Like most plants, coffee trees grow from the seed to the fruit of the tree. In this case, the "beans" used to make coffee are actually the seeds of "cherry" coffee. The seeds should be planted with at least one parchment skin, although some say they plant the whole cherry. Fresh beans are better than dried beans. And no, you can not grow coffee from roasted beans.
Coffee takes 60 to 90 days. It may take a little less time to germinate the seeds by dipping them for a day and placing them between two wet coffee bags. Once the seeds have sprouted from the roots and stems, they are transferred to well-drained and poorly compacted soil. When the plants are large enough, they will be transplanted on the field or in a plantation where they will continue to grow.
Flowers and fruits
Once the coffee plant is transplanted, it may take three to five years for the plant to flower and bear fruit. Coffea arabica plants are able to self-pollinate, which means that only one plant can produce fruit by itself. On the other hand, Coffea canephora (robust) is cross-pollinated, requiring the fructification of different plants.
The coffee tree flowers are small and white with a short life of a few days. The flowers are extremely fragrant and have a scent similar to jasmine. Once these flowers are pollinated, the fruit begins to grow. There will be a small green bump after the flower turns brown and falls. This bump, known as the carpel, will develop in the next 6-9 months.
As the fruit ages, it changes from green to yellow to pale pink, then to bright red, dark red and finally purple. The best time to harvest cherries is when they are dark red. The only choice of ripe fruit is that the beans are completely developed and have the best taste of the fruit pulp.
Collection and treatment
Depending on where coffee is grown, the fruit will be harvested by machine or by hand. When harvested by hand, the fruits are more likely to mature properly. After the initial harvest, the fruits are washed and checked for their maturity and quality. Once the cherries are ordered, the ripe fruits are sent for processing. There are different methods of processing coffee cherries: dry, semi-dry and wet. Each process affects the flavor of the beans and finally the taste of the coffee.
The dry method is probably the most natural and perhaps the most ancient. Depending on where coffee is grown and processed, the climate will determine whether the fruit can be dried in the sun on raised terraces or if it has to be dried mechanically. Often, even if the cherries can be dried on a patio to speed up the process, which can take more than four weeks, the cherries are dried in the washing machine after a few sunny days. Once the cherries are dry, the fruits are peeled to leave the beans behind.
Growing coffee is not a simple task. Coffee trees require a lot of care and attention before paying with coffee beans. And when they do, each tree produces only 2 to 12 pounds of beans a year, depending on the climate, soil conditions and other factors.
In other words, you need a lot of trees in your plantation to make a living.
Start by planting a seed. Between 4 and 8 weeks you will have a map. You must therefore keep the map, ensuring that the soil remains moist and that there is not too much direct sunlight.
Between 9 and 18 months, the coffee will be about 12 inches tall. But you will have to wait 3 years before the tree bears fruit. And 6 years before the tree reaches maturity and produces fully.
Each tree will continue to produce for around 20 to 25 years.
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