The genus Coffee or Coffee trees includes about 40 species of plants of the Rubiaceae family. This evergreen shrubs and trees with shiny leathery leaves up to 5 m high. They bloom white fragrant flowers, collected in brushes, their aroma is reminiscent of jasmine. After flowering, bright red berries are formed, which rarely ripen at home.
Most popular in indoor floriculture species - Arabica Coffee or Arabian Coffee flower. This plant produces ¾ of the world's coffee products. Other types of coffee trees differ in the shape and size of the foliage, as well as the color of the fruit. Among them, the most common are: Congolese, Liberian, narrow-leaf, brush and tall coffee. But they are practically never found as indoor plants.
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How to care for a houseplant Coffee at home
A coffee tree Arabica adapts well to apartment conditions. It feels best on windows facing south, southwest or southeast. The air temperature should be from +15 to +20 °C. Until the age of two years, diffused light is needed, since direct sunlight retards the development of coffee. Even on plantations, this plant is planted in the shade of other trees.
The coffee tree grows very slowly and only in spring-summer period. Blooms at the age of 3-4 years. To speed up the fruiting period, you can graft a branch from a flowering specimen onto a young seedling, as is done with citrus fruits. They do this during the warm season.
During the period of bud formation, the coffee is placed in the most illuminated area in the room, and after the fruit is set, it is removed to its original place. The flower lasts for one day, but then the next one opens next to it, resulting in flowering that can last from spring to autumn. Flowering coffee tree at home In rare cases, coffee blooms in winter. Turn home plant Arabica coffee is not recommended for uniform foliage growth at this time. The berries ripen within a year; during this period you can harvest about 1 kg of harvest.
Watering and fertilizers. Warm, settled water is used for irrigation. Some gardeners recommend acidifying it a little by adding a few drops lemon juice. Watering for coffee requires moderate watering. The plant tolerates overdrying calmly earthen coma, but in summer it is advisable to water it as the top layer of soil is added, and in winter - about once a week. The lack of moisture is immediately noticeable by the loss of turgor in the leaves. In summer, the soil can be mulched to help it retain water better.
The indoor plant Coffee tree loves spraying; it is advisable to do it in the evening. It would be useful to periodically add leaf fertilizers and growth stimulants to the water: Zircon.
Coffee has virtually no dormant period, so it can be fertilized all year round, approximately once every 10 days in summer and every 20 days in winter. What this plant needs most is nitrogen. best source which is manure. It can be applied immediately when the coffee tree needs replanting.
Replanting a coffee tree
Young plants need to be replanted every year in the spring. From the age of 3 years: once every 2-3 years. It is best to use the transshipment method to avoid damaging the roots. The new coffee container should be no more than 5 cm wider than the previous one. Too large volume will cause increased seedling growth and inhibit flowering. In addition, the risk of flooding the plant will increase.
The soil is selected with a slightly acidic reaction (pH about 5). Commercial soil is suitable for azaleas, saintpaulias, and hydrangeas. You can also prepare the substrate yourself by mixing one part of sand and turf soil with two parts of leaf soil. For plants older than 4 years, one part of peat and humus is added to the composition. 
Transplanting a coffee tree at home You need to put a thick layer of drainage on the bottom of the pot, and a layer on top. Then it is poured new soil so as not to cause burns to the root system, and a seedling is placed on it. Before transplanting, the roots need to be inspected and rotten and dry ones removed. After this, the soil is poured on the sides and on top, it needs to be pressed a little and spilled with settled warm water.
Attention: the root collar must not be buried! It is better to raise it a few centimeters. With subsequent waterings, the coffee will deepen on its own. If after replanting the roots in the top layer of soil are exposed, they can be mulched or a fresh layer of substrate can be added. After waiting a few days, the surface needs to be carefully loosened.
Possible diseases of indoor coffee
Houseplant The coffee tree rarely gets sick or is damaged by pests, however, there are several common problems when growing it. They are mainly associated with a lack of microelements in the soil:
- At nitrogen deficiency the plant develops slowly, new leaves are small, and the lower ones acquire a yellowish tint. In case of a similar problem, it is recommended to feed the coffee with a solution of rotted manure, which is diluted in a ratio of 1 to 15. It is also useful to spray the leaves with a solution of urea (1 g per liter of water).
- Phosphorus deficiency is reflected in the fruits. They become deformed and fall off. Leaves may also curl. This is treated by adding superphosphate, which dissolves in hot water.
- When there is little potassium in the soil, new leaves grow deformed and may become covered with brown spots. You can try adding an ash solution to the soil (1 tablespoon per liter of water).
