How to Seed Coffee Plants

Overview

Coffee trees are tropical shrubs that can grow as high as 40 feet if left to their own devices. Although the best way to grow coffee from seed is to simply plant fresh coffee fruit, most people don't have access to seeds of that freshness. A good alternative is to try and germinate unroasted coffee beans sold for home roasting. Although many of those beans may not be viable, some will likely still have the embryo attached. The difficulty with growing coffee from seed is that it often takes 60 days to get from germination to a coffee tree sprout. You must take care to give the germinating seed enough water without overwatering to avoid rot in the seed.

Step 1

Place 20 unroasted, green coffee beans in a shallow pan with about 1 inch of water. In 12 to 24 hours, you should see a tiny white bump on the end of between five and eight beans. This white bump is the embryo.

Step 2

Plant the germinated seeds 1 1/2 inch deep in a very deep peat pot filled with vermiculite. The seed will need to put down a deep tap root, so germination trays will not work.

Step 3

Cover the pot with plastic wrap or a plastic growing tent to prevent moisture loss.

Step 4

Water the germinating seed in the peat pot daily. Keep the vermiculite moist but not soggy. The exact amount of water will depend on the ambient humidity in your area.

Step 5

Wait around 2 months. After 2 months, you will see a tiny gooseneck poking out of the soil.

Step 6

Continue to keep the medium moist until you get a single stalk with a green coffee bean on top. This will happen after 3 or 4 months of growing.

Step 7

Start to move the coffee plant into the sun when the first primary lily pad-shaped leaves appear. Begin giving your plant 3 or 4 hours of sun each day. Increase the amount of sun by 1 hour a day until your coffee plant is accustomed to full sun.

Step 8

Repot the plant into its final pot after the adult leaves form. This usually happens around 9 months after first germination.