I have a coffee plant at home. I placed it in partial shade in the west. I will say that the tree does not make high demands on living conditions. If you want it to bloom and grow foliage for a long time, fertilize it! In this article we will look at the features of growing ornamental crops.
The coffee plant is a tree or shrub with large, leathery leaves. Its flowers are often compared to jasmine, but they are larger. The fruit of the plant is presented in the form of a red or black elongated box. According to various sources, the coffee genus numbers from 45 to 55 species.
IN natural conditions trees are grown in Africa, Asia, and America. A large number of shrubs can be found in Madagascar.
Reproduction
If you are a lover of exotic crops, this article is for you. I grow Arabian coffee at home. Theoretically, the tree can be propagated by seeds, but vegetative method much more reliable!
My friend is wondering if it is possible to get a tree from a green seed. In reality, no, moreover, the seeds quickly lose their viability and have difficulty taking root at home.
It is better to propagate ornamental crops by cuttings. I advise you to use shoots that have formed 4 leaves. Before planting them in the soil mixture, you need to adjust the outer cut by 2 cm (preferably, it should be oblique). It’s easy to prepare the soil mixture: you need to mix 70% purified sand and 30% leaf soil.
The cuttings form roots faster if you keep it in heteroauxin. I advise you to use the drug in accordance with the instructions. In order for the cutting to quickly take root in a new place and not begin to rot, it is necessary to treat the cut with charcoal. Place the planting material to a depth of 2 cm.
Keep it under a blanket or glass container. You care for coffee the same way you care for other tropical crops. It is better to plant the cuttings in a 10 cm container.
Before pouring the soil mixture, you need to lay a drainage layer on the bottom. I used sand. The thickness of the layer should be no more than one and a half cm.
Cuttings also feel good in a soil mixture of 50% greenhouse soil, 25% turf, 25% clean sand. To prevent the plant from suffering from potassium deficiency, add soil mixture some wood ash.
Do not plant the cuttings deeply, otherwise the roots will rot. Make a pick when you see the plant's roots breaking through the soil. The diameter of subsequent containers should be 3 cm larger than the previous ones. Use the same soil mixture.
If you see that a young green stem is covered brown spots, don't be scared. On the contrary, you should be concerned if such spots do not appear on the plant. Normally, after some time they darken and a beige bark appears.
Replanting a plant, applying fertilizers
How to care for this crop? Young trees need to be replanted every year, and older trees - every 2.5 years. Each subsequent container for adult plants should be 6 cm larger than the previous one. The coffee tree blooms all year round.
In order for it to please with its beauty, it is necessary to apply fertilizers. I feed the plant once every 11 days, using complex formulations. The tree needs nitrogen, phosphorus and microelements such as potassium.
- 4 g nitrogen fertilizer;
- 6 g phosphorus;
- 1 g potassium.
This amount is calculated for 1100 ml of water. You can use chicken manure. It replenishes the lack of nitrogen.
Apply fertilizer carefully and in moderation! Add 5 g of droppings to 1 liter of water, the solution should sit for one day, after which it will be ready for use.
Apply it when you see gas bubbles on the surface. Do not apply this solution in its pure form, otherwise the plant will be seriously damaged. Dilute the solution with water in a ratio of 1:3. Excess fertilizer is harmful to any plant!
To prevent your favorite tree from suffering from phosphorus deficiency, you need to add superphosphate. I advise you to dilute it with soft, settled water. Before adding granules, you can warm it up to 40 degrees. To saturate the plant with potassium, you need to use ash extract.
Place it in warm water and wait 20 hours. Even though coffee is a tropical plant, it should be protected from direct sun rays. It is recommended to keep the plant under bright, indirect light.
Under natural conditions, the tree is planted next to shade crops. You can place the coffee in the south. From late autumn to early March it is necessary to highlight the crop fluorescent lamps. In winter, it develops well at temperatures from + 19 to + 23 degrees.
What else should a florist know?
The coffee plant is very easy to care for at home; it forms a crown on its own, you don’t have to adjust it. A seedling 2-3 months old does not grow in width. When it reaches two years of age, it begins to form lateral as well as skeletal shoots.
