Kenya Coffee School Module

Coffee Nutrition Sciences

The Complete Coffee Feeding Calendar

Climate-Smart Nutrition from Nursery to Harvest Integrating Modern Science, Indigenous Knowledge, and Sustainable Agriculture

Author: Alfred Gitau Mwaura
Publisher: Kenya Coffee School

Page 1 – Introduction

Why Coffee Nutrition Matters

Understanding how coffee feeds itself
Soil–Plant–Climate relationship
Coffee nutrition throughout the year
Principles of regenerative coffee farming
Learning objectives

Illustration:

Soil → Roots → Stem → Leaves → Flowers → Cherries

Page 2 – Understanding Coffee Nutrients

Macronutrients

Nitrogen (N)
Phosphorus (P)
Potassium (K)
Calcium (Ca)
Magnesium (Mg)
Sulphur (S)

Micronutrients

Zinc
Boron
Copper
Iron
Manganese
Molybdenum
Nickel
Chlorine

Include:

Deficiency symptoms
Toxicity symptoms
Mobility within the plant

Page 3 – Understanding the Seasons

Kenya’s Coffee Calendar

Long rains

March–May

Short rains

October–December

Dry season

January–February

Cool season

June–August

Discuss:

Rainfall
Temperature
Sunlight
Soil moisture
Wind
Relative humidity

Page 4 – Nursery Feeding Calendar

From seed to transplant

Topics:

Organic compost
Mycorrhiza
Seedling nutrition
Water management
Shade management

Weekly nursery feeding schedule

Page 5 – Young Coffee (1–3 Years)

Objectives

Root establishment
Canopy development
Strong orthotropic growth

Include:

Organic manure
Nitrogen timing
Weed control
Mulching
Irrigation

Field checklist

Page 6 – Mature Coffee Feeding Calendar

Growth Stage | Nutrition Focus

Dormancy | Organic matter

Flower initiation | Phosphorus + Boron

Flowering | Balanced nutrition

Cherry expansion | Potassium

Bean filling | Potassium + Calcium

Post-harvest | Compost + Nitrogen recovery

Page 7 – Climate Smart Feeding

How weather affects fertilizer efficiency.

Topics:

Heavy rainfall

Split fertilizer applications
Reduce nutrient leaching

Drought

Mulching
Biochar
Water harvesting

High temperatures

Shade trees
Organic matter
Moisture conservation

Cold weather

Reduced uptake
Slow nutrient release

Page 8 – Indigenous Knowledge Calendar

Traditional indicators

Examples:

Flowering of indigenous trees
Bird migration
Wind direction
Cloud formations
Insect behaviour
Moon observations
Ant and termite activity

Integrating indigenous observations with weather forecasts.

Page 9 – Soil Health

Topics

Soil testing
pH correction
Compost
Coffee pulp
Animal manure
Green manure
Cover crops
Biochar

Healthy soil food web illustration.

Page 10 – Nutrition Deficiency Guide

Photo guide showing:

Nitrogen deficiency

Potassium deficiency

Magnesium deficiency

Iron chlorosis

Boron deficiency

Calcium deficiency

Copper deficiency

Corrective measures for each.

Page 11 – Annual Coffee Feeding Calendar

Month	Coffee Stage	Recommended Activities
January	Dry season	Mulch, irrigation where available, avoid heavy fertilization without moisture
February	Pre-rains	Soil testing, compost preparation, light nutrient application before expected rains
March	Long rains begin	Apply balanced fertilizer, weed control, mulch maintenance
April	Active vegetative growth	Nitrogen support, monitor pests and diseases
May	Flowering and fruit set	Phosphorus, boron, moisture management
June	Early fruit development	Potassium, canopy management, remove suckers
July	Bean filling	Potassium, calcium, monitor leaf health
August	Cool season	Soil health improvement, compost application
September	Pre-short rains	Prepare fertilizer and mulch, prune if needed
October	Short rains	Split fertilizer application, weed control
November	Fruit development	Potassium, micronutrients if deficiencies are confirmed
December	Harvest and post-harvest	Compost, manure, sanitation pruning, soil restoration