Coffee plants are a great addition to the edible garden! It is from this plant that coffee beans come from, used to create one of our favorite beverages. You can harvest your own beans by collecting the seeds and roasting them. The plants themselves are fairly easy to grow. They can grow in sun or shade, do not get too large, and have nice glossy leaves.
How to care for Coffee
Light. Does well in light to moderate shade. In full sun it can bear more but needs more water and fertilizer.
Water. Water young plants regularly and during dry spells. Avoid overwatering from timer-run sprinklers, which causes root rot.
Soil and feeding. Best in rich, well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral soil; it tolerates well-drained alkaline soil. Spray micronutrients on the leaves 3–4 times in warm months, for example Palm Nutritional Spray.
Size. Kept to about 6 ft with pruning, the usual height in home gardens. Left alone it can grow much taller.
Pruning. Cut back the main stem to encourage side branches, which bear the fruit. Do heavy pruning in the warm season.
Problems to watch. Mealybugs, scales, mites, leaf miners and stem borers can attack. Treat mealybugs and scale with Insecticidal Soap.
Good to know. It does not tolerate freezing. Pick the cherries when they turn red; remove the pulp, ferment the beans in water for 24 hours, then dry and roast them.
Sources: UF/IFAS EDIS HS306: Coffee Growing in the Florida Home Landscape · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Coffee
