Originally a coffee tree from Ethiopia. At first, it traveled to various countries, and then ended up in Europe, where it was rather successfully grown by flower growers in indoor conditions. The genus Coffee unites about 40 species and is part of the Madder family. The most valuable of them are considered to be such species as: Congolese, tall, Liberian and Arabian.
Features of the coffee tree
The fleshy large leafy plates of the coffee tree are pale green in color. During flowering, an umbrella-shaped inflorescence appears on the tree, which includes about 76 flowers with small peduncles. The flowers are white, and they are formed on annual young shoots. The fruit contains 2 rounded seeds, which are initially colored yellow, and over time it turns green. After ripening, the fruits change their color to red. The ripe fruit is covered with a crust on top, under which there is a sweetish pulp with a slight sourness and 2 seeds about 1,3 cm long.
A coffee tree growing in indoor conditions differs in that it cleans the indoor air from harmful substances. And it is also able to fill the human body with energy, put in order the nervous system and relieve stress.
Caring for the coffee tree at home
A home-grown coffee tree must be protected from sudden temperature changes and drafts. If you take care of it properly, it will not only bloom magnificently, but also give a rich harvest.
Illumination
The plant needs a lot of bright light, which must be diffused. The tree grows best near the south window. In spring and summer, when the weather is warm, it is recommended to transfer the plant to a terrace or loggia, and in winter, the room where it is located must be systematically ventilated. Place the tree away from working heating appliances, otherwise the tips of its leaf plates will begin to dry. If the lighting is too poor, then the tree will have to be supplemented with fluorescent lamps.
Temperature conditions
In summer, the temperature in the room should not be higher than 25 degrees, and in winter – below 15 degrees. If there is a higher or lower temperature in the room, then all the buds and leaves of the coffee tree can fly around.
Air humidity
Throughout the year, foliage must be systematically moistened with clean water from a sprayer. And in the summer, the tree can sometimes be given a warm shower. Thanks to this, the bush will grow intensively and bloom luxuriantly. Make sure that there is always high humidity in the room.
Watering
In the warm season, the plant is watered systematically immediately after the top layer of the substrate dries out to a depth of 10 mm. In winter, the potted soil mixture is moistened once every 1 days. To do this, use well-settled soft water that does not contain lime. If the water is not suitable, then this can cause the tree to get sick.
Additional fertilizing
During the growing season and flowering, the bush is fed systematically a couple of times a month. A suitable fertilizer for this should include nitrogen and potassium. Or you can use a special fertilizer for azaleas for this. In the autumn-winter period, the plant is not fed.
Transplanting a coffee tree
Young plants that have not reached the age of three need a systematic transplant, which is carried out annually. Choose a deep pot for a tree. When the coffee tree is transplanted, it is placed in partial shade for a while and at the same time it is provided with regular moisture from a spray bottle. Don’t forget to make a good drainage layer at the bottom of the pot.
Soil mixture
A suitable substrate for growing a coffee tree should be loose and sour. Optimal composition: coarse sand, crushed charcoal, peat and humus (taken in equal parts).
Trimming
Pruning of such a plant is carried out at any time of the year, when necessary. To do this, cut off all dried or diseased shoots and leaf plates. Formative pruning is also carried out; for this, the elongated branches are shortened and the crown is given the necessary shape.
Methods of reproduction
You can propagate an indoor coffee tree by cuttings and by seed.
Cultivation from seeds
Every florist can grow a tree from coffee beans, the main thing is to do everything right. For sowing seeds, a container filled with perlite or coarse sand is used. Seeds need pre-sowing preparation; for this, the peel is removed from the grains and immersed in a weak solution of potassium manganese. Then you can start sowing, while the seeds are buried in the substrate by about 20 mm. Crops are systematically moistened from a sprayer.
The first seedlings should appear after 30 days. After they grow up, and they have formed the first pair of true leaf plates, the plants are planted using individual small pots for this.
Reproduction by cuttings
First you need to prepare the cuttings. To do this, cut off several stems, while the length of the segments should be about 80 millimeters, and each of them should have 2 buds. For rooting, they are planted in a container filled with a loose substrate, which should consist of turf and leafy soil, as well as sand, taken in equal proportions. Carefully plant the cuttings in the prepared mixture and remove them in a warm place (about 27 degrees). Cover the container with a transparent film on top. Make sure that the substrate in the container does not dry out, for this it must be systematically moistened with a spray bottle, and the cuttings should be regularly ventilated. When the cuttings are rooted and start growing, they should be transplanted into permanent individual pots filled with a potting soil suitable for mature plants.
Possible problems
Indoor coffee trees are most often problematic when they are not properly cared for or placed in inappropriate conditions. The most common problems with the plant are:
- Drying of sheet plates… As a rule, if the leaves on the tree begin to dry out, this means that the room where it is located has an excessively low level of humidity. In this case, the plant begins to be moistened more often than usual, and an increase in the number of watering is also required.
- Harmful insects… The coffee tree, like any other plant, can be home to pests. The greatest danger to him is the scale insect, sooty fungus and mealybug. On the bush affected by pests, you can find a thin cobweb and a bloom of white. Tear off all affected leaf plates, and then wash the tree with soapy water.
- The foliage turns yellow and faded… This can happen if the substrate in which the tree grows is not acidic enough.
- Brown specks form on the foliage, and it flies… This is due to the fact that the plant lacks moisture. Increase the abundance and frequency of watering.
- Necrosis of leaves… It develops due to too poor lighting, excessively low air humidity, or due to a lack of potassium and phosphorus. It can also happen due to sudden changes in temperature during the day. If the plant lacks phosphorus, then its development becomes slower, and the leaf plates turn yellow and fly around.
Types of coffee trees
Arabian coffee tree
The species is very popular with flower growers and is a compact tree. Elongated ellipsoidal leaf plates have a dark olive bare front surface, and the back is painted in a paler shade. Small, collected in a bunch, inflorescences reach about 20 mm in diameter. It has been observed that the size of the inflorescence depends on the growing conditions. After the flower blooms, it begins to fade after just a few hours. However, the opening of the buds does not occur simultaneously, but gradually. When flowering is over, fruits are formed that have the shape of berries, after ripening they acquire a burgundy hue. When the flower is pollinated, it takes a full 8 months before the fruit ripens. Paired fruits are similar in appearance to round beans. The height of such a plant is about 5 m.
Nana dwarf coffee tree
The height of this compact tree is about 0,85 m. In indoor conditions, it blooms very luxuriantly and gives a good harvest. To give it the necessary shape, experienced flower growers resort to regular pinching of the tops of the stems and pruning.
Liberian coffee tree
This species grows just as well in indoor conditions. After ripening, its fruits acquire a sunny orange or scarlet hue. In length, the leaf plates reach about 0,4 m. The height of the tree can be adjusted by trimming, and with the help of them the crown is given the necessary shape. The inflorescences consist of light-colored flowers, in place of which large berry-like fruits are then formed.
