The lifespan of a coffee tree ranges from 50 to 100 years, while it matures in two to three years after planting to get to produce its first crop, and is most productive between ages 6 to 27, after which the fruit yield per annum starts decreasing.
Pruning a shrub-like coffee tree once a year to keep it from growing too tall increases its output over the years.
What is a Coffee Tree?
Coffee tree (Coffea arabica) – an evergreen shrub is one of the most commercially important species grown in several varieties.
This fruit tree has cherries that are similar in appearance to berries. The berries are green and turn red as they are ripe.
Where do Coffee Trees Grow?
Woody evergreen Coffee trees are grown around the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer, including Central and South America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
The Coffee from Colombia of South America is the most popular and loved Coffee.
In what Climate Does the Coffee Tree Grow?
Coffee trees are tropical plants that are grown in excellent to warm climates. The upland elevations of tropical countries favor such climate and are best to cultivate Coffee trees.
What Temperature Do Coffee Trees Need?
The optimal temperature range to grow coffee trees is 64 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
What Does a Coffee Tree Look Like?
Coffee trees look like tiny Christmas trees. The woody coffee tree is covered with deep green leaves with a waxy surface. These waxy leaves grow in pairs. The cherries grow alongside the coffee tree’s branches.
How Do You Identify a Coffee Tree?
About 70% of the world’s coffee production is Coffea arabica. Here are some features that will help you quickly identify coffee trees (Coffea arabica).
- The shape of the leaves – Oblong / Ovate
- The shape of the plant – Similar in appearance to a small Christmas tree
- Size and shape of the cherries and green beans – The average size of coffee beans is 10mm long and 6 mm wide. However, the sizes range from small to medium and large and elongated, round, or other.
- Color of leaf tip – Bronze or Green.
- Color of Cherries – Ripe coffee cherries have a yellow or red color.
- Stature – It will be tall or compact.
- Distance between nodes on the same branches – Short in most arabica species and tall in rest.
- Distance between branches – Short
- The angle of branches – Each branch of the coffee tree originates at leaf bud from auxiliary buds and is differentiated with the leaf insertion point, two by two in each node, with angles that approximate180 degrees.
How Do the Leaves of the Coffee Tree Look Like?
The oblong or ovate leaves of the coffee tree are seen in different colors from deep green to purple and yellow, depending on the varieties. The leaves are 3 feet long and 2 feet wide.
During spring, the color is pink-bronze which changes to dark bluish-green in summer as they emerge. In fall, the color of the coffee tree leaves is yellow.
What is the Size of Coffee Tree Leaves?
The size of the coffee tree leaves ranges from one to 16 inches. Coffea arabica has a leaf blade length of about 4 to 8 inches, increasing over time.
What Do Coffee Flowers Look Like?
The coffee flowers grow at the meeting points of leaves and branches of the coffee trees. The flowers are white tiny blossoms with rare and complex fragrances.
After six to seven weeks of pollination, the coffee cherry will develop from the flowers’ location. The flowering in Coffea arabica occurs after rain. Coffee blossoms are usually dried to make tea and serve decorative purposes.
How Long Does it Take for a Coffee Tree to Produce Fruit?
The recently cultivated coffee tree takes 3 to 4 years to bear fruit.
Depending upon variety, climate, altitude, and proper care of the coffee, trees may bear fruits earlier.
How Often Do Coffee Trees Produce Fruit?
The coffee trees produce fruits once a year – from September to march in countries north of the equator and from April to august in countries south of the equator.
But in South America, especially in Colombia, there are two flowerings every year. People call it a main and a secondary crop.
How Much Do Coffee Trees Produce Each Year?
A healthy coffee tree produces roundabout 2000 coffee cherries each year. Each cherry bears two coffee beans. S0, 4000 coffee beans are produced each year by one coffee tree.
Four thousand coffee beans roughly translate to about one pound of roasted coffee.
How Do You Increase the Years of a Coffee Tree?
Proper care and maintenance of a coffee tree increase its productive years. Here are some tips on how to increase the productive years of a coffee tree;
- Take utmost care of the baby coffee plant. This is because the plantation time dramatically determines how long the tree will be productive.
- Replace ungrown seedlings. It is essential to remove the diseased or dead coffee tree to make space for the new healthy coffee plant.
- The soil must not be bare and should be covered. Covering the coffee tree in its initial years protects it against erosion and soil moisture.
- The weeds should be removed from time to time.
- Accurately prune the coffee trees. Prune coffee tree at least once a year.
- Apply fertilizers to the coffee trees.
- Keep the coffee tree protected from diseases and insects.
A coffee tree starts yielding fruit in its third year of age and becomes most productive between ages 7 to 20. However, the production decreases significantly after 30 years of the age of the coffee tree. These above-mentioned tips will help increase the productive years of a coffee tree.
Why is Pruning a Coffee Tree Necessary?
Pruning of coffee trees is necessary to protect mineral salts, and all the nourishments get used by branches.
If the tree is unpruned, it will use all its nourishment and mineral salts of the soil to nourish woods, leading to the under-production of coffee berries. Moreover, if unpruned, the tree grows up to 10 to 15 meters, making it challenging to pick berries.
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.
