# Growing Coffee Trees?



## Andy Blyth

Does anyone know if it's possible to grow coffee trees in the UK?

I'm getting right into growing fruit and veg just now and wonder if I could try growing a coffee tree? I assume it would have to be in a green house?

If anyone has any info on this, i'd be much obliged.

Regards

Andy


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## pendragoncs

I believe Steve at HasBean coffee has one in his Garden or maybe a pot.


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## lookseehear

I looked into this not long ago, I think it's pretty tough and a greenhouse is a must.

The trees take 2-3 years to start bearing fruit, and can die at the first sign of frost, plus I'm not sure what kind of yield you might get. Nonetheless it still might be fun!


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## Glenn

Hi Andy

Fruit-bearing Coffee trees have been successfully grown in the UK on a small scale at The Eden Project and 15 restaurant received some of the beans a few years ago.

Arabica trees will grow, more slowly than they would in producing countries and the fruit may not form or ripen

They can be grown as ornamental shrubs though

Steve @ Hasbean and Jeremy @ Union both grow these and have them at varying stages in their development cycle


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## Clement VIII

I have considered this. Robusta seems to be the more likely type to grow. I wouldn't grow it for consumption, just more of a curiosity piece with educational overtones.

Robusta can tolerate lower temperatures and altitude and is more hardy than Arabica.

The real question is, where is one to find fertile coffee seeds?


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## Andy Blyth

Obviously roasted beans aren't going to grow, but I thought if you could get some fresh green beans, it might just work.

Of course, I may be completely wrong........


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## profspudhed

I can't remember exactly where but I did see somewhere selling them online, they were arabica though

Sent from my Sapphire/dream using Tapatalk


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## MikeHag

I'm in Bali right now. I'll see if I can find some seeds/fruits, although maybe a cutting from a UK plant would have a better chance of success?


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## MikeHag

http://www.coffeeresearch.org/coffee/homegrowing.htm


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## MikeHag

I managed to get a bag (around 250g) of green arabica beans from a producer in the Bali highlands. He said that they're recently harvested and should still be capable of germinating - but that might be a load of waffle. If anyone seriously wants to give growing a plant a try (i.e. won't just throw the beans away after leaving them sat on the shelf for a few weeks







) then I'd be happy to send you an envelope with some in. Just PM me.

Arabica is definitely the plant to go for, anyway. It's more of a shrub (2m tall), whereas the Robusta plants we saw were actually trees (5m tall, too big for UK home growing IMO).


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## MattS

Hello Mike,

I hope you don't mind me replying here - I'm a new member and can't yet send PMs. I came across your post while searching for sources for coffee plants. I'm really very keen to have a go at growing some myself here in London.

Do you happen to have any of those green beans left, and could I possibly trouble you for a few if so?

Many thanks,

Matt


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## jimrobo

Hi mike

If you've still got some of these I'd give them a go too


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## MikeHag

Hi Matt. Welcome to the forum.

As a matter of fact I do still have some. There are a handful that I picked myself, and also I have a few bags from different sources. They are now a few months old, so as I understand it that will make them much less likely to germinate, but you're welcome to try. I gave up because after doing some research it seemed that the climate here in Scotland is just too harsh to make it possible without having a dark room, artificial lighting, and timers to simulate night and day in the tropics. But in London it may well be possible. I move here from Wimbledon in February and the climate is much more different from London than I expected.

As for what to plant it in, maybe you have a little expertise in this area. I don't







A chat with the manager of a local garden centre threw up the following plan (which I didn't follow though with).

Stage 1: Seed Germination

Plant in: Vermiculite

or

Plant in: John Innes 'seed', mixed with farmyard manure (well rotted so as not to burn roots off) later.

Stage 2: After germination

Plant in: Repot to John Innes #2 or #3

Once you've made (I think) 5 posts on the forum you can PM me your contact details and I'll get them posted to you asap







You'll need to plant quite a lot, since the failure rate is high.


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## sicknote

The nutrient content (NPK ratio and strength) and soil pH is what you want to get correct.

When watering the pH of the water or nutrient solution must be adjusted for the coffee plant to allow nutrient uptake. A pH and nutrient meter must be used. The Blulab truncheon is a great nutrient meter, any aquarium pH meter will do your pH needs.

I think a small indoor hydro setup would be perfect to start and grow young plants.

Some info here http://www.eafca.org/afcc7/presentations/Saturday/1430-1610/Juergen%20Kuesters%20-%20Balanced%20fertilization%20-%20key%20to%20grow%20fine.pdf

I also have this book in pdf format if your interested - Coffee Growing, Processing, Sustainable Production (2004)

I'm married to an Ethiopian and we are trying to buy suitable farmland in Ethiopia to develop our coffee venture. We have already purchased a decent plot in the capital to build a small 3 storey hotel/guest house/coffee shop/restaurant kinda place. We hope to eventually combine the hotel and farm to offer a working eco tour. The master plan also involves supplying our own roastery/coffee shop in the UK with 100% traceable organic beans. The coffee/cafe scene is Addis Ababa is fantastic and what a special place Tomaco is http://www.tomocacoffee.com/.


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## MikeHag

Wasn't Tomaco the addictive mutant offspring of Tomatos and Tobacco im The Simpsons?


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## Pjordan

Here's mine:










Lives inside in a pot, didn't go very well in the garden, but is very happy now he's back inside.

Eden project grew some, Origin roasted it and Fifteen served it, wasn't great apparently!


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## sicknote

Looking very healthy......are you growing in rockwool?


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## Pjordan

Nope, just normal potting compost, the rocks are there to make it look nice in our shop


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## MikeHag

Would be great if you could post some advice on how you grew it from seed, for the gardening-numpteys among us


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## Stevenp6

Wow growing your own coffee - now that's something. Thought it could only grow in the Tropics and took 4-5 years to start producing fruit. Must admit the plant in the picture certainly looks healthy enough. Might be a while before you can drink a beverage from it though. Best of luck.


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## ian lb

I have three coffee plants at the moment growing in my living room in Cornwall.One has flowered and produced about 50 beans which have quickly turned cherry red.Plants aged 5 years .Grew them from seedlings in ericaceous compost.Largest plant with beans is 5 ft. Growing in West facing bay window /double glazed windows. Central heating /gas fire in winter. Hope that's some help

Ian


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## The Systemic Kid

Fascinating - how about some pictures?


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## Tiny

I was pondering this a few days ago, can a coffee plant grow in uk.... Now I know


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## Tiny

Ok just found this, might buy a couple

http://www.edenproject.com/shop/Coffee-Plant-In-A-Coffee-Cup-10158.aspx


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## Charliej

I guess Cornwall would make sense for being able to grow coffee in the UK as after isn't the UK's only serious tea plantation down there as well?


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## aaronb

I've got 2 coffea arabica plants I bought off ebay in 2009, I had 3 but one died last year.

One is in the bathroom by the shower in a south facing window, the other is in a slightly cooler room in a North facing window. Every year most of the leaves die around early spring and then I get some new growth on the top, so they look stupid. Never had a flower. I'm surprised really as all my other plants do well in the windows, including loads of chills last year. For the first time last year I put them outside in the height of summer, and they seemed to like it.

I considered growing some robusta or liberica as they are meant to be easier to grow, but couldn't find any plugs and am too lazy to deal with seeds.


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## aaronb

first plant










second plant


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