown tea too...as it's of the camellia family. Grew very well albeit slowly, in a pot. Tasted ok too.
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Colin_M
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I've had 4 coffee plants growing in my conservatory for 3 years.

They have healthy green leaves but have never flowered. Not sure it's worth hanging on in hope for.
aliceibtimes
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Hello everyone,

I'm a video producer and I work for International Business Times. I'm doing a story on growing coffee here in the UK and I was wondering if anyone - from London or nearby ideally but not necessarily - was already seeing some result and might have brewed some coffee already. I would be delighted to know and possibly to come and meet you, for a cup of coffee but also maybe for a little interview :D
PLUMPUDDING
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Well, the plant is still alive, but has never produced any flowers, so won't be any use as an example of coffee growing in the UK :D

We gardeners are ever optimistic.
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