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  • #16
    Re: Question on Growing Coffee Trees

    After taking lots of cuttings of a neighbours mulberry tree when nobody was looking (their fruit was very tasty) I am now getting worried they will not root. So I went to gardenworld on the weekend to try and buy one. Sadly they didnt ahve any, but I did see some coffee plants. they were desceibved just as arabica, about 1.5 ft tall. I was tempted, but I didnt have any idea if you could get any fruit in melbourne. Also they described them as ornamental - dont know if that means they are not really intended to use?

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    • #17
      Re: Question on Growing Coffee Trees

      Just another coffee experiment - I assume they would be ok, i.e. not poison you - but maybe not so great to drink

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      • #18
        Re: Question on Growing Coffee Trees

        Mulberry trees grow like weeds around here. Every year theres new volunteers coming up and if they once get established theyre next to impossible to kill. I have several that I have been cutting back to ground level for over a decade now and yet they still survive!

        Were at the peak of Mulberry fruiting here right now. I have a good sized tree (the only one Ive let grow undisturbed over the years) that hangs over the roof of my basement addition.  Every year the Mulberry keeps me jumping for 2 weeks. It starts off with just an occasional *tap* on the roof that sounds like a cat or dog jumping up onto the roof. Thats not too bad as I dont worry about small critters up there. But then in a day or two theyll start dropping several all at once. Which sounds just like a person has jumped up onto my roof! Causing me to start and listen intently for any further footsteps. Relaxing again only after no further sounds for several seconds. Then comes the peak of fruiting. Lots and lots of big fat juicy mulberrys hanging on the branches and me sitting relaxed in the quietness of the basement addition absorbed in a book or web page Im visiting. Then along comes a gust of wind. Next thing you know Im rubbing my head and eying the new dent in my ceiling as hundreds of berries all come crashing down onto my roof and sounding like theres a dozen people up on my roof madly chasing each other all over it!!

        Apparently there arent very many other fruiting trees around here as every year theres a major bird and squirrel convention in my backyard when the mulberrys ripen. Even with the hundreds of critters eating all the berries they can stuff into themselves theres still many thousands that end up on my roof and the ground. At the peak of the season theyll completely cover the roof under the tree. The roof has long ago been permanently stained purple from them. The end of the season brings the real entertainment. Watching all the squirrels and birds try to run/fly around while drunk! LOL The berries will ferment while sitting on the ground and the animals will get drunk from eating them. ROFL It can be quite entertaining to watch! Almost worth the previous two weeks of jumping out of my skin! ;D ;D ;D


        If youre having problems with them taking root try using some root growth hormone. Alternatively you could also try soaking the ends of the cuttings in a jar of water until you get a healthy root system growing.



        Java "Dodging mulberrys!" phile
        Toys! I must have new toys!!!

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        • #19
          Re: Question on Growing Coffee Trees

          very funny! If only I could get one going here. I have potted 3 with rooting mix, and another 3 are in water. Something should survive hopefully.

          ben_s - that is what I was thinking. I wasnt sure I wanted to put lots of effort into something if there were better non-ornamental ones.

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          • #20
            Re: Question on Growing Coffee Trees

            Ellew!

            Ive been growing K7s here at home (Central Qld) for a couple of years.. unfortunately the dogs pulled most out and Ive only got 2 trees left now, one of which is about 5ft, the other about 4ft high, each maybe 3ft in diameter.

            The only arabica trees that Ive seen for sale in my region (at a nursery anyway) are K7s.. so it may be that theyre more suited to our weather, i dunno, however as it was pointed out the Dayleys site has bulk info on the varietals they stock, and you could always just ring them anyway.

            Im currently processing my cherries at the moment, Ive only got about 150 - 200 grams so far, half of which is dry enough to roast.. drying is the biggest pain for me, they just dont seem to be getting dry enough.. I read that a lot of commercial growers finalise the drying in mechanical dryers, at 40C for 6 hours.. so I put mine in the oven at 40C for about 2hrs.. not sure if it made a difference.. Im way too lazy to put them in there for 6hrs!!

            Anyway, its a bit of fun..

            Another thing, the soil is so important! I have heavy clay, with next to no drainage, so if we get more than 3 or 4 days of non stop rain, almost all of the cheries tend to split and are ruined. So yeah, if your soil is crap like mine build it up a bit to help maybe.

            The flowers smell beautiful, sort of a cross between night jasmin and frangipani, but its a shame because they only last a few days really..

            Anyway have fun!
            Rolley

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            • #21
              Re: Question on Growing Coffee Trees

              It took a while to contact this fellow and he was not to talkative
              But I sweet talked him to give me basic info
              The variety he grows is K7 Arabica
              They grow to 8 mt high and spread 3 mt wide
              Require good drainage and sheltered position
              Will not tolerate frost

              He said he has heard of the Catui and its mostly grown in South America
              And it’s a short plant and would suit home gardens or pots

              He recommended a nursery
              (C.A.P.E. nursery) but they may not sell to the public?

