Growing coffee?

[funkypixie]

I was just boiling the kettle for my 5th mug of the day when the possibility of growing coffee flashed through my brain.

Has anyone else given it a thought? I don't know anything about it, how big it grows, how warm it needs to be, how many beans it would produce per plant etc. Any thoughts anyone?

I'm off to google it but would love to hear any words of wisdom.

Anna x

[the.fee.fairy]

I got some coffee beans from Ebay.

I put them in a jam jar on the radiator with some wet tissue.
They haven't grown. At all. not a bit.

A couple of them have swollen.

However:

I did some reading into growing coffee, and it said that the beans need to be no more than 3 weeks old, to give them the best chance of germination. it also said that germination can take up to 6 months, and that the plant becomes a tree (it said anything from 6-35 ft depending on where you read) but that they also make really attractive house plants, so i guess you can probably keep them small in a tub.

I'm going to leave my beans in the jam jar on the radiator for a couple more months and see what happens, but i'm not holding out that much hope.

If you find anywhere that selling beans at a reasonable price, and they're relatively fresh, please let me know, i really like the idea of growing a coffee plant!!

[Wombat]

We bought a coffee bush but the Sydney winter killed it - forgot to put it in the greenhouse! So I suspect you would need a greenhous with supplementary heating over there!

Nev

[wulf]

I don't think coffee is a feasible plant to grow in the UK. You can, however, grow things that give you coffee substitutes, like dandelion roots. This year, if I remember, I want to uproot the dandelions I find, wash and roast the roots and try grinding them.

Wulf

[Thomzo]

I don't know about coffee but I did see on Gardners World that you can grow tea quite happily in the UK. Now that would save me a fortune.

Zoe

[Cassiepod]

I don't know about growing coffee (especially as the beans we uy for making coffe have usually been roasted and treated) But I do know that on the south coast of the UK there is someone who grows tea.

I like the idea of trying my own dandelion coffee espeailly as you'r so happy tog et the whole root out of the ground when you're getting rid of them!

[funkypixie]

Mmmmm, dandelion coffee is on my list of 'to-do's' for this year. I've had a look around and as well as the seeds on ebay, someone is selling 15cm plants which might be worth a try I guess.

Looks like indoors will be the way to go if i do get some. There seems to be a dwarf variety of arabica available that only grows 2-3 ft tall and has the potential to yield 2-4lb of cherries per year. If I can get hold of some of those I might give them a go too.

Tea's no good for me though I can't stand the stuff!

[the.fee.fairy]

if you find anywhere to get the seeds/beans from, please let me know. I'd love a dwarf arbica.
Migh have to look on ebay for some tea seeds (?) too!

[chadspad]

I managed to get both coffee and tea seeds on Ebay for an excellent price. Trying to grow them as we speak!

[ina]

I have in the past grown coffee as a houseplant - no chance to get beans off it unless you have serious heating! But they are attractive plants.

[the.fee.fairy]

I got some tea seeds. They've not done anything yet, but they've been planted.

I've also got 2 coffee beans germinating. Very very very slowly. One's grown | | that much root in about a months, and the other's just got the white tip of a root coming out.

I've got 10 in the jar to germinate, so my success rate has not been good!

[Seagull]

I considered growing tea myself, but since I'm a fan of black tea and don't like green tea at all, I didn't think it would be worth while. Unless someone knows how to make black tea out of fresh tea leaves?

[the.fee.fairy]

don't you just roast them/dry them?

[ohareward]

The Camellia sinensis plant is a small shrub about 1-2 meters in height, though it will grow taller if you don't prune it. In the fall, your tea shrub will flower with small white blossoms that have a delightful scent.
These plants are often grown as ornamentals. For planting, Camellia sinensis likes well-drained and sandy soil that is on the acidic side. If you are going to grow your tea in a container, add some sphagnum moss to the potting mix. You'll need some patience, too. Your plant should be around 3 years old before you start harvesting leaves.
Growing tea is only half the battle. Once your tea plant is growing well, you'll need to harvest and process your tea leaves. From your plant, you can make black, green or oolong tea.

Green Tea
Pluck the very youngest leaves and leaf buds.
Blot the leaves dry, and let dry in the shade for a few hours.
Steam the leaves (like you would vegetables) on your stove for about a minute.
For a different flavour, try roasting them in a skillet for 2 minutes instead of steaming.
Spread the leaves on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 250F for 20 minutes.
Store the dried tea leaves in an air-tight container
Oolong Tea
Pluck the very youngest leaves and leaf buds.
Spread them out on a towel under the sun and let them wilt for about 45 minutes.
Bring your leaves inside and let them sit at room temperature for a few hours.
Make sure to stir the leaves up every hour.
The edges of the leaves will start to turn red as they begin to dry.
Spread the leaves on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 250F for 20 minutes.
Store the dried tea leaves in an air-tight container.
Black Tea
Pluck the very youngest leaves and leaf buds.
Roll the leaves between your hands, and crush them until the leaves start to darken and turn red.
Spread them out on a tray, and leave them in a cool location for 2-3 days.
Dry them in the oven at 250F for about 20 minutes.
Store in an air-tight container.

[chadspad]

Fee Fairy how are you doing your coffee beans? My instructions said to put them in sand but theyve done absolutely nothing in about a month. Time for a rethink!