When it comes to coffee trees, most people imagine a huge plantation located in a tropical area. However, each of us can admire this plant. It is enough to know how to grow a coffee tree at home. Some pot plant lovers might think this work is overly complicated. However, it is not. This plant is as easy to care for as other pet pets. The climate of the rooms is great for a coffee tree, which can become a true decoration of any home. At the same time, it perfectly complements the collection of your plants.
Growing a coffee tree at home is not too new. Many of those who like to mess with plants have long had these beautiful, with an unforgettable aroma of flower trees in their apartments. An additional plus are the fruits. Of these, you can brew aromatic coffee. Productivity of a tree - from 300 to 500 g of fruits. Of course, this is not much, but still very nice.
Botanical characteristics
Coffee tree belongs to the type of coffee, which includes forty species. Of these, Congolese and Arabian, high, and also Liberian are most often used for household needs. These are evergreen trees or shrubs belonging to the Marenov family.
Coffee trees are distinguished by leathery large green leaves. Their inflorescences are a false umbrella in which there is a bunch of 8-16 flowers. Each of them is located on a short leg and has a whitish color. Inflorescences are formed only on annual shoots.
The fruits of the coffee tree are two-seeded, round in shape. Initially, they are colored yellow-green, turning red when ripe. The ready-to-eat fruit has a dense outer skin, inside of which there is a sweet and sour pulp with two seeds from 8 to 13 cm long. The fruit tree begins to bear fruit in the third year.
Coffee beans have long been used by people as a means of giving the body vitality. They have such an effect due to the caffeine in them. In addition, carbohydrates and organic acids, proteins, as well as amino acids, minerals and fats were found in coffee beans . But the main role in creating the aroma and taste of an exotic drink is played by ether-like compounds and chlorogenic acid. These substances are formed only when frying raw wood grains. Collected and simply dried seeds do not have the necessary aroma and color.
How to grow a coffee tree at home? To do this, you can use one of the two most common ways. The first of them uses unroasted coffee grains, and the second uses plant cuttings. Consider each of these methods in more detail.
Where to get the seeds?
Is it possible to grow a coffee tree from grain? It turns out that yes. The main question is: βWhere to get the seeds?β There are several options here. For example, you can go to the store and buy unroasted green coffee beans there. However, in this case, the probability that the seeds will germinate is very small.
Still how to grow a coffee tree from grain? A more reliable option is to ask friends who have already planted a plant, and they have begun to bear fruit, a couple of ripened brown-red fruits. They will need to peel and remove the flesh. Both halves of the remaining grain can be used as full seeds for planting. Well, if in the immediate environment there are no friends who could give the seeds of this exotic plant? How to grow a coffee tree at home? Seeds can be bought at a nearby flower shop.
Bean preparation
It should be borne in mind that the seeds of an exotic coffee tree quickly lose their germination. That is why you need to start working with them right away.
If coffee grains fell into your hands, then they should be washed with water and placed for half an hour in a pink solution of potassium permanganate. This must be done to disinfect this material.
Landing
How to grow a coffee tree from a stone? After processing the grains, each of them is placed in a separate pot, in which there is light, loose and fairly acidic soil. To create the desired acidity, pre-crushed sphagnum moss is added to the soil . What should be the composition of the soil intended for growing a coffee tree? It recommends using two parts of peat and one part of leaf humus, peeled river sand and greenhouse land. Such soil is prepared two weeks before planting.
The depth of the seed is 1 cm. They are placed in moist soil in such a way that the convex side of the grain is directed upwards. This will make the sprouts easier to break to the surface. After that, each grain should be covered with a glass jar to create a greenhouse effect. It is essential because coffee is a tropical plant. At the same time, one should not forget about airing. But this is not all the conditions that will give an answer to the question "How to grow a coffee tree at home, so that it is not only beautiful, but also healthy?" To do this, you will need to observe some more simple but important conditions.
Temperature mode
In order to grow a coffee tree, in the room where the pot with the plant is located, air heating should be in the range of twenty to twenty-five degrees. In winter, the room temperature can be reduced by no more than five degrees.
In the room where the tea tree is located, the necessary humidity must also be observed. Only in this case, the plant will delight its owner with beautiful green leaves. It is also necessary to constantly moisten the soil. You need to spray the leaves themselves.
Drainage
Due to frequent watering, it is necessary to take care of the integrity of the roots of the plant. If you ignore this moment, then the tree will die. Consider this feature so that your undertaking is successful.
Lighting
How to grow a coffee tree at home? Until the plant has grown stronger, it needs a large amount of light. At the same time, it is worth protecting it from direct rays of the sun. Bright natural light will be needed by an adult tree when the time comes for its flowering.
Exotic plant growth
How to grow a coffee tree at home from stone? To do this, be patient. Sprouts of coffee from seeds appear only after 2 months. For irrigation of a hatching grain, only settled water is used. It should be poured into the pallet at least once every three days. In this case, it is recommended to periodically check the moisture content of the soil. If she does not have enough water, then watering will have to be done in large volumes. Loosening the earth in a pot during this period should not be.
After the appearance of the appendix, the plant is gradually accustomed to room air. To do this, several times a day for one minute remove the jar from the pot. It will be possible to refuse such a procedure when the tree grows. The can is removed from the pot completely.
At 4 months, your tree will have a fully formed first leaf. Soon he will disappear.
The coffee tree is a very unpretentious and very grateful plant. In the first year after planting, its growth rate is quite modest. On average, the growth of the stem stem is from 15 to 20 cm. But after a while, the plant begins to strive vigorously in height and, even without additional pruning, branch abundantly.
