Secrets of growing a coffee tree in Russia at home

Is it possible to grow coffee in Russia? Outdoors, this southern tree will never survive the winter, and in a warm room, an African guest can adapt to unusual conditions and even bear fruit. For constant use, the grains are not enough, the yield from one plant per year will not exceed 0.5 kg, but sometimes you can pamper yourself and very dear guests. This plant will decorate the interior of the house, and during flowering will fill the room with a delicate aroma. If you wish, you can shape it in the form bonsai, and in the form of a bush.

Conditions for keeping an African tree

You brought a plant from the African tropics to a cold climate. In a warm room, it will not die, but any owner wants to see not a stunted bush on the window, but a strong flowering and fruiting plant. To make your pet feel at home, the coffee must be grown in an environment similar to that of the African tropics.

In summer, when the temperature outside does not drop below + 16⁰, do not keep the flower at home, take it out into the fresh air. During the period of intensive growth, it needs warmth, during the day it is better to keep it at + 23⁰, and in winter a temperature of about + 18⁰ will provide the plant with a comfortable rest. A tropical bush will not like too dry air either. At home, a pallet with wet pebbles will help solve the problem.

The coffee tree needs not only a special air temperature, but also the usual length of daylight hours. In winter, the nights are too long, the plant needs additional lighting with electric lamps. Do not be surprised, but the African bush will not like direct sunlight; at home, coffee grows in the shade of tall trees. At home, in clear weather, curtain the window with tulle.

Don't worry about no pollinating insects in your home. This plant can pollinate itself. During the flowering period, keep it outdoors so that the movements of the currents blow over the flower and help the pollen move from the stamens to the pistil. Very soon you will see fruit ovaries.

Reproduction of the coffee tree

The germination of coffee seeds does not last long. It is useless to germinate store-bought grains even if they are not roasted. Planting material can be purchased from the owners of the indoor coffee tree or during trips to tropical countries on plantations. Immediately place the grains in damp soil and take them home in a jar, not allowing them to freeze. Seedlings will appear in a month, but the first harvest at home will have to wait at least 5 years.

The seeds germinate very hard. The hard shell prevents the sprout from breaking through, and even if you sow many seeds fresh from the coffee tree, no shoots may appear. Help the embryo break through the peel by carefully cutting off a small section of the peel. You can try another option, purchase a special product that dissolves a strong cover.

Advice

If there is an opportunity to choose planting material from several types, stop at Arabica. This variety tolerates unusual growing conditions at home easier than others, develops quickly and does not require complex care.

There is an easier way to propagate a coffee bush: cut a stalk from another plant. The tree should be fruitful, and the branches should be selected in the middle of the crown. The first years the coffee tree at home grows very slowly, and then it will begin to intensively release new shoots. In this case, you can get the first harvest in the third year.

How to properly plant coffee

The coffee tree quickly produces a long, branched root. For home planting, you should choose a deep and wide enough pot. The soil should be taken fertile black earth with a slightly acidic reaction. Be sure to add sand to make the soil looser and more water-permeable. Check that the drainage holes are open and pour expanded clay on the bottom of the pot, and then earth.

Seeds should be laid flat on the ground. Cover the grains with earth or press them into the ground to a depth of about 1 cm. Cover the container with glass, which must be removed daily, wiped and turned over with the other side to the ground. When the sprout releases leaves, plant it in a pot, where it will develop for the first year until the next transplant.

If you are planting a stalk, scratch the lower part with a needle from top to bottom and hold the cut in the growth simulator for 2-3 hours, and then stick it into the ground to a depth of 3 cm.Often roots grow in places where the stalk of a leaf is attached to a branch, try to make this area in the ground. Place a plastic bag over the pot so the scion takes root in the humid air. When the first leaves appear, the sprout must be transplanted into another container.

