Coffee Plant / Arabian Coffee

Coffea arabica

description

Coffee Plant is a glossy evergreen shrub that can eventually produce fragrant flowers and coffee cherries.

benefits

Suitable for containers

warnings

Toxic to cats
Toxic to dogs

How to care for Coffee Plant

sunlight

In its native tropical forests, coffee grows beneath a bright, filtered canopy. Give it a well-lit spot indoors, away from harsh all-day sun.

Bright indirect light

Place near an east-facing window, or a few feet back from a south- or west-facing one. A little gentle morning sun is usually fine, but strong direct sun can scorch and fade the glossy leaves.

If the plant grows slowly or stretches toward the window, move it closer to brighter filtered light and rotate the pot every week or two.

watering

Keep the soil lightly and evenly moist, but never waterlogged. Water slowly until excess drains away once the top 1-2 inches of soil feel dry.

Active growth

In warm, bright conditions, this is often about every 5-7 days. Check the soil first: the surface should be dry while the root ball still feels slightly moist.

Cooler or lower-light months

Growth slows, so water roughly every 10-14 days. Let the top 2 inches dry, then water thoroughly. A small pot, bright light, warmth, and dry air speed drying; dense soil, a large pot, and low light slow it down.

Lift the pot after watering and again before watering - a noticeably lighter pot is a useful sign that moisture is running low.

Do not leave the pot standing in drained water. Constantly wet roots can rot and cause yellowing leaves.

humidity

Preferred humidity

50-70%

Coffee plants come from humid tropical highlands, so they stay happiest with moderately moist air. Most homes are suitable at 40% or above, but growth and leaf quality are better around 50-70%.

Minimum

40%

Dry air can cause brown, crisp leaf tips or edges, curling, and slow new growth, especially near radiators or in winter.

Keep it away from heating vents and group it with other plants to create a slightly more humid pocket of air.

For persistently dry rooms, use a small humidifier nearby. A pebble tray may add a little moisture directly around the pot, but it should not be the only solution in very dry air.

temperature

Preferred temperature

18-24°C (65-75°F)

Winter minimum

13°C (55°F)

Coffee grows in warm, humid tropical highlands, so it prefers steady indoor warmth rather than hot, dry conditions. Keep it above 13°C (55°F), and move it away from chilly windows in winter.

Place it where daytime and nighttime temperatures stay fairly steady, away from exterior doors and heating vents.

Cold drafts or sudden swings below 13°C (55°F) can cause leaf drop.

nutrition

March - August

Feed every 4-6 weeks while your Coffee Plant is putting out new leaves. Use a balanced liquid fertilizer for houseplants, or one for acid-loving plants, diluted to about half strength. Pause feeding in autumn and winter unless it is still growing strongly in warm, bright conditions.

Nitrogen

Nitrogen supports the glossy green leaves and steady leafy growth coffee plants are grown for. Regular light feeding is enough - too much can leave soft growth and brown leaf edges.

Iron

Iron helps leaves stay green. If new leaves turn pale with greener veins, alkaline soil or tap water may be limiting iron uptake rather than the plant needing more general fertilizer.

Apply fertilizer to already-moist soil, then occasionally flush the pot with plain water to wash away fertilizer salts.

soil

Rich, airy soil that drains well

Coffee plants like evenly moist roots but resent compacted, soggy mix. Use a peat-free houseplant compost or coco coir-based mix with fine bark and perlite for moisture retention, air, and reliable drainage.

pH 5,5 - 6,5

This is mildly acidic, similar to the forest soils coffee prefers. Most quality houseplant mixes suit it well; avoid adding lime or using strongly alkaline garden soil.

Choose a pot with drainage holes and repot if the mix stays wet for many days after watering.