Arabica Coffee Plant: Growth, Maintenance and Care

Image source

Coffee your morning cup of joe, and favourite beverage can lift your mood, and its caffeine content can make you feel less exhausted, improve productivity, and mental faculties. To those unaware, you can even grow coffee plant as a house plant as they are quick growers and make alluring house plants. Arabica Coffee Plant is said to be the first species of cultivated coffee that was developed in southwest Arabia almost 1000 years back. This evergreen shrub contains shiny, dark-green leaves on delicate stems. 

The seeds of Arabica Coffee Plant have been used since ages for making coffee. An essential cash crop in Cameroon, this tropical plant also grows in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Yemen. The origin of Arabica Coffee is traced to Southern Asia and Tropical Africa. Contrary to belief, the caffeine content in dark-roast coffee is less compared to lightly-roasted coffee. 

Know These Interesting Facts About Arabica Coffee

This coffee plant is a small tree growing up to a height of 2m to 8m and produces shiny, evergreen leaves. Its flowers have a sweet fragrance, are white-coloured, with the fruits red in colour, but at times turn purple or yellow. Every fruit develops two green seeds, generally referred as coffee beans. These seeds change into brown after roasting. 

Coffee beans are roasted to prepare different kinds of coffee, such as Turkish coffee, espresso, and French press. 

Arabica coffee attributes for approximately 75% of coffee production of the world and Robusta coffee explains for the remining. Arabica coffee is said to be tastier compared to Robusta coffee. The caffeine levels within Arabica are lesser than Robusta. 

Arabica has 60% higher lipids and approximately twice sugar concentration than Robusta. This explains why we like the taste and flavour of Arabica. 

Out of the 124 coffee species, Arabica is the prevalent one that features in your daily brew. Every bean of Arabia coffee has almost 2% caffeine per volume. More so, the decreased levels of caffeine can enhance your coffee experience, regarding a decent cup of coffee. 

If grown it its local tropical habitat, the coffee bean plant attains 15 ft or more in height. However, if you confine it to a pot it can remain at a smaller height and prune it to manage its size. 

Arabica Coffee Plant is self-pollinating, indicating that it will contains fewer variations and mutations in its life span in comparison to Robusta. 

Uses of Arabica Coffee

Arabica Coffee Plant is cultivated commercially to prepare coffee from the beans. This plant has been in use for centuries as a caffeine source and in compounds that contain caffeine. Their seeds are used as spice ingredients in various cuisines across the world and particularly in American dishes. 

The plant generates coffee beans which are utilized for preparing instant coffee and these beans are roasted and ground to form a powder to be added to beverages or hot water. 

The leaves of this species are decocted inside water for treating malaria. In addition, the Arabica Coffee Plant has also been beneficial in treating anaemia and influenza. Besides, they are also useful in managing oedema (swelling in the tissues due to trapped fluid), weakness or fatigue (asthenia), and agitation. Along with healing hepatitis, coffee is found to be effective in liver dysfunction. 

Applying Arabica Coffee oil externally can help to counter nervous shocks. Coffee beans include caffeine – the alkaloid which produces a stimulating influence on the nervous system. Caffeine is known as a physical and cognitive performance booster. Further, coffee oil contains fatty acids and Tri glycerol in addition to antioxidants and various biologically active ingredients that function as anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer agents. 

Like all medicinal plants, Arabica Coffee plant also helps in managing several diseases. Such medicinal plants are beneficial for the body as it produces less side effects compared to synthetic medications. 

Arabica Coffee Plant Care

When allowed to grow in its natural tropical habitat, the coffee bean plant can attain a height of 15 ft. But when restricted to a pot it stays smaller. Pruning can keep it in controlled size. 

Prune in spring to retain its full and bushy appearance. Make use of pruning shears to trim the stem at an angle of 45% and a quarter inch above the leaf axil. Prune away the top growth for maintaining the small height of the coffee plant. Pinching a young plant and later applying hand pruners as it develops specially the top foliage is useful to trigger bushier growth and restrict the height of the plant. 

Re-Potting Your Coffee Plant

Repot your plant every spring, and gradually increase the pot size. See to it that the container has enough drainage holes, so that there is no soggy soil. When you repot in spring, change it to a 1-2 inches larger pot.

Some of the factors to weigh in while taking care of Arabica Coffee Plant for a stupendous growth includes the following:

Light Conditions

Place the coffee plant in bright light, and protect from direct sunlight. These plants like total or dappled sunlight within weaker latitudes or where there is less heat light. Being understory plants, Arabica Coffee is amply shade tolerant to exist under the canopy of trees, and does not prefer harsh sunlight. These coffee plants can adjust to reduced light conditions but their growth will be slow. 

Try to offer your plant a minimum of 5 hrs of sunlight every day to generate fruit. 

Watering And Soil Conditions

Maintain moist soil, avoid sogginess during summer and spring while in winter and fall the soil should be scantily moist. Give tepid water to your household coffee plant as cold water tend to shock them. 