The coffee tree is often compared to a Christmas tree. It has an erect vertical trunk with horizontal branches. If you see that the plant is producing long shoots, adjust them by a few centimeters or cut them off completely.
Thanks to this, the coffee tree will form a denser crown and subsequently form more buds. Don't worry prematurely if the leaves turn dark. The plant changes color if the air humidity in the room is low. Brown leaves do not indicate disease.
To restore the plant, you need to place it on a tray with moistened pebbles. Growing coffee tree easy even for novice gardeners.
When the tree is 3 years old, it forms small tendrils in the leaf axils. After some time, these tendrils will turn white, then turn into buds. The coffee tree has a short flowering period, it lasts only 2 days. The plant blooms even in winter. It produces green fruits that later turn white.
I will say that the coffee tree is grown for beauty, and not for making a drink, although the beans can be used for their intended purpose. They need to be cleaned, placed in the oven and heated for 5 minutes, then fried in a frying pan. Coffee made from domestic beans is highly concentrated.
You can drink no more than one cup of this drink per day! So, we have learned that caring for a coffee tree at home is simple, the main thing is to follow simple rules.
Our gardeners have already learned to grow a variety of plants at home. From the most common compact flowers to tropical vines. Many people want to try growing something exotic and the coffee tree is ideal for growing at home. There are different types of this plant, but if we decide to grow it, then the most suitable one will be Arabica coffee.
Coffee tree scripture
The foliage of the coffee tree is not small, fleshy and has a greenish tint. Flowering begins and the plant produces an umbrella-like inflorescence consisting of approximately 76 flowers. The flowers are white on small roots and appear on young annual stems. The fruits of the plant consist of two seeds, round in shape, initially having a yellow tint, turning into green. And the ripe fruits of the coffee tree are red. When the fruit ripens, it is covered with a crust on the outside, and inside is filled with sweetish, slightly sour pulp and a pair of seeds about 13 mm in length.
A home-grown coffee tree has beneficial properties. It can purify the air from harmful substances, increase and improve a person’s energy capabilities, reduce and remove stressful state And nervous system tidies up.
Beneficial properties of coffee
It has diuretic properties, therefore preventing the formation of kidney stones.
The benefits of coffee are used to prevent constipation. The plant fiber contained in grains helps with this. Caffeine increases the acidity of gastric juice and stimulates increased liver function and bile production.
Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, increasing performance, tones the body and eliminates drowsiness, headache. The effect lasts 3–4 hours.
Benefits of coffee for respiratory system for bronchitis and pneumonia, it involves removing mucus due to the content of tannins. In combination with lemon and honey, it strengthens the immune system, suppresses viruses, and enhances the antioxidant effect.
A sugar-free drink is good for female body when losing weight. It promotes fat burning during physical exercise due to increased tone and performance caused by caffeine.
Coffee is known to be beneficial for hypotension, as it increases blood pressure.
The drink prevents Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases due to stimulation of the central nervous system. Drinking coffee prevents the destruction of brain cells.
What are the benefits of coffee? Caffeine enhances the effect of medications such as Aspirin and Paracetamol, increasing the load on the liver.
The drink helps with poisoning due to its antioxidant effect. Helps remove toxins from the body.
Caffeine, when consumed in moderation (up to 300 ml per day), restores damaged liver cells, preventing cirrhosis.
Types of coffee tree to grow at home
The following types of coffee trees can be grown at home:
- Arabian coffee. This is a favorite variety of many gardeners. The plant reaches a height of no more than 2 m. The leaves are slightly elongated, the flowers are white, small and very fragrant. It can bloom several times a year. The fruit is small, red, with 2-3 seeds inside. This variety has several varieties. The species called Nana is especially small and suitable for apartments.
- Liberian coffee. This variety is larger, taller with large leaves(up to 40 cm). Due to its size, it is not often grown in apartments. The flowers are white, the fruits are yellowish-red with large seeds.
- Robusta. Low grade. The leaves are bright green, with veins and slight fluff. The flowers are white and fragrant.
