For all the espresso fans out there; if you ever imagine whether it is possible to develop your own espresso plant in your home balcony. To answer your question, it is absolutely feasible to grow coffee plants in your home. For growing the same, you need not have to hail from the hilly regions of Coorg or Chikmagalur. You can develop them anywhere and effectively sustain the espresso plant on your home balcony and in this article, we will guide you how to do it.
Items required:
- Bucket (20-25 litre)
- Compost or Manure
- Coco peat
- Soil
- Stones or Gravel
- Shaded area
Process:
First Step:
- You should make three small size openings or holes in the bottom of the bucket you are utilizing. This is for waste drainage and is critical that you do this. When you make the gaps, place few stones over the gaps.
- While placing the stones, try not to cover the openings totally and it is significant that when there is abundance of water in the bucket, it can empty out easily.
- The bucket should be filled with 2 parts of soil, 2 parts of cocopeat, and 2 parts of manure.
Second Step:
- For placing your coffee plant, find a spot in your house which is partially shaded.
- Make a note of the fact that coffee plants do not require direct biter sunlight so locate a decent spot for it to develop well.
- It can likewise be kept inside your house as long as the place gets some measure of daylight every day.
Third Step:
- The espresso plant likes dampness and moisture. Always make sure that the plant soil is somewhat moist and doesn't ever get dry.
- Check the moisture level of the soil by inserting a stick into the soil. In the event that it inserts into the soil easily, the moisture level of the soil is optimum for growth.
- While the soil being moist should not have any stale water on the surface of the bucket.
- Cocopeat is added to the soils to assist it with holding moisture.
Propagation of Coffee Bean:
- Let the coffee bean mature well and become ripe. Once dried, sow the bean into the similar pot that you have made.
- When planted, guarantee that the plant stays under indirect daylight.
- Another way of propagation is Air Layering
Things to keep in mind:
- Add more compost into the bucket once every 12 to 15 days.
- Pesticides or chemicals are not to be added to the coffee plant.
- In the case of pest attack, GGG (Ginger, Garlic, Green Chilli) spray or neem spray should be used.
- You can start harvesting once the berries turn brown.
- You can grow coffee at any place in India, just make sure to provide shade to the plant to grow.
- No need to pick any particular season to grow coffee. Shaded area is enough.
- You can get coffee beans from your local nursery if required.
- If you use grafts for growing the coffee plant, it is going to take around 2 years to fruit, however if you start from the coffee bean, then it is going to take around 6 years to fruit.
- Water every single day and in the summer days, when the soil gets dry easily, water twice a day.
- Coco peat can be homemade. Just blend the husk of the coconut to make a fine powder like texture. Sprinkle the same.
Harvesting:
- Wait till the berries are ripe and the colour to turn brown.
- Remove the ripened berries from the plant and the skin should be removed from the bean or seed.
- Dip all the seeds or beans into the water and let it stay there until the skin and pulp comes out of the seed or beans fully.
- Let the seeds or beans dry in the sun well to get all water and moisture out of it.
- When done, you can take the seeds or beans and get the coffee ground or do it at home.
Bottom Line:
It would be ideal if you develop it without anyone else and simply abstain from utilizing synthetic manures. Gather all your wet waste and make your own fertilizer.
