Hi! I have a very sad coffee plant that's continuously dropping leaves and growing new ones, but lately it's taken a turn for the worse. (I'm not great with plants and wouldn't have attempted to take on anything more difficult than a pothos, but my daughter brought it home from a field trip in 2019.) I'm pretty sure this window is draftier than it would like, and we may not get enough sun, but I don't have any other windows to put it in. I water it when the soil feels dry, and I used to give it a little mist spritz in the mornings, until I read that it might be a leaf fungus. I repotted it a few months ago with some rocks at the bottom for drainage.

I was hoping someone might be able to identify what it needs, and then I can try to implement (including offering to someone with better light, if that's the issue). Thanks for any ideas! I feel bad that I'm making it miserable.

I can't help much, but I think it may be inconsistent watering? I hope some others here will be able to help you more.

Hi

I may not be expert but consider myself fairly experienced and do own a coffee.
>Misting- don't bother
>Rocks in the pot, those don't help and can even make it worse.
>Clay pot- can dry very quickly, can have less useful soil than you think, and especially combined with the rocks.
>Low light- what is your location and exposure? Light is really the food of a plant, it drives the whole engine; not enough light is like starvation.
>Is that snow outside? COuld those leaves be laying against freezing glass, causing patches of damage?

I would get a plastic pot just a little bigger than this one, get rid of the rocks, pot in good potting mix in the new plastic pot, give more light if possible, don't let it touch cold glass (if that is the case) and water a little more frequently.

The newer leaves look really good, I have hope for it

Oh! Thank you so much! I'm in Brooklyn, and this window faces northeast, so there's some direct light in the morning, but not for long. (Yes, ha, that is snow on the ground. It's freeezing.) I rotate the plant a little every day or two, but I have been careful not to let the leaves touch the cold window. It's usually been the leaves closest to the trunk and closest to the bottom that go brown and fall off, though.

I'm excited to have an action plan! I'll get a plastic pot and new soil and ditch the rocks, and it sounds like it could use more frequent watering. We don't have other usable windows besides this one (and another on the same wall), but maybe I should investigate getting it a light? Maybe it's got seasonal affective disorder...

I am glad to help you feel hopeful for this guy/gal. You have already done some good things, like not letting it touch the glass.
Yes, I think it is sort of 'plant S A D' .. it's just hard for it to 'get up and go' when days are so short, dim, and cool.
My own coffee spends summer outside in shade, gets blown over a dozen times, because it is leafy and catches the wind, then comes in corner of my bedroom for winter, It isn't even in front of a window, but between an east and a south- maybe the light is a bit better than I give it credit for. And it is a plant I feel uses water faster than some.
My plant also loses some leaves inside for winter.. older ones.. while getting new ones. Picture in a minute..

It has about a dozen coffee cherries on it this year


There are some coffee beans and some icky leaves

Ooo, it's beautiful!

Thank you, I consider it an easy plant . I have never seen bugs on it.