Coffee tree from cuttings
The substrate for planting cuttings should be light, allowing easy penetration of water and air. A mixture of peat and coarse sand (or perlite) works well. If you plant several coffee cuttings in one container, make sure that they do not touch or shade each other. For successful rooting they need bright (diffused) light. Just as necessary and quite heat+25-27 degrees. Therefore, you need to start rooting the cuttings in warm time years when there is no need for special heated mini-greenhouses, but it is necessary to cover the cuttings with a glass cap (a glass jar will do) or a plastic bag. A sign of rooting is the appearance of a new bud at the top of the cutting. When a couple of new leaves appear, the plant can be transplanted into a permanent pot.
Coffee bean tree
You can grow a coffee tree from purchased green coffee beans (not roasted). Before soaking coffee bean for germination, its shell is destroyed (deeply scratched). Then they proceed in this order: the scarified coffee bean can be soaked overnight before planting in a growth stimulator (“Epin”, “Emistim”, “Zircon”); for planting, prepare a deep pot with loose, slightly moist soil mixture and drainage at the bottom; grains are planted in the ground to a depth of 3-4 cm (the distance between planted grains is 3-5 cm); the soil with planted coffee seeds is watered and covered with glass or a plastic bag; the pot is placed in a warm room: the higher the temperature, the faster the shoots will emerge; glass or film is removed from the pot twice a week, condensation is shaken off and the crops are ventilated.
After a year, coffee seeds almost lose their viability; their growth energy is defined as 3% out of 100. Therefore, if a grower has obtained dry green coffee beans, then when soaked in stimulants and prolonged wet germination, 2-3 grains out of a hundred may hatch. A coffee seed from a neighbor's window tree is much more likely to germinate. Such grain will be fresh, in a burgundy shell. The seed is visually divided in two, and a separate coffee seedling will sprout from each half of the grain.
Replanting a coffee tree
If everything was done correctly, the first shoots will appear within the next 4-6 weeks. As soon as the plant reaches a height of 2-3 cm, it must be accustomed to room temperature. First you need to increase the ventilation time by 2-3 times. Every day the ventilation time must be increased in order to reduce the time the plant stays in the greenhouse to zero within a month. In principle, by that time (2-2.5 months after planting) a small coffee tree with 3-5 fully developed leaves will have already been formed, which needs to be transplanted into its own individual pot. The diameter of the first pot for a coffee tree should be at least 15 cm with a height of about 20-22 cm. Just like a pot for seedlings, it should be one third filled with drainage, which is expanded clay or small crushed stone. The soil level should be 1.5-2 cm below the height of the walls of the pot.
It is best to choose clay or ceramics as the pot material, since extra food air will not hurt the roots, however, since the root system when grown at home is very close to the surface, this does not play a special role.
Coffee tree care
Growing a coffee tree at home means that the gardener will carefully observe certain features. It is important to remember that this plant cannot coexist with other crops, although it is considered quite unpretentious.
Where to put the coffee tree
A young indoor coffee tree requires a lot of light, so it is best to place the pot on a windowsill in a warm room. Coffee also grows well on a north-facing window, but a south-facing window is best suited for it. One of the most important requirements– do not change the location of the plant and do not rotate the pot. This will cause leaves to fall and flowering tree may lose buds and subsequently fail to bear fruit.
Temperature conditions for growing coffee trees
For normal growth and development in spring-summer period The plant requires normal room temperature. In winter, the room where it is located should be cooler, namely from 14 to 15 degrees. It should be remembered that the temperature should not be allowed to drop below 12 degrees.
Watering a coffee tree
Water the coffee sparingly but regularly. Dried 1-3 cm upper layer soil is a signal for the next watering. Use only settled soft water. Hard water with a high salt content is unfavorable for the plant - the coffee tree will begin to hurt over time. Prefers coffee wet air. You can provide the required humidity (60-70%) using a humidifier. Many sources advise posting flower pot on a tray with pebbles filled with water. This measure will not be able to provide the necessary humidity, since for high-quality humidification you need to evaporate at least 1.5-2 liters per day every day.
Help maintain optimal humidity can regular spraying of purified or boiled water, the temperature of which is a couple of degrees higher than room temperature. IN summer time A warm shower is very helpful.
