Ok so, I am in a horticulture class at school and last night they gave us a coffee arabica tree estimated to be 1 year old. I had to walk it home in the cold, though i put a plastic bag around it for the ten minute walk. Now it is sitting by the same window as my dwarf calamondin, with a small fluoro light as well. I think it could be due to humidity or light shock. Possibly even cold shock? Here are the photos from last night and now. See the huge change? Should I be worried? Last night: Now:
Frost damage - Coffea arabica isn't even the least teensy bit resistant to cold. It will recover, albeit slowly.
Coffee Arabica. Urgent help needed, again! Ok so the same coffee plant that i posted about having cold damage a few weeks back doesnt seem to be doing much better. all of the cold damaged leaves died off. The problem is that even the new leaves are falling of if bumped into or tapped on. Could it be not getting enough light? Its in a window that my Calamondin orange has been doing fine in (but that was very healthy all year round and is probably about 3 or 4 years old now.) Could the nutes be a problem? I just watered it with some kelp fertilizer, (Its 1-0-4 and i diluted it to the lowest recommended amount per gallon of water.) I have to look up what soil i got it in, but i believe it was unfertilized. I guess im kinda praying it was, or that thats not the problem. Anyway. i hope this is enough info. Thx!
I don't think it's a nutrient issue if you've been giving it kelp (keep it up with each watering, actually - low dose nutrients like that seem to make coffee quite happy), but you might be on to something with the light. In Northern climes these plants need as much light as you can give them - maybe try rigging a desk lamp with a full-spectrum compact fluorescent for the plant, and see if it perks up. (This is the poor-man's solution to indoor plant lighting; it should cost about $5 if you have a lamp already, and about $20 if you don't...)
Hi GardeNub: Are all the leaves falling off when bumped? Its a pretty messy plant, and some of the leaves on mine fall off at the slightest provocation. Still, the parent plant is 25-30 years old, and some of the offspring that I've kept are 3 or 4. I water 'em when they're droopy, feed 'em when I feel guilty, and shine lights on the old plant 8 am to 8 pm during our looong winter. Carl
