looking for Coffee seeds? Also Alpine Strawberry

I'm curious if I can grow coffee, jut to try. I had to grow a commodity for a school business project and the group chose tobacco, but I wanted to grow coffee. Does anyone have any coffee seeds Is this realistic. (I haven't really researched.) Does anyone need any tobacco seed? Virginia 58 tobacco. I also have some organic basil.
I'm also looking for alpine strawberries (tiny strawberries) for some land the family owns in Northern AZ.
thanks
pb

 

Well, here's the deal...

I only have a very small amount of Alpine strawberry seeds, and want to save them to trade for something I would really like to have, as well. If you get your hands on some of those coffee seeds and you could share even one or two with me, I would then be willing to part with my Alpine seeds. I really don't have many, but enough so you could get a few good plants from them.

Please don't think I am mean, but I really have given away tons of free seeds and asked for nothing in return (not even postage), but even a 'seedaholic' like me gets low on supplies sometimes, so I must save what I have left to make some exchanges.

Hope we can do a trade, later...

: )

 

I understand absolutely. I have my cousins in italy on alert to send me a few oz of fragolina (alpines) this august when our land will be covered in them. If I land some coffee seeds I'll share and if the alpines arrive, I'll share those as well. (with my family everything is "if".)

pb

 

It's not terribly realistic to grow coffee and expect yields within the confines of your project. Arizona probably has the heat for it, but you don't have the shade necessary, your soils aren't right, and you definitely don't have the kind of water coffee needs to produce. Add to this that plants only start producing when they're about 5-6 years old, and tobacco is actually a better idea in terms of what you're trying to do (sprouts fast, grows fast, yields in the first year)

This comes from somebody who grows coffee; it requires a specific set of conditions that aren't really found in the deserts of the USA unless you also plan to grow bananas and papaya as companions (which is cost- and water-intensive in terms of getting them to take a foothold). Your altitude is also so low that the beans will have poor flavour and the growth of the plants will be stunted.

 

Ah but the joys of indoor container gardening, and owning a 400w metal halide light system! There is no stopping me!

Also too, I don't want to grow the coffee plant to get a serious harvest of coffee - I don't even drink it! I just wanted to grow it for novelty reasons and purposes - and curiosity. Plus, I do have the means to support it, with supplemental lighting and a very large container! No worries.

Thank you for being so understanding about the seeds zoomroom. I feel bad despite of it though, and must mail you just a couple! Lorax received some Alpine strawberry seeds at one point from me, too! Send me a pm, and I will shoot ya a couple seeds. If and when you get the coffee seeds, you can return the favor, ok?

Maybe Lorax knows where to get some of those coffee seeds...

: )

 

I can take some off of my plants in the next cycle, but without an export permit or the seeds being roasted I can´t send them to either of you; coffee is a ´heritage´crop here (we have our own special cultivars) and it´s really well protected. D&T World Seeds might have something, though.

I was more speaking to Zoomroom about the nonviability of coffee as a commercial crop in the US, than to those who wish to grow it as an ornamental (as you do, Hollyberry); it's a lovely houseplant, with glossy dark green leaves.

 

Oh I am delighted to hear this! It sounds like an amazing plant. I'd love to grow it. Thank you for letting me know this, Lorax.

: )

 

I've tried for several days to respond, sorry for the delay. Lorax, I'm just interested in attempting to grow coffee. I'm more inclined to grow commodities because of my background. Although I'm also a beekeeper, I don't have a lot of interest in flowers. I like growing food and we've begun experimenting with the nicotiana as an insecticide. growing the coffee would just be for fun. I have a small indoor growing area away from the burining sun. I'll be reading your banana info as well.
Holly: Thank you for your generous offer, but I'm going to one up you. I have some friends going to Italy this summer and they're going to bring me a couple of shoots and some seeds. If I get as many as I've asked for, I'll be happy to trade them so the rest of the group will know what we do about these little gems. I wish I could bring in some of the ripe fruit as well.
This is a great site, It's wonderful to meet you all.

 

In that case, the same thing I told Hollyberry goes for you. They're lovely foliage plants.

You can absolutely grow bananas in Phoenix; I have friends via the International Banana Society who do so year to year with a bit of winter protection.

 

To grow bananas would just be the ultimate, for me! Wow! Lorax, I want to know you forever! LoL! Especially, if you remain in Ecuador, where you can get such cool stuff.

Zoomroom, I would love to try some of those, for sure. As I mentioned in a pm though, I am still willing to mail ya a few Alpine strawberry seeds now, so you can try them out...

: )

 

Oh, I'm NEVER EVER EVER coming back to Canada. I'd freeze even during the summer, LOL!

Hollyberry, there are a number of edible-fruited banana cultivars (the 'Dwarf' and 'Super Dwarf' types) that are small enough to grow indoors in containers. If you're really serious about this, I'll hook you up with some of the growers in the US that have such beasts and can export to you. Here in EC, there are only two dwarf varieties and they're both cooking plantains.

