Arabian coffee is a plant known mainly as a source of beans for the preparation of a valued, aromatic drink. Growing coffee in a pot at home is becoming more and more popular. As it turns out, growing coffee in a pot at home is not that difficult, and this plant has many decorative qualities. Here are the secrets to growing coffee at home.
Arabian coffee - growing in a pot
Arabian coffee - characteristics
The genus Coffea includes about 40 species of trees and shrubs, mainly from Africa.The two most important species areArabian coffee(Coffea Arabica), to which I am devoting this text, and Robusta (Coffea canephora). Arabic coffee is the most popular and considered the best. It was discovered in Yemen and is now grown in Africa, South America and Asia. Mainly intended for grains, used to prepare an aromatic drink containing stimulating caffeine.
Arabian coffeeis rarely grown in homes as a houseplant, although it is rather easy to grow. Its survival in home cultivation is mainly due to lovers of growing rare and unique flora.
Home-grown Arabian coffee , providing very good conditions for growth, it can reach 2 m in height, but usually does not exceed 1 m. The leaves are dark green, slightly ribbed and shiny. They always grow in pairs against each other. In summer, small snow-white flowers with a distinct smell appear on the coffee.In dwarf forms, intended for growing in apartments, flowers appear in the second year of cultivation. The plant will also be decorated with fruit, which will be green at first and turn red as it matures. Ripe fruit can adorn the plant for up to six months. Over time, the fruit does not soften or deteriorate, but only dries up.
Arabian coffee - cultivation from seed or cuttings
As I mentioned before,Arabian coffeeis rarely grown in apartments and therefore you may not be able to buy the plant at a nearby florist or garden store. Therefore, I recommendgrowing coffee from seeds.This is the best way to propagate Arabian coffee, but plants grown at home do not produce viable seeds. It is therefore best to buy imported seeds, derived from plants grown in hot greenhouses.
Coffee seedscan be sown all year round, but it is best to sow them in spring pots with damp sand.We place them in groups of 2 or 3 pieces. They need a temperature of about 25 ° C to germinate. When seedlings are obtained, they should be transplanted into potting compost soil, and then transplanted into soil suitable for older plants in summer. It is best if it is a humus substrate, well-drained and slightly acidic.
If you can find coffee seedlings in the store, choose a specimen with he althy, green tinged leaves, without drying tips and yellowing lower leaves. You should also pay attention to the fact that the selected plant does not have dry soil and is not attacked by pests. The most common pests of houseplants are June.
Arabian coffee - maturing coffee beans change color from green to red
Growing coffee at home
Homemadegrowing coffee in a potrequires a bright and warm position for the plant.The plant should not be exposed to direct sunlight. East or West exhibition will be the best. In summer, coffee grows best at a temperature of 25 ° C. In winter the temperature can drop to around 16 ° C. The plant will respond to too large fluctuations in temperature by shedding leaves.
In summerArabic coffee grown in a potrequires abundant watering. For watering coffee, use soft water, pouring it from the top of the pot, not into the saucer. The soil in the pot should not remain wet for too long, therefore, after a quarter of an hour, pour out the excess water from the saucer. The plant likes humid air, so it is also a good idea to sprinkle it. Of course, we limit these treatments in winter.
From April to the end of August, the plant must be fertilized with a calcium-free fertilizer. For this reason, fertilizer for rhododendrons will be perfect. We give the next doses of fertilizer approximately every 2-3 weeks.
In spring, every two years (with a young plant, even every year), the coffee has to be transplanted into a larger pot.
Coffee - potted brewing beans
Fruitof coffee grown at home , apart from its decorative function, you can also use it to obtain seeds for the preparation of an aromatic drink, although you will probably not be able to get such a good taste of coffee as from seeds from plantations. What matters is the satisfaction that the seeds come from a hand-grown coffee tree.
Pick the fruit very carefully. Remove the seeds from the fruit, removing the flesh and surrounding membranes. Then put them on a hot pan and roast for a few minutes. Enjoy!Also read:
