Coffee plant | How to grow a coffee tree in your living room

Coffee plant in the living room
Back to overview

KaThe coffee tree, Coffea arabica, also goes by the name coffee plant. It originates originally from the southern parts of the African contingent, as well as the tropical areas of Asia. However, the coffee plant is not a tree but a shrub, which in tropical regions can grow up to 3.5 meters high.

In Denmark, however, it cannot grow outdoors all year round as it is too cold for it in winter. It is therefore primarily grown as a houseplant, where it has a nice green colour with its green shades, and it is also an easy plant to keep, as long as it gets plenty of light and water. Coffee plants are sold at most nurseries when they are about 6 months old. However, the coffee plant can only produce coffee beans when it is around 4-6 years old.

tree coffee plant fruit flower coffee bean 491557 pxhere.com

How to care for a coffee tree (coffee plant)

Potting soil for coffee plants

When transplanting your coffee plant, we recommend buying a good potting soil with sphagnum, which is intended for houseplants. Choose a container with a hole in the bottom so that excess water can drain away, and leca balls in the bottom of the pot to prevent the plant's roots from standing in water and rotting.

Watering the coffee plant

Water your coffee tree regularly, coffee plants prefer slightly moist soil, so it's important that it doesn't dry out between waterings, but don't let it soak in water either. It is a plant that can be watered a little more often.

We recommend watering 1-2 times a week in the spring and summer months and less in the winter, as the plant will not grow as much due to less light.

Water with rainwater or boiling water, as it contains less calcium.
Try to feel the soil to see if it's too wet or dry. If the soil is still wet after 4 days, water a little less.

Dust the plant with lime-free water regularly, as Danish living rooms can be very dry.

Fertilizer for coffee plants

Repotted plants don't need fertiliser for the first month if you use potting soil intended for houseplants, as there are enough nutrients in the soil. In spring and summer, you can add fertiliser to the plant to boost growth. We recommend that you use liquid fertiliser, which is mixed in the irrigation water approx. Every other month. You can use with great advantage BiG Plant Science fertilizer, as it is made for Danish conditions, and contains significantly more of the important nutrients than the fertilizer you can buy in the supermarket or the DIY market.

How much light should a coffee plant have?

It is best to place the plant slightly back from south-facing windows in the living room, as coffee plants need light and warmth, but do not tolerate direct sunlight very well, so a windowsill is not the best place to put the plant. In winter, you can advantageously use a good full-spectrum LED grow lights lamp over your plant.

The coffee plant should have a bright light equivalent to 4+ hours of direct sunlight, or a DLI of 12+ mol/m²/day, to achieve this we recommend hanging one 35 Watt LED grow light bulb up 30 cm above the plant, and leave it on for 8 hours every day during the winter half-year.

Best temperature for the coffee plant

In summer, the plant can be taken out into the greenhouse or on the terrace, but otherwise kept in semi-shade at a temperature of around 20-24°C. In winter, the temperature may drop to around 16°C, but at flowering time the temperature should not drop below 18°C at any time. The plant also requires artificial pollination to produce fruit, which will usually occur after 5-6 years if the plant is well cared for. The coffee plant flowers and produces berries once a year. The berries are red when ripe and can be harvested, dried and finally roasted in e.g. your oven, after which the coffee is ready.

Read about the different coffee plant varieties here

Read more about light and care of the coffee plant here

cd7bcaec28b4134970fc579000fb 1605796