              So I will follow up by contacting CAPE when time permits to find out about the Catui variety

              I will Post again with update

              KK

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              • #22
                Re: Question on Growing Coffee Trees

                Originally posted by damian1 link=1214659531/0#15 date=1214819529
                After taking lots of cuttings of a neighbours mulberry tree when nobody was looking (their fruit was very tasty) I am now getting worried they will not root.  So I went to gardenworld on the weekend to try and buy one.  Sadly they didnt ahve any, but I did see some coffee plants.  they were desceibved just as arabica, about 1.5 ft tall.  I was tempted, but I didnt have any idea if you could get any fruit in melbourne.  Also they described them as ornamental - dont know if that means they are not really intended to use?
                Coffee trees also make great indoor ornamental/foliage plants because of their nice green glossy leaves. They are still first and foremost coffee trees they just have a variety of uses though I wouldnt expect theyd crop as well indoors unless they get a very well lit area and you rotate the plant every few months to get even light on the tree.

                Also do a search there are a few threads on this topic already with some good info.

                Im just in the middle of drying my first lot of beans I havent got many in this crop maybe 100 grams though i moved the tree 3 times so its probably not all that impressed with me though ive given it heaps of compost and chicken poop so next crop should be good.

                Shame about all your plants being ruined Rolley you would have got a heap this year.

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                • #23
                  Re: Question on Growing Coffee Trees

                  How do you shelter a 8m high tree?

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                  • #24
                    Re: Question on Growing Coffee Trees

                    Originally posted by Thundergod link=1214659531/20#22 date=1214834738
                    How do you shelter a 8m high tree?
                    Wind breaks in a farm situation

                    KK

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                    • #25
                      Re: Question on Growing Coffee Trees

                      Another alternative for rooting cuttings is Perlite. Cut the stem of the cutting at a sharp angle (about 30 degrees) so theres a nice large surface area of the interior of the stem showing. Using a small pot (Smaller is better in this case! Standard seedling trays work nicely for most plants.)) with plenty of holes in the bottom fill it with Perlite. Put it on a water tight dish and using a liquid fertilizer/hydroponics solution whose composition is appropriate for the plant being grown pour it over the Perlite until it is completely saturated and all of its parts have been well soaked. This is a critical step as the Perlite wont wick up the solution from the dish if it is dry! Dip the stems of the cuttings in a dry root growth hormone (Ive used Rootone in the past with good results.) and stick them (one per container) into the Perlite. Keep the bottom dish filled with an appropriate liquid fertilizer and once the roots start growing out of the holes in the bottom of the pot transfer them to their permanent home.


                      Java "A thumb of a different color." phile
                      Toys! I must have new toys!!!

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                      • #26
                        Re: Question on Growing Coffee Trees

                        Isnt Mt Tamborine a 45 minute drive south of Brisvegas? All problems solved.

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                        • #27
                          Re: Question on Growing Coffee Trees

                          Thanks Javaphile. Ill see if anything happens with this round of cuttings, and if nothing, I will visit my neighbours again and give your suggestion a go.

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                          • #28
                            Re: Question on Growing Coffee Trees

                            Home work completed and update

                            I contacted CAPE Nursery and spoke to a very nice fellow called John Zentveld
                            He was a pleasure to talk to and was a wealth of information
                            He advised me that the K 7 variety is the best for Australian conditions

                            He also said that they will ship small potted trees all over Australia (2008 price)
                            At a cost of $3.50 each plus transport (not sure about GST forgot to ask)

                            Now here are the growing tips for Coffee Trees
                            For home! Grow the coffee trees as a hedge and cut them down to your desired level
                            Planting time is October for Australia
                            Plant the coffee trees a minimum 800 mm apart and 800 mm is also the optimum
                            Sunny sheltered position (they don’t like frost)

                            The above growing tips also apply for machine harvesting on farms that cut and hedge the coffee trees

                            But for hand harvesting in farm or home conditions without hedging you should space plants at a minimum of 2 mt
                            CAPE has a web site to peruse if you so wish

                            Have also found
                            Further Reading from government site
                            Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation

                            http://www.rirdc.gov.au/pub/handbook/coffee.html

                            KK

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                            • #29
                              Re: Question on Growing Coffee Trees

                              Interesting. From the link at the bottom of KKs post

                              Only 200 t of green bean were produced in Australia in 1996, compared with the 49,000 t of green bean we imported.

                              Sounds like an opportunity a lot better than ostrich farms or pine plantations.

                              Afaik, coffee is a tropical plant . Given that the coffee growing region is NSW northern rivers to Queeensland, how would they grow in southern areas. As an orchid grower I know that one of the problems with growing tropical plants in temperate areas is not just the temperature but the day length (diurnal period). They look to be a good plant to grow as an ornamental as well.

                              Is the coffee aroma/flavour arrived it by the roasting/blending method or does growing conditions also play a part (as it does for grapes)?

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                              • #30
                                Re: Question on Growing Coffee Trees

                                Originally posted by flynnaus link=1214659531/20#28 date=1215064114

                                Is the coffee aroma/flavour arrived it by the roasting/blending method or does growing conditions also play a part (as it does for grapes)?
                                Not talking from any experience, but reading Espresso Quest which I bought off Bean Bay, which uses Mountain Top Estate as a case study, there seems to be a real trend in coffee as there is in grapesthat the growing conditions impact flavour.

                                They do all sort of experiments wrt water consumption etc. Interesting stuff

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