Coffea arabica – Indoor House Plants

Coffea arabica is a genus of flowering plants. It is very easy to grow at indoor. It is a shrub that is actually the major source of the coffee bean. It can grow 4.5m high in open ground but seldom exceeds about 1m in indoors. The leaves are opposite, simple elliptic-ovate to oblong, 6–12 cm long and 4–8 cm broad, glossy dark green. It can produce star-shaped, fragrant, white flowers about 10–15 mm in diameter and grow in axillary clusters. Flowering generally occurs in midsummer or early autumn and the blooms are followed by small fruits, which gradually change color first from green to red and then to nearly black, a process that takes several months. Within each fleshy fruit are held two seeds (two coffee beans).

Scientific Name: Coffea arabica
Common Name: Arabian coffee

 

 

 

 

 

How to grow and maintain Coffea arabica:

Light:
It prefers bright indirect light from an east or west facing the window. Avoid direct sunlight.

Soil:
The soil for your Coffee Plants should have a slightly acidic pH, between 4.2 and 6.0. The soil should also be well draining. A loamy sandy soil will work best.

Temperature:
It prefers climates with daytime temperatures of 70-80 degrees F. and nighttime temperatures of 60-65 degrees F. Leaf drop may occur when temperatures dip below 55 degrees F.

Water:
Water a Coffee Plant when the top 1-2 inch of soil has dried out. The coffee plants are not drought resistant and can suffer permanent damage if the soil totally dries out. Leaves fall off if the plant is over or under watered.

Fertilizer:
Feed coffee plant with a liquid fertilizer about every two weeks from early spring to early autumn. Coffee plants are heavy feeders, regular applications of a complete fertilizer throughout the growing season with additions of compost and organic matter.

Pruning:
Prune tips to keep up wanted size and shape in late winter early spring.

Propagation:
It can be propagated from cuttings or seed. Coffee Plants are best propagated using fresh seeds found inside the bright red berries. Stem cuttings have very little success.

Harvest:
The fruit is red when they mature in the fall, with a sweet pulp surrounding the bean. The Coffea arabica fruit does not all ripen at one time. In fact, it will have blossoms and berries in various stages of ripening. Only the ripe berries can be picked. The berries can’t be picked when green since they will not ripen once picked.

Pests and Diseases:
No serious pest or disease problems. Look for spider mites, scale, mealybug, thrips, caterpillars, and mites. These plants require high humidity which makes them susceptible to fungal diseases such as leaf spot and leaf rust.