Exotic plant care

A sharp temperature drop is contraindicated for the plant. The watering fluid should be several degrees warmer than the ambient temperature. If you are pouring tap water, pass it through a filter or boil it to remove salt. In summer, the plant needs a lot of moisture, make sure that the soil does not dry out. In winter, the bush rests, it does not need frequent watering, moisten it no more than 1 time a week. Be sure to spray the coffee tree daily during the warm season.

Advice

Over time, the soil in the pot will become neutral or alkaline. To lower the pH, add a few grains of citric acid to the water each time you water.

Use liquid rose fertilizer to fertilize at home. You need to feed during the period of activity every six weeks. When buds are set and flowering occurs, choose formulations that are high in nitrogen and phosphorus. During the dormant period, fertilizers are not needed for the tree.

You need to transplant a flower at home once every 2 years. Please note that not only the aerial part is increasing, but also the root system, so take a larger pot each time. The plant loves to always fall on it from one side. It is undesirable to turn the pot, it is better to have an uneven crown and a good harvest than an even coffee tree without fruit.

If you want to make coffee at home, consider the size of the room. This plant does not tolerate pruning, it is better to let it develop naturally. In a cramped room, it may turn out that only a bush will live there, and there will be no room for people. Of course, dry, diseased and damaged processes must be removed immediately.

What the bush complains about

When living conditions deteriorate, the appearance of the plant changes. If the leaves begin to lose color and shine, the bush lacks acid, water it with acidified water. In the stagnant air, the crown begins to turn yellow and dry out. If the leaves rot, the air in the room is too humid.

The biggest danger to a coffee tree is hypothermia. If a black border begins to appear at the edges of the leaves, urgently move the pot to a warm place. When cold comes from the bottom, place the container on a plank or other insulating material. Perhaps the bush will survive, but if the leaves continue to turn black, the plant will soon die.

Periodically inspect the bush for pests:

• mealybug;
• aphids;
• scabbards;
• ticks.

If you spot parasites, treat the plant with insecticides. It is better to tear off badly damaged leaves, and wipe those on which the wounds are almost invisible with a damp cloth.

Harvesting

In summer, buds are tied in the leaf axils. White flowers bloom from them, which live no more than 3 days. Do not spray the bush during the flowering period, otherwise the ovaries will not be able to pollinate. Soon, green fruits will appear in place of flowers. After a few months, they will turn red and resemble cherries. There are 2 grains inside the pulp, from which you can make an invigorating drink.

Do not be alarmed that the grains peeled from the pulp will not have either aroma or the usual color. We buy roasted coffee at the store. Put the grains in a frying pan and hold for a few minutes at + 200⁰. Then refrigerate quickly so that they do not lose aroma and place in an airtight container.

If you want to plant new trees, immediately after harvesting, clean the pulp from the grains, rinse and place in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour. The seeds are ready to plant, but rather place them in the ground. The seeds will find themselves in the usual conditions where they grew and developed. The embryos will not experience the stress of a change of environment, and will quickly begin to mature.

Output

Cultivation of coffee in Russia is possible, only the tree can survive not on the street, but at home on the windowsill. The stronger the growing conditions begin to resemble the African tropics, the better the southern visitor will feel. Its main requirements are warmth and diffused light. Neither a dark corner nor hot sun rays are suitable for the plant; shade it with muslin or tulle on the windowsill.

Grain for sowing can only be taken fresh. Or go to tropical countries on plantations, or borrow from friends who already grow coffee at home. It is more convenient to grow seedlings from cuttings, then you will harvest faster. The cutting should take root at high air humidity, under a plastic bag or glass jar.

The first harvest will be small. It is better not to use it to make a cup of the drink, but to grow new seedlings. A coffee tree at home does not live long, a single copy may suddenly die, and you will not have planting material for growing a new bush. Do not be limited to a single plant, always grow 2-3 copies. Then you will always have the raw materials for making a cup of delicious coffee, and the room will be decorated with beautiful exotic trees.