What is the full life cycle of coffee?

by Samariah Sampson
(Des moines, Iowa)

QUESTION:

What is the lifecycle of the coffee bean....from bean to tree to bean again?

ANSWER:

Growing coffee is not a simple task. The coffee trees demand a lot of care and attention before they repay you with coffee beans. And when they do, each tree only produces between 2 and 12 pounds of beans per year, depending on climate, soil conditions and other factors.

In other words, you need a lot of trees in your plantation in order to make a living.

You start out by planting a seed. Within 4 to 8 weeks you will have a seedling. You then need to tend the seedling, making sure the soil remains moist, and that there is not too much direct sunlight.

Within 9 to 18 months the coffee tree will be about 12 inches tall. But you'll need to wait 3 years before the tree bears fruit. And 6 years before the tree is mature and producing fully.

Each tree will keep producing for about 20 to 25 years.