The coffee plant can be a great indoor plant. A rookie gardener would find this plant easy to grow because of its hardiness. Even though flowering takes a lot of time, energy and patience, it is a great addition to the greenery of your home. If you are adventurous enough, you will be able to grow enough coffee beans from this plant to make a fresh pot of coffee.
Coffee plant: Description
The dark green leaves of this evergreen shrub are oval.
In the spring, the plant bears small white flowers. It will also bear fruits that turn into berries and go from green to dark brown. If well maintained, a coffee plant can grow up to 6 feet tall.
See also:Â Coffea arabica: Grow this plant in your house to enjoy fresh Arabian coffee
Coffee plant – Facts
| Botanical name: Coffea Arabica
Common name: Coffee plant Family: Rubiaceae, Madder Native: Ethiopia Type: Perennial Sun: Partial Soil: Acidic, moist Watering: Generous Bloom time: Spring Toxicity: To pets and humans |
Growing and caring tips
- Mimic their native surroundings and tropical conditions to ensure robust growth, including moist and acidic soil, access to partial fun and a generous amount of watering with good drainage.
- The best temperature range is between 70-80 degrees during the day and between 65-70 degrees during the night.
- The plant will not tolerate direct sunlight and would develop leaf browning.
- If you plan to grow the plant indoors, keep it on a windowsill with partial sun exposure.
- Watering the plant once a week would maintain soil moisture.
- Air conditioning may cause a Watch out for those.
- Feeding may be required during the growing season. Any weak liquid fertiliser would do the trick.
- The plants can’t tolerate cold and freezing temperatures.
How to grow coffee plant from seed?
Even though it is a lot easier if you just bought a coffee plant in a pot, it would be a lot more personal and fun to grow your Coffee plant from seed. To do so, soak the seeds overnight and then plant them in surface of moist compost. Cover with a thin layer of compost. Keep the pot a temperature of around 27-29ºC. It can take 6 to 8 weeks for seeds to germinate. Transfer the seedlings once they are proper for handling.
Potting and repotting Coffee plant
The seedlings should be placed in the center of a hole. The soil in the hole should be uniformly mixed with well decomposed manure to boost growth and root establishment. Typically, repotting the Coffee plant every 2-3 years is necessary to keep up with its growth. As a house plant, repot your Coffee plant every spring, gradually stepping up the pot size. You can prune the roots instead of increasing the pot size. Refresh the old soil remains important nonetheless.
Will the plant bear coffee flowers?
The short answer is yes but only if you are patient and hardworking. If the plant receives ideal conditions, it will eventually bear white flowers. However, this may take 3-4 years.
How to get Coffee plant to bloom?
Even though it takes a lot of time for an indoor plant to bloom, it is still doable if you are patient and take care of underlying issues. Your Coffee plant may not be flowering due to sunlight and watering issues. Make sure your plant gets enough sunlight. If no, place it closer to a window in the east. These tropical plants also require planet of water to bloom. Water your plant once 25% of the soil volume is dry.
Will the plant bear coffee beans?
This is not a likely scenario unless you hand-pollinate them. Even then, don’t get your hopes high. Even in the best of circumstances, you will get only enough beans to make just one pot of coffee.
Common pests and diseases that affect Coffee plant
Some of the pests that can infest your plant include:
Coffee Twin borer
Coffee Berry Borer
Coffee Mealyburg
Coffee Leaf Miner
Coffee Leaf Skeletonizer
Tailed caterpillars
Tailed Ant
Some of the disease that can affect your plant include:
Coffee Wilt Disease (Fusarium wilt)
Coffee Leafrust
Red blister (Cercospora caffeicola)
Root rot
Collar Crack Disease
FAQs
Can I grow a coffee plant in my house?
Yes, you can grow a coffee plant in your house.
Do coffee plants grow coffee?
Yes, coffee plants grow coffee beans that are turned into coffee.
Is coffee plant easy to grow?
Yes, the coffee plant is easy to grow.
Are coffee plants toxic to dogs?
Yes, coffee plants are toxic for dogs.
Do coffee plants smell like coffee?
No, the well-known smell comes from coffee bean roasting. The plant per se does not emit any fragrance.
