Hi all,
I am a new subscriber (today!).
I'm not sure if coffee is classed as a tropical, but I have a number of coffee (C. arabica) plants, all grown from seed) in containers which are kept in a lighted conservatory in the colder months.
Some of these plants have died in recent months (more than usual, it seems). This is generally preceded with leaf wilt and drop and then die back, but sometimes just leaf drop of a health looking plant. However, some of the other plants look quite healthy and are kept under essentially identical conditions. Also some of the leaves of these plants are also a little yellow (lack of nitrogen?).
The plants in question are between 3 and 6 years old.
I would be grateful for any feedback.
Thanks,
Nick
Plant collapse - Coffea arabica (coffee)
Do you have any pictures of ones that are showing symptoms but aren't dead yet? My first suspect when someone mentions leaf wilting and yellowing leaves is overwatering, so I'd definitely check for that. Or could they be too close to a cold window and getting a draft? And how warm is your conservatory? I'm not sure what the cold tolerance of coffee is, but some plants need to be pretty warm in order to be happy.
They need light watering in the winter.I have had better luck with filtered light then direct sunlight.Super happy in a north winow in my home.
Thanks for the replies. I think you are right about the overwatering. I took a couple of plants out of their pots (and repotted) and the roots were quite wet and also rootbound. I'll keep a close eye on them and be careful with the watering.
I took some photos, but I'll need another computer up upload them. Will post asap.
You might want to make sure your soil is loose and that they get good drainage, too.