At 9 months, the crown begins to form in the coffee tree. You should not interfere in this process. Pruning a plant will only be required if its growth becomes too large for the premises provided.
How to grow a coffee tree from seeds? Such trees throughout the first year grow one trunk. And only at the end of this period, skeletal branches appear. They grow from the axillary lateral buds. In order for the crown to be more magnificent, the longest shoots are cut off. This will provide abundant flowering of the tree.
Fruiting a plant grown from seeds, begins only in the 5-6 year of his life. Itβs very interesting that twigs grow in coffee. They depart from the trunk at a right angle, resembling a Christmas tree in shape. This is what affects the spreading of the crown.
Transfer
How to grow a coffee tree at home from grain so that it blooms as early as possible? To do this, annually it should be transplanted into a pot having a larger diameter. An increase in this size should be at least five centimeters. In this case, the tree will bloom in 4 years. In a small pot for its size, the plant feels uncomfortable. It will grow, but not bloom.
Any soil can be placed in the pot. The main thing is that it is suitable for shrubs or for indoor plants and contains nutrients in its composition. Also, the soil should not be very loose and structured.
Before transplanting the plants in a new pot, drainage must be provided. Next, examine the roots of the tree and remove the rotten and diseased. It is also recommended to add fertilizer to the soil. It can be any mineralized compounds or regular manure. An ideal source of easily digestible phosphorus for a coffee tree is bone meal or horn shavings. They take 200 g per 10 kg of soil.
A new type of breeding
How to grow a coffee tree at home with your own hands? To do this, you can apply the second method - propagation by cuttings. Trees grown with a relatively new method are distinguished by the fact that they retain all the signs of the mother plant with absolute accuracy. This refers to their size, the size of the flowers and leaves, etc.
In addition, with the modern method of propagation, the plant will need to form a crown. The coffee trees planted with cuttings bloom much faster, already in the process of rooting.
Cherenkovka process
How to grow a coffee tree with your own hands without seeds? A propagation cutlery is a branch from the middle part of the crown of an already fruiting tree. This planting material must have at least two pairs of leaves. When cutting a stalk to propagate a coffee tree, an important rule must be adhered to. From the bottom pair of leaves you need to retreat three centimeters. Immediately after pruning, the bottom of the shank should be treated using an organic plant growth stimulator. This will allow the tree to take root in a timely manner.
Soil preparation
To plant the cuttings, it is necessary to select the appropriate soil. Indeed, the normal development of the future tree will depend on its density and composition.
Experts recommend preparing such a soil for planting, which will:
- breathable, to ensure the flow of oxygen to the root formation sites;
- retaining water, but at the same time not allowing moisture to stagnate.
The soil for a coffee tree can be bought ready-made or mixed in a proportion of one to one peat and perlite.
Prepared soil is poured into the pot. It is not necessary to compact the soil. There should be room for air circulation.
Another important point of such preparation is the disinfection process. Self-prepared soil should be treated with a weak potassium permanganate solution. Pre-disinfection will allow cuttings to take root faster in a new place.
Disembarkation
Cuttings should be placed in the ground at some distance from each other. Which? Each gardener decides for himself, based on the size of young plants.
The main requirement in this case is that the leaves of the cuttings do not obscure the "neighbors" and do not come into contact with them. Depth of planting is 2-2.5 cm. After placement in the pot, the cuttings should be disinfected again using a weak solution of potassium permanganate. A very important point is the creation of the greenhouse effect. This is necessary in order to maintain a constant humidity of the earth. But it is worth remembering that in this case air access must be provided to the cuttings. In this case, a plastic bag will work great, in which holes are made in advance.
The basic rules of growing
Most of all, cuttings love diffused light. This must be taken into account when placing the pot indoors. In addition, the temperature of cultivation should be in the range from 25 to 27 degrees. But not only the characteristics of the room create normal conditions for plant growth. When growing a coffee tree, it is important to look at the temperature of the substrate itself. If the column of a thermometer installed in the soil reaches +31 and above, then such conditions will adversely affect the development of cuttings.
As the first leaves appear, young trees can be planted in separate pots. These containers should be narrow and deep, as the roots of the cuttings grow down.
What follows is a very important and crucial stage. After transplanting, cuttings should be watered, and then carefully monitor their further growth for two weeks. If everything goes smoothly, then the plant is placed in a permanent place.
If the coffee trees planted in this way immediately begin to bloom, then this will mean that the grower carried out all the steps correctly.
The best place for home coffee tree will serve as a window sill. You can put a pot of plants on the shelf, which is located near the window. The light falling on the tree should be diffused. Air circulation - normal, drafts-free.
Watering an exotic plant should be done as the soil dries in the pot. In summer, this will happen more often, and in winter - about once a week. At the same time, water should be at room temperature and certainly defended.
Diseases and pests rarely affect the coffee tree. As a rule, such cases occur only with improper care of the plant. For example, root rot appears from heavy watering. If such a problem occurs, dry the earth. It will also be necessary to remove all the affected roots. If pests appeared on the leaves of the tree, then insecticides will help get rid of them.
Coffee trees are very fond of fertilizers. To do this, you can use various integrated options. Fertilize the tree preferably once a month.
So, we examined how to grow a coffee tree from grain and in other ways. When all the rules of care are followed, your plant will begin to bear fruit already for 3 years of growth. This will allow you to collect a small crop of wonderful coffee fruits and enjoy a wonderful invigorating drink.