How to Propagate a Coffee Plant

Coffee plants tend to decline after several years of growth if grown indoors as houseplants. Fortunately, when coffee plants are several years old, they will begin producing seeds. Propagation of coffee plants using these seeds can give you young coffee plants to eventually replace your mature coffee plant.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Special potting mix
• Clear plastic covering

1. Remove seeds from the coffee plant. The best time to sow the seeds is in the spring, however, the seeds must be sown immediately after harvesting. If your coffee plant is not producing seeds in the spring, sowing seeds is also possible any other time of the year.

2. Prepare a small pot with a potting mix especially for seedlings. Standard potting mix is not suitable for sowing seeds. Create your own mix by combining one part peat moss with one part perlite or coarse sand.

3. Plant three seeds in the pot immediately after removing the seeds from the coffee plant. Place the seeds half 1/2-inch deep into the potting mix.

4. Water the potting mix gently in order to avoid disturbing the seeds. You will not need to water the mix again until the seeds sprout.

5. Enclose the pot in clear plastic to trap in heat and moisture. A plastic freezer bag or a top of a 2-liter bottle work well. Place the pot in a bright location that does not get below 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Warmth is essential for the seeds to germinate.

6. Wait three or four weeks for the new coffee plants to begin sprouting. When they get to 1 to 2 inches tall, remove the plastic. At this time, you may select the strongest plant and grow it as a single, or keep several plants for a bushier pot.

7. Repot the new coffee plant when it reaches 4 inches tall, using a standard potting mix. Treat the plant as a mature coffee plant from now on.