Why can Arabica coffee leaves dry out?
Another problem is the so-called leaf necrosis, which begins with browning of the edge of the leaf blade. The spots then spread throughout the leaf and it falls off.
Possible causes of necrosis:
- Incorrect watering. Necrosis may be associated with excess humidity or prolonged drying of the earthen coma.
- Sudden changes in temperature and drafts: hypothermia, overheating in the sun or use cold water for watering.
- Nutritional deficiencies, including potassium.
Coffee tree propagation
Cuttings
For cuttings, cut off a stem with two pairs of leaves and plant it in a loose substrate, for example, a mixture of perlite and peat. It is necessary to disinfect the soil in advance with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. The cuttings are treated with stimulants and planted to a depth of 2 cm so that the leaf petioles below are under the ground. Cover the top of the container with a bag, making small holes in it, and place it in a place inaccessible to direct sun rays. The temperature for rooting is needed at least +25 °C, but not higher than +30 °C. Remove the bag when the cuttings begin to grow.
Propagation by seeds
The coffee tree can be grown from seeds. The soil for this is the same as for transplanting an adult plant. It is spilled with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. The seeds are treated with the same solution for several hours. Then you need to stratify the seeds in a hot way, that is, put them in water with a temperature of up to 60 ° C, and wait until the water cools down to room temperature. After which you can start sowing. The seeds are laid flat down, watered and covered with film. The temperature for germination is the same as for rooting cuttings - you can use bottom heating.
Where to buy a houseplant Arabica Coffee
Small coffee seedlings are often sold in large hardware stores in the department with indoor plants or ordered on flower websites. Large sizes can be purchased at centers that specialize in gardening and landscape design.
Watch a video about growing a coffee tree at home:
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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 out by 3 cm. Experts recommend doing one abundant watering, so that the soil in the pot gets wet to the very bottom, and then watering the flower as the earthen ball dries out. 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, transferring it to a larger pot or replacing the top layer of soil is more suitable. 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 package 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 upper layer soil in a pot. Watering should be carried out only with soft, boiled water without sediment.
The leaves of the coffee tree turn black from the accumulation 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 is on the south side of the house). 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.
How to grow a coffee tree from beans, which will be maximally adapted to growing at home?
Nowadays it is quite popular to grow various exotic plants in an apartment.
Classic flowerpots with bright flowering- this, of course, is great, but you want something to grow at home, at the sight of which your guests will gasp and ask how you did it.
Why not get yourself a fragrant evergreen? No, it's not about home Christmas tree, but about the coffee tree.
Yes, maybe at home this plant will not bring too much fruit. bountiful harvests, but it’s worth growing it if only because of the unusualness, beauty and incomparable smell of the flowers.
Let's start growing
First of all, it’s worth saying that it’s impossible to grow a coffee tree from store-bought seeds, since Arabica seeds grow very quickly. lose the ability to germinate.
It is best to take ripe fruits with two seeds for cultivation. If they are sown immediately after ripening, the appearance of an evergreen plant in the future will appear with a 99% probability.
- The landing process is as follows:
- Ripe coffee seeds are completely freed from pulp and washed with potassium permanganate for complete cleaning. Make a weak solution of potassium permanganate and put the seeds there. Those that have surfaced are unsuitable for landing;
- 12-14 days before planting you need to start preparing the soil. Should steam the turf soil, add sand and peat there, the proportion should be 1:2:2;
- Arabica beans should be planted in a pot completely filled with soil. We make small holes in the substrate and place the seeds with the flat side down. The pot required is quite large; do not forget that Arabica is like a tree. We place the seeds at a distance of about 3 cm from each other, to a depth of no more than 1 cm;
- After planting, lightly water the soil slightly pink potassium permanganate solution and cover with cling film/glass;
- Now you need to place the pot in a warm place and wait for the sprouts to appear. They will sprout in about a month, or even more;
- From time to time the soil must be ventilated by removing the film for 15-20 minutes. When sprouts begin to appear, the ventilation time should be increased, and then the film or glass should be removed altogether;
- If two or three leaves have already formed on the seedlings, then it is time to transplant them into small separate pots. The pots should be small, about 6-7 cm in diameter. Until the plant takes root, it must be kept in a shaded but warm place. And when it gets stronger, expose it to the sun, while ensuring good ventilation;
The process of lignification of Arabica coffee occurs in a very unusual way. First, brownish spots form on the trunk, which gradually increase in size. These spots begin to merge with each other. When the entire stem of the plant is covered in brown, the color will begin to become lighter.
This is how the crown formation begins. Tree does not require special pruning, but you can at will slightly trim the crown so that it is completely round, this will make the tree look much more beautiful.
