What are the growing conditions for coffee trees? A detailed explanation of the latest requirements
The coffee tree is a horticultural perennial economic crop, a perennial evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus Coffea in the family Rubiaceae, with the characteristics of fast growth, high yield, high value and wide market; its ideal growing grounds are mostly located in countries between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn with high mountain terrain. It originated in tropical Africa, and has been introduced and cultivated in southern and southwestern China. Now let us take a look at the growing conditions for coffee trees!
Growth habits of the coffee tree
The coffee tree likes mild daytime temperatures that are not scorching hot, as well as less than two hours of direct sunlight. Therefore, if there is a lack of the daily afternoon showers or thick fog, local farmers must interplant many taller trees in the coffee plantation for shade. At night, it hopes for an environment of around 10°C, but the temperature must not be too low, because being too warm will cause the coffee berries to develop too quickly and fail to produce hard, high-quality coffee beans that are small and rich in flavor. If it gets cold enough to frost, the tree will freeze to death.
Growing conditions for coffee trees
The most ideal growing conditions for coffee trees are a temperature climate with temperatures between 15 and 25°C, and annual rainfall must reach 1500 to 2000 mm, while the timing of the rainfall must match the coffee tree's flowering cycle. Of course, in addition to the coordination of seasonal rainfall, well-drained fertile soil containing volcanic ash is also needed. In addition, although sunlight is an indispensable element for the growth and fruiting of coffee, overly strong sunlight will inhibit the growth of coffee trees, so each producing area usually plants some shade trees as well. As for the most ideal altitude, it is 500 to 2000 m. From this it can be seen that the conditions for cultivating high-quality coffee are quite strict; sunlight, rainfall, soil, temperature, as well as the method of harvesting the coffee beans and the production process will all affect the quality of the coffee itself.
The history of coffee tree cultivation
In fact, in 525 BC, the Arabs began to cultivate coffee, and the Arabian region subsequently began to favor chewing roasted coffee beans. In 890 AD, Arab merchants sold coffee beans to Yemen, and the Yemeni people made coffee beans into a beverage for the first time. In the 15th century, coffee was introduced to Europe and Asia, and soon after to the Americas. By the 18th century, coffee was widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions around the world and became one of the world's three major beverages. Coffee's annual sales volume rose to first place among the three major beverages, 3 times that of cocoa and 4 times that of tea. Although the history of coffee cultivation in the world has already lasted more than 2000 years.
China has only a few hundred years of experience in cultivating coffee. In 1884, Taiwan, China began to introduce coffee, and in the early 20th century, overseas Chinese brought coffee back from Malaysia to plant in Hainan Province. Only later did the tropical and subtropical provinces and regions in the south gradually begin to cultivate coffee. Although the cultivation time has been relatively short, the coffee of Hainan Province and Yunnan Province in our country has outstanding quality and unique charm, and enjoys a high reputation internationally. After some foreign merchants buy it at a low price, process it and resell it to the international market, it becomes an expensive world-class beverage. Particularly prominent is the small-bean coffee grown in Yunnan Province. Because Yunnan has a large temperature difference between day and night, which is beneficial to the accumulation of its internal substances, it tastes rich but not bitter, fragrant but not harsh, with a lot of oil and a fruity flavor, and has thus been praised by coffee merchants at home and abroad as “the best quality coffee in the world”.