I haven't found much information on coffee plants, at least not that really helps. But I have a fine young plant, very bushy. I just transplanted him and he seems to be doing fine at about nine inches tall. However, I always worry about over watering the plants. I have a moisture meter but to my horror, I found out that the meter is not working - it ALWAYS reads dry, even when the soil is almost mud. Needless to say I'm not happy and now worried I've overwatered, though the plant doesnt seem to be suffering for it. Have you any reccomendations for moisture meters? I use the 'plant magician' one although until I find a better one I am not using any. And is white fuzz on Wild Coffee Seeds bad?
Has grown for years under for me under ordinary living room conditions with extremely minimal care. Has a little burning of the edges of the leaves, think this is common to these.
Wonderful. Seems I came to the right forum then :) My last coffe plant died. No crinkly leaves yet... No growth that I can see either. Then again he may be working on making more roots since the transplant. Any advice I thank greatly for.
I suggest you get familiar with it's water needs so you won't have to depend on a meter to tell you. If it is in real need, the leaves will begin to droop slightly from the previous day (look at it every day for clues), and unless the soil is sodden from the last watering, it's time to do it again. If the top layer of the soil is dry, but the leaves are bright and bouncy, wait til later in the day or even the next a.m. to water - but if at that time you see they're tired looking, you'll know you 'should' have watered the day before after all. You will catch on, and it's helpful, because with soil changes, seasonal light changes, heating, A/C, etc., you need to understand your plants. White fuzz is bad, it's fungus or mold beginning and it means conditions are too wet, so dry them off and cut back on watering til at least the top layer is dry. Plus don't spray for humidity... it doesn't work, but can encourage mildew. Better to use a humidity tray where the pot never touches the water but sits on the stones above it.
Ok. I always have problems keeping the moisture right in the seeds' soil. Maybe I should wrap them between layers of paper towel instead? I dont have a moisture tray, alas. Its winter here so there's not much available for gardening now. I already soaked them and started them, so I dont want to put them away and dry them out to try again in the spring. Maybe I should put them in more soil, so the drying-out is slower and I can control the moisture better.
My advice is to never use moisture meters because they only work for about the first three tries, then they fail. just use you fingers to see if the soil is dry a few incehs down form the surface.
Benign neglect seems to work for me. When its dry I soak it. Fuzzy stuff is not good. No Damp fixes it. Anybody know for sure how old a coffee tree gets to be? I don't think I can repot it anymore, at least not without heavy equipment. Carl
they can live for a very long time, if you don't want to repot it take it out of its current pot and cut off about 1 inch of roots all the way around the root ball and then place it back in its pot and fill in with fresh soil. this is how i keep my very old trees alive at home and at work, it works great and it also means you don't have to have gigantic pots.
okay. I'll try to gauge from fingers. I stupidly bought a pot with no drain tray on the outside, so I cannot tell if water is leaking out or not (Its all enclosed. Doh!) I dont want to repot him again so soon, that and I am out of money, so i'm very paranoid. When is the best season for repotting plants? Will he grow into a proper 'tree' or remain a bushlike plant like he is now? And sorry but I didnt understand if any responses were about the seeds - should I put them in moist towels or put mroe soil in so that moisture is easier controlled. Slightly ot - I had started some venus fly trap seeds, but in the fridge the soil froze due to a bad fridge. Are they still viable? I'm keeping them watered and near light as instructed just in case.
An alternative is to use the weight of the container to gauge the amount of moisture in the soil. This way you don't have to get your hands dirty. With indoor plants it's safe to repot as long as they're actively growing so it depends on cultural conditions. I use the paper towel method for many types of seed. The seeds are transfered to soil once they begin to germinate.
If you buy a (tiny) brown bottle of NoDamp at any garden ctre or even good hardware store, and follow directions on the fold-out label stuck on the front(!), you'll end up using 1-2 drops in ? amt. of water to use when first planting the seeds (just wet the top inch or so... don't soak the whole thing) and the antifungicidal stuff will keep your seeds clean, but don't cover with plastic and then put in the sun, because that will cause mold due to condensation inside... keep it in a dull place til you see sprouts (then water well of course) or don't cover it, but then you'll have to keep the mix wetter. Two things - are you saying your pot has no drain hole? Get another pot! It really matters. Second - you said you have no 'moisture tray' - use any old thing (though the big $1.oo plastic drip ones at Wal-Mart made for big pot drainage are great), fill it with water and gravel or anything that won't rust, but will keep the pot above the water so it doesn't wick back in and rot the roots.