Fruiting of a coffee tree grown at home begins around the 4th year of cultivation. Every year the harvest will become a little more abundant.
One of the most important rules Arabica care - the absence of any neighbors in the form of other plants.
Lighting. The coffee tree loves light, but the rays must be diffused, as direct sun can cause leaf burns. Try not to turn the plant in different directions, as this, of course, will help make the crown more symmetrical, but with a 99% probability will deprive you of coffee fruits.
Watering. The coffee tree has rather wide leaves through which moisture quickly evaporates. For this reason, the plant must be watered quite often and abundantly. The water should be settled, its temperature slightly above room temperature.
Dry air is not fatal for an Arabica tree, but spraying the leaves will only benefit it. There is no need to do this only when Arabica is in bloom.
Feeding. This the plant loves feeding, especially needs additional nutrients in spring and summer. It will be enough to feed Arabica coffee once a week with mullein infusion or mineral fertilizers, which can be purchased at flower shop. It is best to alternate such feedings.
At the beginning of spring, the soil needs an additional portion of nitrogen; if during this period you notice the formation of fruits, then it is worth fertilizing it with phosphorus, a lot of which is contained in bone chips.
Transfer. Arabica is replanted in the spring, once every two years; if the tree develops more slowly, once every three years. Each next pot should be 3-4 cm larger in diameter than the previous one.
It should be quite deep, since the Arabica root grows longer. When replanting, the soil must be fertilized with humus, peat, and nitrogen.
Why do coffee tree leaves dry out?
Coffee is prone to various diseases. Susceptible to attacks by scale insects, sooty fungus, spider mite. If you notice that the leaves of the plant dry out I, this may indicate too high temperature indoor air.
Sometimes so-called coffee rust forms on the tree, the leaves become yellowish. Regular treatment with fungicides and insecticides will help protect the plant from pests.
Everyone should try growing coffee! At a minimum, to try at least a cup of aromatic drink made from our own grown Arabica beans.
For years, Colombian researchers have been involved in a little-known fight against a disease that could one day wipe out the coffee ritual entirely.
Imagine the situation: Bogota 1960, upon landing, the first thing you see is a giant billboard that says in a slightly threatening tone: “Coffee rust is our enemy. Do not bring seedlings from abroad.”
This was the first warning of an enemy that had threatened the coffee trade in Colombia since the industry's development.
Coffee tree rust is a disease that can cripple or even destroy a national product, one of the largest industries and one of the most important sources of foreign exchange. Last year alone, coffee exports amounted to £2.4 billion, i.e. 7.7% of all goods sold abroad. This makes Colombia the third largest coffee producer in the world. In other words, if the disease is not controlled, global demand for coffee will decrease and this will affect the price of our favorite cup of coffee that we are used to drinking everywhere.
That's why during last decades Scientists in a small laboratory deep in the coffee-growing mountains of Colombia were engaged in a little-known battle against a terrible disease. The question is, will the pure taste of coffee from Colombia be preserved?
Rust disease coffee leaf looks like a brown powder (photo: Getty Images)
Coffee leaf rust has plagued farmers for more than 100 years. When a tree is infected, its leaves, when slightly broken, release a fine brown powder, much like iron rust. This disease is caused by the fungus Hemileia vastatrix, which changes the leaf color from bright green to brownish yellow, and eventually the tree loses all its leaves and its ability to bear fruit.
If measures are not taken in time, the disease can have serious consequences. In the late 19th century, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries were the world's major coffee exporters. In just a few decades, coffee rust wiped out all the trees and affected the industry so much that these countries simply stopped growing coffee.
Historians believe that this is one of the reasons why the British now prefer to drink a cup of tea. “As coffee production ceased to be profitable, Sri Lanka turned to tea production,” explains Aaron Davies, head of coffee research at the Royal botanical gardens Q. Fortunately for Asian producers, Britain intended to switch to tea when coffee growing in these countries almost completely disappeared.
The beauty and the Beast
What features of rust disease make Colombian farmers concerned? The main one is that the disease affects precisely those coffee trees that are important for production - those that produce the coffee that people are used to drinking.
There are two varieties of coffee tree. We could call them "beauty" and "beast".
“Beauty” is Arabica. The berries of this tree produce a tasty and delicate drink, which is sold at good prices on international markets. Thanks to Arabica coffee, Colombian coffee has become very famous.
Colombia is the world's third largest coffee producer (photo: Getty Images)
The “monster” is Canephora coffee, also known as Robusta. It is a low-maintenance tree with stronger leaves that is less expensive to grow and harvest. This coffee has a coarser and bitter taste, is not very attractive to coffee connoisseurs, and is not as marketable as its more “delicate” brother. According to the data International organization coffee, Robusta accounts for only 37% of global coffee production, precisely because of its taste.
