Has anyone every grown coffee?

[Llamas]

Hmmm fatal ebay browsing is tempting me.... This time it's coffee seeds. I hate coffee, but how neat would it be to have ones own plant? Has/is any one growing a coffee plant? Is it hard? Will it live or die spectacularly? Please someone burst my bubble before I've thrown away a whole 99p.

[terrier]

I seem to remember being told that coffee beans take a loooong time to germinate and if you are succesful in growing a plant it will be at least two seasons before you get fruit. I hope you've got lots of patience

[hydrogardener3]

I tried growing it indoors and I had a very nice plant, but no flowers or fruit. It did make an attractive house plant though. It eventually got too large and was taking up too much space.

[rana]

In nature the coffee plant will grow into a small tree, generally in tropical and sub-tropical areas and usually on hills or plateaux. The plantations I have visited revealed untidy unexciting straggly bushes or trees, and even with ideal conditions it takes some years for coffee plants to produce flower and fruit. Conversely tea (syn. Camellia)plantations can be very attractive with rows of compact well tended glossy leaved bushes.

[Llamas]

Thanks everyone for the advice!

I seem to remember being told that coffee beans take a loooong time to germinate and if you are succesful in growing a plant it will be at least two seasons before you get fruit. I hope you've got lots of patience

Hmmm. I do resent the anything not sprouting quickly, but even if it did not bear any fruit, the plants are quite pretty. Perhapse if I went for a robusta (less quality of bean, but generally more rrrobusta) it might do better. I think I'm going to have to give it a go! Coffee just tastes like burning anyway.

I'd like to get ahold of some Camellia sinesis too! Has any one grown that?

[Ader1]

Have you heard of Medwyn Williams. I heard him chat on the radio about growing coffee which I think he managed and that was on Angelsey.

[Llamas]

Have you heard of Medwyn Williams. I heard him chat on the radio about growing coffee which I think he managed and that was on Angelsey.

Oh wow. Just done some googling and already I like him. And whatever greenhouse he's got going. Hmmm, 80% humidity might be a bit tricky to manage, though to be fair, I'm not expecting the full caboodle from the plant 'no beans is ok, just try not to die'

[jimbojetset]

watched a documentary on fair trade the other day, they mentioned it takes three years for a coffee plant to start producing beans - hope that helps

[Ader1]

Oh wow. Just done some googling and already I like him. And whatever greenhouse he's got going. Hmmm, 80% humidity might be a bit tricky to manage, though to be fair, I'm not expecting the full caboodle from the plant 'no beans is ok, just try not to die'

He's often to be heard on the radio in Wales talking about this and that garden related. Last week he spoke about a new poly-tunnel he was getting which was the 'rolls-royce' of poly-tunnels. I wonder what that comprises of? Anyway, he said something like that it wouldn't be fully operational this year so for a spot of fun he was going to grow a giant pumpkin in it this year and that his son was going to cross the Meani straights in it.... I like listening to Medwyn as he seems to like trying unusual things like the coffee and lately the hotest chilli in the world. Maybe he's just after publicity.

[snohare]

Maybe he's just after publicity

I think Medwyn seeking publicity would be like the Royal family seeking influence, Ader. He just can't help but have it by nature of who he is and what he does ! I think the media queue up to get him for gardening interviews.
I think he is simply so far ahead of most of us in growing experience that he cannot help but try all sorts of weird things that you and I might dream of, while we struggle to do the ordinary things. He's at the stage of life where he can do whatever takes his fancy. Of course once you have enough money for posh polytunnels etc.... but he was a good enough grower to get it in the first place !
I have often thought of growing tea here in the Highlands. I know that there is a company, down in Cornwall I think, that is already growing tea with a view to establishing plantations; I am hoping that someday I will be able to get plants or seeds from them, if I ever find their website again. Given some hot summers, I think tea could do well in higher altitude parts of the UK, it seems to like cooler conditions for at least part of the year.
Coffee I think needs much higher, more constant temperatures to photosynthesise efficiently.

[Llamas]

You might end up with some darjeeling-ish tea of your very own! It would be interesting to try the tea from the cornish tea garden and see what it's closest established counterpart would be. I've seen Camillia sinesis seeds on ebay, but the sellers don't really seem to know much about the plants, and they do not volunteer very much information at all, a huge pity as the history alone is pretty neat-o.

[poly]

I was sent a pre-chitted coffee seed as a thank you when I recently placed an order with Jungle seeds. I don't know if they are still doing it though. Early days as still very small with only seed leaves so far and still in propegator!

[snohare]

Grounds for hope then !

[poly]

I don't think I'd rate mine as fine!

[poly]

Medium or roast either