Feeding the coffee tree
It is better to use minerals as a top dressing. liquid fertilizers, it is recommended to use them once every two weeks from April to September, i.e. during the most active growth. A complex mineral fertilizer is suitable as a top dressing. For best result It is recommended to alternate organic and mineral fertilizers. From the second half of autumn until next spring there is no need to feed the plant.
Formation of the crown of a coffee tree
In the first year, the plant rises as a seedling 20-25 cm. During the growing season, axillary buds emerge from the seedling, from which lateral branches are subsequently formed. Buds also appear on the side branches, and branches of the third order grow from them. The coffee tree begins to actively grow its crown in the second year of the growing season - it does not require adjustment or pruning. The branches of the coffee tree grow perpendicular to the trunk, and the crown of the crown turns out to be wide and lush. Mature plant can be shaped by trimming and pinching. This is usually done in the following cases: when the main skeletal branches are strongly spread to the sides and do not fit into the indoor space allocated for the plant’s life; when excessive crown density reduces the lighting of the plant; when you need to take green cuttings for planting new plants.
Coffee tree disease
The most common diseases and pests found on coffee trees are:
Sooty fungus. Sooty fungus most often affects young and weak plants. It occurs if the room is poorly ventilated or the air humidity is too high. The fungus clogs the pores, disrupts the photosynthesis process, and as a result, the leaves become brown and gray. You need to fight the fungus with ventilation and insecticides.
Shield. Small insects striking indoor flowers. They leave small gray spots on the leaves. You can also see the insects themselves on the stems and in the soil. You can fight scale insects mechanical cleaning, spraying with disinfecting solutions.
Leaf spotting. A fungal disease that is practically untreatable. First, spots appear, then the leaves quickly fall off and the tree dies. Damaged leaves and the shoots need to be removed.
Rust. This fungal disease related to improper care And high humidity soil. The leaves begin to turn yellow and appear brown spots. Some varieties are immune to this disease. You can fight the fungus with the help of special preparations and spraying.
Bacterial damage to leaves. Typically, bacterial infection begins through a damaged trunk. The leaves on the plant begin to turn yellow, dry out and fall off. To get rid of the disease, the affected trunk must be cleaned and treated with disinfectants.
Coffee trees can become infested from other houseplants, so they should be inspected regularly for spots and larvae. With proper care, the likelihood of disease is minimized.
When talking about a coffee tree, most people imagine a huge plantation located in a tropical area. However, each of us can admire this plant. You just need to know how to grow a coffee tree at home. Some potted plant enthusiasts may think that this job is too difficult. However, it is not. This plant is as easy to care for as other indoor pets. The indoor climate is perfect for a coffee tree, which can become a true decoration of any home. At the same time, it will perfectly complement your plant collection.
Growing a coffee tree at home is not a very new activity. Many of those who like to tinker with plants have long had these beautiful trees with an unforgettable aroma of flowers in their apartments. An additional advantage are the fruits. You can brew aromatic coffee from them. The yield of the tree is from 300 to 500 g of fruit. Of course, this is not a lot, but still very nice.
Botanical characteristics
Belongs to the genus of coffee, which includes forty species. Of these, Congolese and Arabian, high, and Liberian are most often used for household needs. These are evergreen trees or shrubs belonging to the Madder family.
Coffee trees are leathery large leaves Green colour. Their inflorescences are a false umbrella containing a bunch of 8-16 flowers. Each of them is located on a short stalk and has a whitish color. Inflorescences form only on annual shoots.
The fruits of the coffee tree are two-seeded, round in shape. At first they are colored yellow green color, turning red when ripe. The fruit, ready for consumption, has a dense outer skin, inside which there is sweet and sour pulp with two seeds ranging from 8 to 13 cm in length. The coffee tree begins to bear fruit in the third year.
Coffee beans have long been used by people as a means of invigorating the body. They have this effect due to the caffeine they contain. In addition, carbohydrates and organic acids, proteins, as well as amino acids, minerals and fats. But main role Ester-like compounds and chlorogenic acid play a role in creating the aroma and taste of an exotic drink. These substances are formed only when raw wood grains are roasted. Collected and simply dried seeds do not have the necessary aroma and color.