These plants love water and thrive in regular watering. However, the soil should not be waterlogged. See to it that the pH level of the soil ranges from 6 to 7. If not, then your coffee plant will not thrive. 

At the same time, avoid overwatering your plant, rather let it dry out totally after every watering session as this helps to stop root rot. 

High Humidity

These plants are acclimatized to grow on tropical mountain sides where they get abundant fog and rain. Arabica Coffee Plants flourish in highly humid conditions with humidity levels of 50% or more. If the atmosphere is very dry, browning of leaf edges can happen. To elevate the humidity, apply a mist for suitable results. 

 Temperature Levels 

The maximum average temperature during daytime for coffee plants range from 18 to 27 degrees Celsius and night temperature levels dipping between 18 to 21 degrees Celsius. Hotter temperatures can speed up growth, but is not suitable for bean growth of the plants. The fruits require to ripen and mature at a slow pace. 

Arabica Coffee can tolerate cooler temperature in winter and fall, when development takes place at a slow speed. However, it cannot stand freezing temperatures. 

Choice Of Soil

For potting go for peat moss mixed with horticultural sand for a good drainage. Coffee Arabica favours loam soil that is sandy with abundant organic matter extending deep down to 6 inches. Still, it can withstand heavier clay soils so long there is less demand for nutrients or water. 

Use of Fertilizer

Nourish after 14 days with a liquid fertilizer which is half diluted all through the growing season. This fertilizer should be water-soluble and you can restrict the fertilizer use to monthly or even less during the winter. 

Propagation Of the Coffee Plant

The perfect way of growing coffee plant is to buy from the nursery or main garden centre

The Arabica Coffee can also be bred from cuttings or seeds. Multiplying these plants from cuttings is not so easy, but you can better your chances by choosing young stems that have not hardened yet. 

How To Grow From Cuttings

Pick a straight shoot almost 8-10 inches in length and discard all except a couple of top leaves. After that plant this cutting inside a small pot containing a soilless potting mix which is an organic mix of peat moss, coco coir, perlite, and wooden chips, and retain a slightly moist soil. As you softly tug the plant and experience resistance, it means the roots have developed.  

The plant requires approximately 3 months to completely develop but can propagate from cuttings in almost 16 days. 

Growing Coffee Plant From Seeds

The seeds need to be sowed in late summer and take two weeks to germinate and demand no extra supervision till they start flowering. After flowering starts, the adolescent plants require to be safeguarded from frost. 

Some branches must be pruned off every week during such period to prevent them from becoming overcrowded or unkept. 

After the plantation of seeds and their timely sprouting after six months, thinning must be done for the development of three to four sturdy stems in every plant with adequate space between them for ventilation and sunlight. 

Controlling Pest And Disease Attack

Coffee plants at times come under attack from mites, mealybugs, and aphids. Indications of pest infestations include small webs, thick lumps of white powdery remains or insects present upon the plant. Seek fast a remedy for these infestations to limit them from spreading to your other collection. Begin with the minimum toxic remedy initially, later advance to more strong chemicals if you fail to control. 

Maintenance Tips About The Arabica Coffee Plant

• The Arabica Coffee plant is different from other plants. The perfect surroundings to grow them is to imitate its natural conditions created on a slightly elevated, tropical mountainside, with good drained soil and ample water, high humidity, comparatively cool temperature, and nutrient filled type of acidic soil. 

• You can cultivate them outdoors if the environment matches with their natural habitat. Inside, coffee plants grow best when positioned close to a window but avoiding direct sunlight. See to it that the plant is distanced from drafts, like those generated by air conditioners. 

• These plant dislike remaining wet, therefore water every one to two weeks, letting the potting mix to bake in sunlight, and remain waterless midway between waterings. Water enough in stronger light and minimum in lower light. Check the level of moisture before watering and its drainage holes. Yellow leaves mean you are overwatering while wilting and curling leaves indicate underwatering. 

• If thinking of placing outdoors your coffee plant during summer, wait till the temperature is above 65 degrees F. At first, put it in complete shade to make it acclimated to sunshine. After keeping it two weeks under shade, you can slow bring it into the sunshine. But do not allow the pot to dry excessively, particularly in the summer heat. Place it back indoors before there is a dip in temperature during the fall. 

• For a blooming coffee plant, pay attention to its proper temperature – 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit at daytime, gets sunlight for 4-5 hours every day, and thrives in a well-drained damp soil. 

Wrapping UpEnjoy your morning brew from the coffee plant with their super-shiny leaves. Indigenous to Ethiopia, the Arabica Coffee Plant features as one of the prime agricultural crops across the globe and is also an easy to care houseplant. But you must follow these green thumb rules to take care of your coffee plant and receive the best results.

You may like this

• 6 Tips for Sourcing the Best Coffee Beans for Your New Café
• What Climate Does Coffee Grow In? Surprising Facts!
• Elevate your Morning Cup: Flavors to Spice Up your Coffee