What is the altitude above which coffee beans are planted?-Coffee bean planting conditions

What is the altitude above which coffee beans are planted?-Coffee bean planting conditions

The origin of the coffee tree is Ethiopia in Africa. In botany, coffee trees belong to the evergreen trees of the subgenus Rubiaceae, and coffee beans, commonly known as coffee beans, are the seeds of the fruit of coffee trees, just because they are shaped like beans, so they are called coffee beans.

Climate is the decisive factor for coffee cultivation. Coffee trees are only suitable for growing in the tropics or subtropics, so the zone between latitude 25 degrees south and north is the most suitable for growing coffee. This coffee production zone is generally referred to as "coffee belt" or "coffee area".

However, not all the land located in this area can cultivate good coffee trees. The ideal planting conditions for coffee trees are: a warm climate with a temperature of 15-25 ℃, and a rainfall of 1500-2000 mm throughout the year, and the rainfall time should be consistent with the flowering cycle of the coffee tree. Of course, in addition to the coordination of seasons and rainfall, there should be fertile soil. The most suitable soil for growing coffee is a well-drained, fertile soil containing volcanic ash.

In addition, although sunlight is an indispensable element for the growth and fruiting of coffee, too strong sunlight will affect the growth of coffee trees, so various producing areas will usually cooperate with the planting of some sunshade trees. generally plant higher trunk plants such as bananas, mangoes and legumes. The ideal altitude is 500-2000 meters above sea level. Therefore, the quality of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, which grows at an altitude of 8-1200 meters, is the best. It can be seen that the conditions for cultivating high-quality coffee are very strict: sunlight, rainfall, soil, air temperature, as well as the way coffee beans are harvested and the process of making coffee beans will affect the quality of coffee itself.

Coffee beans grown at high elevations are hard, dense and have the potential to give full play to their special flavor. The really amazing coffee growing areas are between 4000 and 6000 feet above sea level, and these beans are picked carefully only during the mature season. Coffee in Central America is rated according to the altitude at which it grows. For example, SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) is the term for Guatemalan coffee beans, indicating that coffee grows above 4500 feet. Mexico is called Altura, which means "high" in Spanish, indicating that it is high-altitude coffee; Papua New Guinea adds the name "Mile High" to mark coffee beans grown in the highlands and mountains.

3000-6000 feet above sea level (about 1000 to 2000 meters) provide ideal conditions for coffee to grow: an average frost-free climate of 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year, about 80 inches of moderate rainfall, and abundant sunshine. Coffee beans grow slowly in cold mountain areas, but the slow ripening process makes coffee beans have higher sugar content, more interesting flavor and mellow flavor. High displacement at high altitude produces more concentrated fruit flavors, and the best Arabica coffee growing areas have very fertile soil, often in volcanic areas.