How to grow a coffee tree at home? To do this, you can use one of the two most common methods. The first one uses unroasted coffee beans, and the second one uses plant cuttings. Let's look at each of these methods in more detail.
Where can I get the seeds?
Is it possible from grain? It turns out that yes. The main question is: “Where can I get the seeds?” There are several options here. For example, you can go to the store and buy unfried green coffee in grains. However, in this case, the likelihood that the seeds will germinate is very low.
Another way to grow a coffee tree from beans? More reliable option- ask friends who have already planted a plant and it has begun to bear fruit for a couple of ripe brown-red fruits. They will need to be peeled and the pulp removed. Both halves of the remaining grain can be used as full seeds for landing. Well, what if there are no acquaintances in your immediate environment who could provide the grains of this exotic plant? How to grow a coffee tree at home? Seeds can be purchased from your nearby flower shop.
Preparing the grains
It is worth keeping in mind that the seeds of the exotic coffee tree quickly lose their viability. That is why you need to start working with them right away.
If coffee beans come into your hands, they should be washed with water and placed in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour. This must be done to disinfect this material.
Landing
How to grow a coffee tree from a seed? After processing the grains, each of them is placed in a separate pot, which contains light, loose and sufficiently acidic soil. To create the required acidity, pre-crushed soil is added to the soil. What should be the composition of the soil intended for growing a coffee tree? It is recommended to use two parts of peat and one part of leaf humus, purified river sand and greenhouse soil. Prepare such soil two weeks before planting.
The depth of planting the seeds is 1 cm. They are placed in moist soil so that the convex side of the grain is directed upward. This will allow the sprouts to more easily break through to the surface. After this, each grain must be covered glass jar to create a greenhouse effect. It is extremely necessary because coffee is tropical plant. At the same time, do not forget about ventilation. But these are not all the conditions that will allow us to answer the question “How to grow a coffee tree at home so that it is not only beautiful, but also healthy?” To do this, you will need to comply with some simple but important conditions.
Temperature
In order to grow a coffee tree, in the room where the pot with the plant is located, the air temperature should be between twenty and twenty-five degrees. In winter, the room temperature can be reduced by no more than five degrees.
In the room where it is located tea tree, must also be observed required humidity air. Only in this case will the plant delight its owner with beautiful green leaves. It is also necessary to constantly moisten the soil. The leaves themselves need to be sprayed.
Drainage
Because of frequent watering It is also necessary to take care of the integrity of the plant roots. If you ignore this moment, then the tree will die. Take this feature into account so that your endeavor is crowned with success.
Lighting
How to grow a coffee tree at home? While the plant is not yet strong, it needs a large number of Sveta. At the same time, it is worth protecting it from direct rays of the sun. An adult tree will need bright natural light when it is time to bloom.
Exotic plant growth
How to grow a coffee tree at home from a seed? To do this you need to be patient. Coffee sprouts from seeds appear only after 2 months. To water the hatched grain, only settled water is used. It should be poured into the pan at least once every three days. It is recommended to periodically check the soil moisture. If there is not enough water, then watering will have to be done in large volumes. You should not loosen the soil in the pot during this period.
After the shoot appears, the plant is gradually accustomed to room air. To do this, remove the jar from the pot several times a day for one minute. It will be possible to abandon this procedure when the tree grows up. At the same time, the jar is completely removed from the pot.
At 4 months your tree will have a fully formed first leaf. Soon it will definitely disappear.
The coffee tree is a very unpretentious and very grateful plant. In the first year after planting, its growth rate is quite modest. On average, the growth of the trunk stem is from 15 to 20 cm. But after a while the plant begins to strenuously strive for height and even without additional trimmings branch abundantly.
At 9 months, the crown of the coffee tree begins to form. You should not interfere in this process. Pruning of the plant will be required only when its growth becomes too large for the space provided.
How to grow a coffee tree from seeds? Such trees grow with one trunk throughout the first year. And only at the end of this period appear skeletal branches. They grow from axillary lateral buds. To make the crown more luxuriant, the longest shoots are cut off. This will also ensure abundant flowering trees.