Unfortunately, the disease attacks the “beauty”; it is not interested in the “monster”. Colombia sells only grain of the “beauty” variety abroad, so changing trade rules was out of the question.
In the 1960s, Cenicafe announced that it would find a solution, which ultimately led to the identification best qualities these two types of coffee tree, but everything was not so simple.
The same Cenicafe laboratory
To get to Cenicafe, you have to drive all the way from the bottom of the mountain to the top along a serpentine road, which can make you feel sick if you have never been in such an area. The laboratory settled deep in the mountains to hide its 89-year history of research away from nature: the previous building was flooded with lava after a volcanic eruption in 1985.
The laboratory was created National Federation coffee growers in Colombia (also known as Fedecafe), the association of coffee producers in the country, and is considered the main scientific center on the study of coffee.
“Cenicafe is what allowed us to remain competitive and reduce our risks,” explains Hernando Duque, CTO of Fedecafe. His research helped to plant and grow many of the high quality varieties grown on farms and enjoyed around the world to this day.
Today, the laboratory's work is considered the gold standard in the fight against "the most dire threat to coffee in the South and North America“says Michael Sheridan, chief purchasing officer and shareholder of Intelligentsia Coffee Roasters, an importer of specialty coffee in the United States.
Farmers must focus on the small details to achieve the highest quality coffee (Photo: Getty Images)
In the 1960s, Senicafe scientists realized that in order to save Coffee in Colombia, they needed to develop new varieties that could inherit both the distinctive taste and aroma of the Colombian “beauty” and the disease resistance genes of the “beast.”
To do this, they needed to somehow breed these genes: the experience of breeding “beauty” and “beast” was not successful. The solution came from another part of the world.
From Timor with love
Quite suddenly, something strange happened in Timor. Somewhere on this small island in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Indonesia and Australia, the “beauty” and the “beast” met. This is how Timor appeared - this naturally occurring hybrid of Arabica and Robusta was bred in 1927. The first harvest was collected in 1940. It's not the most outstanding tasting cup on the cupping table, but the grain has important feature: Unlike regular Robusta, it can be crossed with any variety of Arabica and thanks to its genes, it can transmit resistance to the coffee leaf rust disease.
Coffee research laboratories around the world began to conduct similar experiments, but the results were not crowned with success, which meant that the hybrid would not be popular outside its homeland. If farmers had not been funded, it would hardly have been possible to continue selective experiments.
Colombia's coffee industry employs approximately 730,000 people, most of whom live in socially disadvantaged rural areas of the country (photo: Getty Images)
After information emerged in 1968 that the disease could be imported into the country from abroad, an extensive campaign was launched to combat coffee leaf rust infestation. The program was aimed at breeding varieties capable of resisting this disease. It wasn't just about genetically crossing two varieties of coffee trees - the main work was to cross five generations of trees and select those that would provide the best taste and more delicate aroma, make the tree shorter so that it would give a higher yield and was famous for its resistance to various species of the fungus Hemileia.
In 1980, the laboratory introduced its first hybrid: a combination of Caturra, the dominant variety of the coffee tree native to Colombia, and Timor. This variety was named Columbia. The quality of the grain made it possible to obtain to such an extent good feedback among farmers and buyers that it is still being bred. Everything happens on time and therefore three years later the first outbreaks of rust disease were discovered in Colombia.
Moving Target
The selection of the Columbia variety, unfortunately, was not a victory over the disease. Hemileia vastatrix has evolved quite a bit and has found a way to infect some previously resistant varieties of coffee trees. The fungus will inevitably destroy the tree, even though it is partially resistant.
Also, a lot depends on climate change. Temperatures during the coldest time of the year are variable, which, according to some scientists, reduces the time it takes for the fungus to infect a tree. As a result, future epidemics may be longer lasting and more destructive.
With this information, Cenicafe continued to experiment with breeding. In 2005 they introduced new variety"Castillo", named after Jaime Castillo Zapata, the leading scientist of the laboratory and responsible for the development of the Columbia project.
And a third variety, released in 2016, called Cenicafe 1, also increased the resistance of coffee trees to various types diseases.
The basic idea is to create a barrier between the tree and the fungus so that it does not have the opportunity to completely destroy the tree's immunity. This is achieved through genealogical crossing different varieties coffee trees that provide resistance to the pathogen. If at least one of the varieties is affected by the new type of Hemelia mutation, there is a chance that the tree will survive.
