Coffee plant in the home

Probably, each person would like to have an exotic coffee tree as a houseplant . The main obstacle to this is the erroneous opinion that growing and caring for it will require very significant forces and investments, but in fact this statement is not true, because coffee is a plant that is easily grown at home.

Despite the fact that its history began in Africa, it has been cultivated practically all over the world, the only exception is only the regions with an unsuitable for coffee cold climate. It will be enough to organize a complex care for him, and in a few years you will be able to please yourself with a drink prepared not only with your own hands, but also from fragrant, grown at home grains.

Coffee - home plant

The coffee tree is a bush with septenary crown and dark green leaves, the glossy coating of which provides the plant with a unique shine. Flowers are white, visually similar to jasmine. A coffee plant at home, getting the right care, can bring an annual harvest, the volume of which is up to 0.5 kg of green grains. When growing, you should take into account that if you expect to receive a fragrant drink in the future, you should try to provide the plant with conditions that are ideal for growth and correspond to the hot climate of the tropics.

When choosing seeds that could be used for planting, consider that not all coffee varieties will produce the expected growth of grains during cultivation, and if it is important for you to see as soon as possible the finished result in the form of uprooted sprouts, it is better to give preference to the most popular Coffee grade - arabica. It is this variety that occupies a leading place on most coffee plantations and adapts perfectly to growth at home, without requiring special care.

Since the plant of coffee - arabica is the most suitable for germination variety, you should know its most common varieties:

• Abyssinian.
• Mundo-new.
• Bourbon - the most productive variety, introduced by the French on the island of Reunion.
• Maragodzhip - differs from other varieties of arabica by the largest coffee beans, being essentially a coffee mutant. It easily adapts to any type of soil, but it also acquires its flavor and aromatic features. This variety can not be considered popular, since it does not have a high yield. That's why its grain will be very difficult to find for planting.

Reproduction

In fact, coffee is a plant that can be grown only in two ways:

• By germination - the shell of the coffee bean is hard enough, and it is often difficult for the sprout to overcome it in order to germinate, especially when it comes to grains purchased in a regular store and almost lost the ability to grow. Consider that even a few dropped packs of coffee can not give you a single sprout, because even a hundred seeds that you own will remove from the plant, in a few months only units will ascend. In order to speed up the process, cut off a small area from the shell or buy a special flower shop special liquid that will dissolve it for a certain period.
• Vegetative - the easiest way to grow, the only difficulty is to purchase the cuttings themselves, planting which, you will see a rapid growth within a year. In addition, in the case of a ready-made sprout, you do not have to worry about creating a beautiful crown, and when growing from grains over it, you will have to work hard. Fruitgrowing of this process begins after 1-1,5 years, but it must be taken into account that in the absence of proper care, the plant is more than short-lived.

Coffee is a houseplant, caring for which does not present difficulties due to its unpretentiousness. Do not expect a significant growth rate in the early years. The maximum, which you can count on, is an increase in size by 10-20 cm, but this is already quite a lot. In the future, the plant begins a process of rapid branching. However, you do not even need to perform additional trimming procedures. Consider that the first harvest is better not to use as a drink, but to try to grow new shoots from it, because, firstly, in this way you will not worry too much about the fact that the only coffee plant can die, and secondly, the harvest will be So small that it is enough for only 1-2 cups of drink.

Seed Features

Planting a plant of coffee, care for which is not difficult, be prepared for the fact that the process of cultivation will be a very painstaking activity. First of all, this concerns not only the growth rate, but also the temperature characteristics, in which a pot with a plant should be kept.

A pot of grains must be placed in a sunny place immediately after landing them in the ground, constantly keeping the temperature at least 20 degrees. Thanks to this, you will provide sprouts with an additional stimulus to an early growth.

Consider that coffee is a plant that does not like extraneous interference. Pruning should be done as rarely as possible. It is best to do this procedure only if the size of the bush is much larger than you expected. Also, do not worry that during the flowering period there is no natural pollination process for ordinary plants, and as a result, you will not get the expected harvest, because the berries are formed as a result of the self-pollination process.

If you plan to use the ripe berry for further planting, it will be necessary to clear it of the pulp and wash it with water. After that, for about 30 minutes they will need to be soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and as soon as possible proceed to disembark.

Soil characteristics

The most popular question for people who are going to grow a homemade coffee plant: "How to care?" First of all pay attention to the soil in which you are going to land. The optimal variant is a mixed type of soil with the addition of a mass of various elements that enhance its natural acidity.

The stages of soil preparation differ from the stage in which the growth of the plant is:

• Soil for planting seeds and sprouts: you will need to prepare a loose substrate from leaf land and river sand, in which there will be no obstacles to penetration of moisture. First of all, before placing the future plant in it, it will be necessary to perform preliminary sterilization of the soil. To do this, hold the soil in a water bath for at least 5 minutes. Seeds should be placed flat on the surface of the soil. If the procedure was performed correctly, the first shoots should be expected after 1.5 months from the time of planting. As soon as the first leaves are formed, the seedling will need to be transplanted into a more fertile soil. In this case, consider that the first transplantation will be required annually, for at least three years. After this period, the optimal period for this procedure will be once in 2-3 years.
• The soil for transplanting a large plant is a mixture in equal proportions of elements such as acid peat, sand, sheet earth, humus, charcoal and moss. All these ingredients can be purchased at a specialized flower shop. Consider that the young shoot much more quickly transformed into a full-fledged tree in the event that you buy for him initially a fairly large pot. In this case, the root system will go deeper, so that the plant will receive from the soil the maximum number of nutrients.