A plant grown from seeds begins to bear fruit only in the 5-6th year of its life. It’s very interesting that coffee branches grow. They extend from the trunk at right angles, resembling a Christmas tree in shape. This is what affects the spreading of the crown.
Transfer
How to grow a coffee tree at home from grains so that it blooms as early as possible? To do this, it should be replanted annually in a pot that has larger diameter. The increase in this size should be at least five centimeters. In this case, the tree will bloom in 4 years. In a pot that is small for its size, the plant feels uncomfortable. It will grow, but not bloom.
Any soil can be placed in the pot. The main thing is that it is suitable for shrubs or indoor plants and that it contains nutrients. Also, the soil should not be very loose and structured.
Before replanting the plant, drainage must be provided in the new pot. Next, the roots of the tree are examined and rotten and diseased ones are removed. It is also recommended to add fertilizer to the soil. This can be any mineralized compounds or ordinary manure. Ideal source Easily digestible phosphorus for the coffee tree is bone meal or horn shavings. They take 200 g per 10 kg of soil.
New type of reproduction
How to grow a coffee tree at home with your own hands? To do this, you can use the second method - propagation by cuttings. Trees grown using a relatively new method are distinguished by the fact that they retain all the characteristics of the mother plant with absolute accuracy. This refers to their size, the size of flowers and leaves, etc.
In addition, when modern method For reproduction, the plant will need to form a crown. Coffee trees planted from cuttings bloom much faster, already in the process of rooting.
Cutting process
How to grow a coffee tree with your own hands without seeds? A propagation cutting is a branch from the middle part of the crown of an already fruit-bearing tree. This planting material must have at least two pairs of leaves. When cutting a cutting to propagate a coffee tree, you must adhere to important rule. You will need to step back three centimeters from the bottom pair of leaves. Immediately after pruning, the lower part of the cutting should be treated using an organic plant growth stimulator. This will allow the tree to take root in a timely manner.
Soil preparation
To plant cuttings, you need to select the appropriate soil. After all, it will depend on its density and composition normal development future tree.
Air-permeable, to ensure the flow of oxygen to the root formation sites;
- retains water, but does not allow moisture to stagnate.
The soil for the coffee tree can be bought ready-made or mixed in a one-to-one ratio of peat and perlite.
The prepared soil is poured into the pot. There is no need to compact the soil. There should be room for air circulation.
One more important point Such preparation is the disinfection process. The soil prepared independently must be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Disinfection carried out in advance will allow the cuttings to quickly take root in a new place.
Disembarkation
The cuttings should be placed in the ground at some distance from each other. Which? Each gardener decides for himself, based on the size of the young plants.
The main requirement in this case is that the leaves of the cuttings do not shade their “neighbors” and do not come into contact with them. Planting depth is 2-2.5 cm. After placing in the pot, the cuttings should be disinfected again using a weak solution of potassium permanganate. A very important point is the creation of a greenhouse effect. This is necessary in order to maintain constant soil moisture. But it is worth remembering that air access must be provided to the cuttings. In this case it will work great plastic bag, in which holes are made in advance.
Basic growing rules
Most of all, cuttings love diffused light. This must be taken into account when placing the pot indoors. In addition, the growing temperature should be between 25 and 27 degrees. But not only the characteristics of the room create normal conditions for plant growth. When growing a coffee tree, it is important to look at the temperature of the substrate itself. If the column of a thermometer installed in the soil reaches +31 or higher, then such conditions will negatively affect the development of cuttings.
As the first leaves appear, the young trees can be planted in separate pots. These containers should be narrow and deep, since the roots of the cuttings grow downward.
Next comes a very important and responsible stage. After transplanting, the cuttings should be watered, and then their further growth should be closely monitored for two weeks. If everything goes well, the plant is placed in permanent place.
If coffee trees planted in this way immediately begin to bloom, this will mean that the grower carried out all the stages correctly.
The best place for a home coffee tree is a windowsill. You can also place a pot with a plant on a rack that is located near the window. The light falling on the tree should be diffused. Air circulation is normal, preventing drafts.
