A Guide to Growing Your Own Coffee Plant

Love coffee? Love plants? Growing a coffee plant is a rewarding experience and more than a hobby; it's an enchanting journey that invites you to relish life's simple pleasures and nurture a connection with the source of your favorite brew. Let's dive into a simple guide on growing your very own coffee plant.

This guide is based on my experience growing coffee plants at home over the last four years. Sumi and I have two coffee plants at home: one on our patio and the other on our home coffee station in our kitchen.

Coffee plant I'm growing (as a houseplant) in my kitchen window next to my coffee station

The Basics

Coffee is grown in tropical regions so your plant will thrive when you recreate these conditions. These areas are often sunny, but have shady humid conditions.

Ouro Fino, Brasil - Fazenda Santa Izabela

Choose the Right Plant

Go for Arabica – perfect for home growing. Luckily, this one is more readily available and more suited to growing conditions in the US. Get a young plant from your local nursery or online.

Planting

Transplant a young plant into fresh soil amended with crushed lava rock for additional drainage. This is similar to the growing conditions where coffee plants thrive in volcanic rich soil. If multiple small plants are in your pot, divide each sprout to its own dedicated pot. These make the perfect gift if you suddenly have too many plants on your hands.

Find the Right Spot

Place pots in a sunny spot with filtered sunlight, avoiding scorching rays. Aim for warm temperatures between 60-70°F (15-24°C). Remember to try to recreate conditions in its natural environment when placing your plant.

Coffee saplings growing in the shade in Guatemala at Finca La Providencia

Water Wisely

Water regularly keeping a consistent wet/dry schedule. The soil should be moist, but not waterlogged. If kept in a more humid condition, you’ll need to water less while being kept in a drier climate, frequent waterings should be expected.

Feed Your Plant

Fertilize every 6-8 weeks during spring and summer with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer. If growing indoors, you can fertilize lightly all year round as long as there is active growth present.

A coffee flower in bloom stages in Mexico

Embrace Patience

It takes time – a couple of years – before your plant produces coffee cherries. Coffee plants can be fussy when changing variables to its growing environment and leaf drop can be expected. With some nurturing your plant will bounce back in no time.

With some love and patience, you'll soon have your very own rewarding coffee plant. Enjoy the journey from seed to cup! Happy growing!

Saplings in Kianyaga, Kenya