Note that if you plant vegetatively (out of the shoot), cut cuttings should be placed in a special solution for 1-2 hours. All the required ingredients must be purchased in the flower shop in advance, and only after that, the planting in the ground with a depth of not more than 3 cm. As soon as the plant has the first new sheets, it will be necessary to perform a transplant procedure similar to that required for sprouts Grown directly from seeds.

Flowers and berries

Coffee is a plant that, as a rule, blooms only in the warmest season. For the first time the germinated plant blooms only after 3-4 years from the time of planting. During this period, small bright white flowers are formed in the leafy sinuses, which, while flowing, have a pleasant aroma. The flowering time usually does not exceed 2-3 days, however, the fruit will mature much longer. Coffee in this period can not in any case not be sprayed, because in this way you can completely ruin the process of reproduction.

After a certain period of time small, round fruits of green color begin to be tied in their place. As you mature, the shade of the fruit changes to rich red, which makes them visually reminiscent of cherries. In each formed fruit there are only two grains, which, in fact, are "coffee" in the usual sense for most people. The period of full ripening of fruits for a plant grown at home, fluctuates within one year. After that, you can proceed to the direct collection and use of grains.

Coffee plant - how to care

When planting, be sure to keep in mind that this plant is extremely light-loving. In this case, if in a hot climate of the tropics it is necessary to shade it, then in the apartment conditions it needs to provide full coverage, in the absence of which the plant will not only grow weakly, but will not bear fruit for a long time. It is best if for the winter coffee is moved to the warmest in the house south side, but even in this case, we should not forget that the critical temperature mark for this plant is 15 degrees and to allow its reduction is highly discouraged. Therefore, on especially cold and cloudy days it will be necessary to include in the immediate vicinity of the plant a daylight lamp that will provide it with vital light and heat.

Coffee - a plant is rather capricious, it grows best, provided that the lighting, to which it is accustomed, does not change its trajectory. Therefore, turning the plant, you will achieve only beautiful leaves, but lose the long-awaited harvest. In this case, do not put coffee under direct sunlight or put a pot on the north side, where the lighting is the weakest.

In the hot season, the coffee should be regularly moistened (as the upper layer dries) with the help of standing water, the temperature of which should in no case be below room temperature. Also, special attention should be paid to the leaves, which will also be sprayed regularly (except the flowering period).

Remember that if you need to rearrange the pot in a new place, for the first time the plant needs to be gently wrapped with gauze, which will create habitual diffuse light and help it to adapt quickly to new lighting. At the same time, all he needs for growth is to make timely transplantations, which any person can handle, even without the proper experience in the process of floriculture, but has become acquainted with the basic requirements for care.

Watering

Watering of this plant should be given special attention. The water that you use should not contain limestone impurities that are detrimental to the root system. In addition, coffee requires constant support of a particular acidity in the soil, for which it is necessary to add a few drops of vinegar or citric acid crystals to the standing water prepared for irrigation. Despite the fact that the plant loves moisture, one should not allow its high content in the air.

As a natural fertilizing, mineral fertilizers should be used at least once every 1.5 months, so you will get a rapid growth of new shoots and provide the plant with all the necessary nutrients.

Food

Regardless of the regular feeding in the spring, during the time when flowers are expected, this plant needs to increase the content of nitrogen and phosphorus in the composition as much as possible. As the main source can come out the usual horny shaving or bone meal. In addition, do not forget that it is impossible to determine whether there is sufficient acidity in the soil without special instruments, so to ensure optimal nutrition for the plant, consult in the flower shop for the most appropriate fertilizing. If during the transplant period you for some reason do not have enough funds to purchase it, use a regular, finely chopped moss, which in large quantities can be found in the forest area.

If, due to the correct application of fertilizers, the plant begins to grow rapidly upward, and you are moving precisely to increase its bushiness, gently pinch the side shoots, and if a certain part is withered, gently prun them at the base of the petiole of the covering sheet.

Difficulties to be faced

When caring for a plant like coffee, be aware that if the acidity of the soil is insufficient, the leaves may lose their dark green, glossy shade and discolor. The leaves of coffee start to turn yellow rapidly and, in the future, completely wither, if the plant does not receive a sufficient supply of fresh air. In addition, if the humidity in the room is excessive, the leaves will begin to rot, after stopping which the plant will need a large amount of time to fully recover.

In addition, it is not superfluous to take several consultations with a specialist in growing coffee in the field of protecting leaves from the most common pests:

• Spider mite.
• Shields.
• The mealybug.
• Aphids.

Only in this way you can be completely sure that your plant will be able to fully develop at home and eventually will please you with fragrant fruits.