 

Oh my good Lord - am I serious?!!! Goodness yes! I would die to grow a dwarf banana tree!

Is it too late for me to begin something like this? Should I wait until next early winter, so I can get a head start indoors? I want to get it at the very best time of the year. Money is not a big deal, but are they expensive? Do they come in plant form?

Very cool, Lorax!

: )

 

ME TOO ME TOO!! Hate to butt in, but that sounds absolutely dreamy, growing a dwarf edible banana!

 

Hey you, Laticauda! What's the big idea butting in like that?!!! You've scared poor Lorax away!

: O

LoL - hahahaha. Too funny!

I do think it would be amazing to grow one, wouldn't it, Laticauda? I am gonna research a bit now, on how it is done. I am thrilled to think that I could actually own a dwarf banana tree.

Somebody pinch me - I am dreaming!

: )

 

Just dropped in to say that coffee trees will grow indoors even without supplementary light,as long as they have good window light . Our house is full of them . They will produce flowers and fertile beans . Some are flowering right now ,and the smaller plants all came from seeds from my original tree . The plants are sometimes available from plant stores and even supermarkets like the Superstore in Vancouver BC etc.

 

You can both start now, Hollyberry and Laticauda - this way the plants can live outside for the summer and come in for hte winter. Dwarf bananas necessarily come as plants, since edible bananas cannot be grown from seeds.

I'll get on scrubbing up the links for sellers.

 

Wow Lorax - thanks a bunch!

So monkey - what would I have to do to get some of those coffee seeds from ya? I noticed you're in Canada, too. I have many seeds I could give you in return...

: )

 

My hands are sweating in anticipation! It would be nice to have a little banana tree outside for the summer.

P.S. Holly, you are too funny!

 

I knew you'd laugh, Laticauda!

: )

Yeah, it would be so cool to have one. The neighbors would be gawking wouldn't they?!!! I would have 24 hour guard protection around my little tree, in case anyone got any bright ideas! Then again, what if the guard took a shining, and suddenly mysteriously disappeared - along with my tree?!!!

: OOO

LOL! How ridiculous!

I would be overly protective of it though - might even bring it in at night. I cannot wait to see what Lorax comes up with...

As well, I am hoping you get those seeds soon, Laticauda. If we do get banana trees, we can post pics! Oh my goodness this is so exciting! I told my mom already, and she thinks it's way cool too.

Thanks Lorax!

: )

 

Hi Hollyberry Lady ,My original tree produced beans for about 3 years .The tree lived about ten years and grew to about 7feet before I accidently killed it . However at its peak there were about 4oo beans on it . I had the choice of making one strong cup of coffee or planting the seeds . Being a bit obsessive ,I planted them and now still have at least 50 small to big plants .Some of those are now flowering ,but the flower to ripe seed stage may take a month or two. When they ripen you are certainly welcome to some . Or we can trade something . Too bad you are not closer because I have had such an overabundance that I even give the small trees away or throw them in with other transactions . One thing about them is that they don`t like sudden climate chances . [ or travelling I imagine } , Cheers

 

Ok, thanks monkey - we'll definitely do a trade. I am wondering Lorax, or anyone else who knows:

Will coffee beans from the market, sprout? I have had success with dehydrated peas from the store germinating, so I didn't know if coffee beans were the same...

: )

 

You mean full-bean coffee, Hollyberry? That's been roasted, not just dehydrated, so they're dead seeds.

The banana varieties you want to look for are the following:

'Little Prince' (this is the smallest, maybe 2' tall overall.)
'Super Dwarf Cavendish' (very small, to about 4') - Sandy at Northern Tropics (Muncie Indiana) has these for about $10 USD
and then any of the other varieties marked 'Dwarf' go to about 6-8' tall.

'High Colour Mini' is attractive for foliage, but it doesn't set edible fruits (very seedy!).

Agristarts has clones of most of the available 'Dwarf' varieties.

Richard at Plants that Produce has fertilizers specifically for bananas, which is a good idea since you'll be container-growing.

And of course, I'd reccomend that you both join the International Banana Society (it's free) - they've got a wealth of information for container growers, and there may be members willing to swap with you for other plants.

 

WOW - thanks for the wealth of information, Lorax! I intend on making this very real. Hate ordering from the US, because they milk ya for postage - but if this is the only way, then so be it. Will this banana plant last, or do they die eventually?

Also, would un-roasted coffee beans sprout? Are there any store bought coffee beans that would actually germinate?...

: )

 

Well, bananas die after fruiting, but they put out pups before that so while you won't always have the plant you started with, you will always have its descendants.

Unroasted coffee beans, if you can get your hands on them, will sprout. Store-bought coffee, however, won't. You'd be looking for white-coloured beans to find viable ones.

 

I am going to call around to see if there's any of those white beans available here - someone's gotta have them!

Thanks too about the information on the propagation of the bananas - they sound so cool. Gonna check out your links now...

: )