Watering the exotic plant should be done as the soil in the pot dries out. This will happen more often in the summer, and approximately once a week in the winter. The water should be at room temperature and certainly settled.
Diseases and pests rarely affect the coffee tree. As a rule, such cases arise only when the plant is cared for incorrectly. For example, from abundant watering appears root rot. If such a problem occurs, the soil should be dried. You will also need to remove all affected roots. If pests appear on the leaves of a tree, insecticides will help get rid of them.
Coffee trees love fertilizers. To do this, you can use various complex options. It is advisable to fertilize the tree once a month.
So, we looked at how to grow a coffee tree from beans and in other ways. If you follow all the rules of care, your plant will begin to bear fruit already in the 3rd year of growth. This will allow you to collect a small harvest of beautiful coffee fruits and enjoy a wonderful invigorating drink.
Caring for a coffee tree and the process of growing it in a residential area is quite simple. During cultivation, it can be formed into a lush bush or small tree, and it will only need to be promptly pruned from growing branches.
Growing a coffee tree at home
There are about fifty varieties of the crop, which can be found in Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands, as well as in the tropics of Africa. Also, cultivated forms of coffee today are grown in tropical regions of Africa, America and Asia. Figure 1 shows how this crop grows in nature.
Figure 1. Coffee tree in nature Most indoor lovers ornamental gardening Arabian coffee is grown and Brazilian or Libyan coffee is rarely found.
Very often people ask the question - is it possible to grow coffee at home from beans sold in the supermarket? Of course it is impossible, since they do not have the ability to germinate. The seeds of this crop lose their viability very quickly. In fact, growing coffee at home is very similar to cultivating citrus fruits.
Arabica coffee - indoor plant
Arabica coffee, when grown at home, can reach a height of up to three meters. It has oblong leathery leaves dark green with wavy edges. This type bears fruit only once a year (in April-May) and bears bright red berries (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Indoor plant Arabica at different stages of the growing season Also common among lovers of ornamental plant growing dwarf species, which is a variety of Arabian and can reach a height of no more than one meter. It can be grown in a residential area without any special difficulties in caring for it, since it has high stability to disease and dry air.
Caring for a coffee tree at home
Even though the coffee tree is exotic plant, there are practically no difficulties in caring for it. The culture tolerates changes in temperature and humidity normally. In winter, it feels great even at a temperature of 14-15 degrees, but if the indicator drops below, it will stop developing and bearing fruit.
Choosing a landing site
Growing coffee at home always begins with planting or transplanting. The soil should be acidic, but since it is quite difficult to check this indicator, it is recommended to use a mixture of acidic peat, humus, sand, leaf and greenhouse soil for cultivation (Figure 3).
Note: To maintain optimal levels of humidity and acidity, it is recommended to add soil mixture sphagnum moss.
Lighting is essential. It is advisable to place the plant on windows facing south. There is an opinion that the location on the north window can ruin it, but this is not entirely true. Placing it on a north window can only slow down growth and further development.
Figure 3. Planting a coffee tree However, do not forget that too much sunlight can also be harmful, especially for plants under two years old. In an adult plant, if there is a lack of sun, full-fledged inflorescences will not form.
Note: Experienced plant growers recommend shading the crop only after fruit set.
This technique is used in the homeland of coffee, where other crops are planted around it to provide the necessary shade.
Transfer
Transplantation is carried out annually until the plant reaches three years of age. After this, it is recommended to transplant once every 2-3 years. However, do not forget that in the intervals between transplants the top layer of soil must be replaced annually (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Tree replanting process IN natural conditions the crop grows in a fairly humid climate, so the indoor air should not be allowed to be too dry. Regular spraying will help ensure the required level of humidity, but this method is not always effective. It is better to use a deep tray with pebbles. The stones are filled with water, and a pot with a plant is placed on top. But the soil must drain well.
Temperature and humidity
An important factor for normal growth is the temperature in the room. In spring and summer, normal room temperature is sufficient, and during winter cold coffee needs a cool temperature (14-15 degrees), but it should not fall below +12 degrees. Figure 5 shows the optimal placement of the crop on the windowsill and one of the watering methods.
