Coffee Plants make wonderful houseplants, for more reasons than you might imagine. We know the first place your mind will go - straight to coffee beans. While the idea of growing your own coffee is obviously very appealing, this is quite low on the list of reasons why indoor Coffee Plants are amazing.
Right at the top of that list is how it looks. Let's take a moment to appreciate those beautiful glossy green leaves - absolutely stunning. Who wouldn't want a great pop of green in their home like this? Not only that, but they also help purify the air in your home, which in turn has a positive impact on your mood and productivity.
In short, an indoor coffee plant would make a wonderful addition to any home. To make sure these wonderful little plants reach their full potential, we are going to dedicate this blog to Coffee Plant care. We're going to go through everything you need to know about caring for a Coffee Plant, from watering and light requirements to propagating.
Are Coffee Plants easy to care for?
Before we get into the details about arabica Coffee Plant care, we thought it would be a good idea to give you a general impression of how much time and effort is required to look after a Coffee Plant. We'll cut to the chase - Coffee Plants are pretty easy to care for, and are seen as a great plant for any houseplant owner, from beginners to experts.
If you know anything at all about looking after a houseplant, then you should be absolutely fine keeping a Coffee Plant alive! If you don't know anything at all, though, or if you want to know a few little tips and tricks to really help your Coffee Plant thrive, then we can help. Just read on and we'll explain everything you need to know about caring for Coffee Plants.
What are Coffee Plants?
These Arabica Coffee Plants are originally from East Africa, namely Ethiopia and South Sudan. They can be found in the mountainous tropical forests in these countries, where they are harvested for those beautiful green fruits, from which we get coffee beans. Coffee Plants grow low in these forests, under the canopy of the larger trees, basking in the partial shade. These areas are cool, but humid, while they have consistent, but moderate, rainfall. These conditions will help inform how you care for your indoor Coffee Plant.
The botanical name for these plants is the Coffea Arabica you've probably seen the 'Arabica' mentioned in cafes and on coffee you drink at home. The Arabica coffee beans are the most popular in the world, accounting for about 60% of the coffee we drink.
While your coffee houseplant may produce beans, you will need to be patient. It could take up to four years until your plant produces flowers, and therefore fruit (and each of these contain two seeds which become the beans). Even then, you might only get enough to make an espresso! So don't think that this is going to change the way you drink coffee - but it will add so much to your home in general.
How to care for Coffea arabica
Now it's time for your Coffee Plant care guide. Here we'll tell you exactly how to grow Coffee Plants, and really help it thrive in your home. Then, we'll provide you with a quick-fire guide to arabica Coffee Plant care for you to refer back to whenever you need to.
Let's kick things off with a watering schedule. Coffee Plants, as we've seen, usually grow in forests where they have plenty of other plants and trees to compete with for water, but in areas where they get plenty of rain. As a result, Coffee Plants like soil that stays evenly moist - not waterlogged. It shouldn't dry out completely, either.
The best way to see whether the plant needs to be watered is by putting your finger into the soil - if it is dry, it is worth giving it a drink, but if it feels wet, it's best to leave it for a few days. It will need more water during the growing season (through Spring and Summer) than it needs in the colder months.
When it comes to light, bright, indirect light is the best way to go for Coffee Plants. They can cope with shade, but too much direct sunlight can scorch the leaves and turn them brown.
Two things now that could really help your Coffee Plant. First, feeding. During the growing season, a little liquid fertiliser every couple of weeks will really help bring out the glossy green leaves. Second, water mist. Help create that humid environment that they are used to with a little spray of water every now and then. This will stop the leaf edges from browning, which can happen if the air is too dry. This is why they are great plants for the bathroom or kitchen.
Finally, pruning. You can help keep that lush, bushy growth by controlling the height of your plant with some pruning. Remove any dead branches, or any leaves growing at the base of the trunk.
Here is our quick-fire guide to caring for a Coffee Plant:
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Origins: East Africa
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How much light: Bright, indirect sunlight is ideal! Some shade is fine, but too much direct sunlight can harm those luscious leaves.
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Water requirements: Keep the soil slightly moist. Coffee Plants prefer to be watered a little but often. Too much water can result in root rot.
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Humidity requirements: A little water mist every now during the growing season would be fantastic!
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Soil requirements: Peat based potting soil is perfect.
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Temperature requirements: 15-24°C is the optimal average temperature range, which will most likely be the temperature in your home.
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Pruning requirements: Reshape every now and then to encourage a compact growth habit.
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Pests: If you notice a white powdery substance, you may have mealybugs or aphids. You should be able to remove them with a damp cloth.
Propagating indoor Coffee Plants
You can grow Coffee Plants from stem cuttings - it really isn't very difficult. All you need to do is take a cutting of a stem, around 20 cm long, and take off all but the top few leaves. Then you can put it directly into a pot with some potting soil, with the stem going deep into the soil. Give it a drink of water, and put a plastic bag over the top to make a humid atmosphere. Water when the soil gets dry.
Roots on your young plant should start to develop within a couple of months, and you can transfer it into a larger pot a month or two after that.
Get the perfect plant setup with Prickle
With your Coffea arabica thriving, you are probably thinking about expanding your indoor plant game. Well, we'd love to help you in that regard, so have a look through our extensive range of indoor plants. We have the lil Coffee Plant, if you feel like your larger model needs a little buddy! You can even search by room, to find the best living room, kitchen, bathroom or office plants. Find the perfect ones for your home.
If you have any questions at all about any of our indoor plants, then our team of experts is on hand to answer them for you. You can reach them on social media @prickplantsuk or email contact@prickleplants.co.uk - they'd love to hear from you!