Figure 5. Watering and placing the crop on the windowsill In summer, watering must be done more often and more abundantly than in winter. Establishing the required dose for irrigation depends on temperature regime in room. But the soil and air should not be too dry or wet, as this will negatively affect the development of the plant. For irrigation it is better to use melt or rain water.
Feeding and fertilizer
Special liquid fertilizers are considered the best for coffee trees. They are applied to the soil once every two weeks from April to September, since it is at this time that the plants bear fruit and actively develop.
The author of the video will tell you in more detail about how to properly care for the plant.
Coffee harvest
Today there are several ways to harvest grains. manual method(Figure 6).
The first method is called the stripping method. It's very simple. When most of the berries are ripe, hold the branch with your left hand and grab the fruit with your right, moving from top to bottom. But in this case, not only ripe fruits are picked, but also green, rotten berries, leaves and flowers.
Figure 6. Coffee collection and processing The second method is based on collecting fruits using a special comb, which has sparse and flexible teeth. With its help, only ripe fruits are picked from the branches of the coffee tree, while green berries and leaves will remain on the branches. After harvesting, the fruits are cleared of pulp, the grains are sorted and fried for further storage.
A detailed explanation with photos of why the leaves on the coffee tree turn yellow, dry out and turn black. Treatment of diseases and proper care for a plant at home.
Why do the leaves on the coffee tree turn yellow? This indicates problems with the root system. Roots can rot from excess moisture or dry out from lack of it. In any case, it is necessary to normalize watering. Before the next watering, the soil in the pot should dry 3 cm. Experts recommend doing one abundant watering, so that the soil in the pot gets wet to the very bottom, and then water the flower as it dries earthen coma. Watering should be done with soft, settled water. Much attention should be paid to spraying.
Coffee tree leaves turn yellow due to lack of light. The plant must be placed near windows on the south side of the house with shading. A southwest or southeast window would be suitable. In winter, you can backlight with a fluorescent lamp.
The leaves of the coffee tree turn yellow if the transplant was carried out incorrectly.. The plant does not tolerate replanting with a complete replacement of the soil. For a flower whose age exceeds 2-3 years, transshipment to bigger pot or replacing the top layer of soil. If, nevertheless, it was replanted with a complete replacement of the soil and its leaves turn yellow, the following must be done: place the plant in a greenhouse with high humidity air. To do this, you can take a large plastic bag and wrap it around the tree so that the bag does not touch the foliage. Do not fertilize, reduce watering to a minimum. However, you need to spray frequently. At least once a day. Once every 4 days, you can add 2 drops of epin per 1 glass of water or 4 drops of cycron per 1 liter of water to the water for spraying. You need to water it with a solution of cycron once a week. Rehabilitation takes a long time. The plant is then considered recovered when it begins to sprout new foliage, and the old one does not turn yellow.
The leaves turn black and dry if the coffee tree is watered with hard water.. As a result, salts accumulate in the ground, which has an adverse effect on root system. But replanting cannot be carried out with a complete replacement of the soil. It is enough to replace the top layer of soil in the pot. Watering should only be done with soft, boiled water without sediment.
The leaves of the coffee tree turn black due to a combination of unfavorable factors. This may be overwatering or drying out of the soil, lack of light, especially in winter. Coffee tree leaf becomes stained Brown, if the roots overheat in summer (the plant stands on south side Houses). In the latter case, it is shaded, copiously sprayed and moderate watering. Old leaves on a coffee tree often turn black and fall off. This is considered the norm. If this happens with young foliage, the owner of the flower needs to change the conditions for growing the flower. For example, increase spraying, water after the top layer of soil dries, replace the top layer in the pot, water only with boiled water.
Brown spots on the leaves of the coffee tree indicate a violation of the watering regime or bad condition soil Watering should be carried out after the top layer of soil has dried. It often accumulates potassium salts from watering with hard water, which adversely affects the root system and the plant as a whole. In this case, either replace the top layer of soil in the pot or transfer it to a fresh substrate.
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