Solexx Greenhouses and Coffee? It's a Perfect Match!

What a thrill for the true coffee aficionado! Imagine tasting a truly fresh-roasted cup of java you’ve not only ground yourself, but roasted and grown. A nice dream, but how easy is it?

Well, with a Solexx™ greenhouse you can create the perfect growing environment, greatly increasing your chance of success. The coffee plant is a shrub from tropical Africa. It is a beautiful plant easily grown in the right environment. It’s abundant white flowers are a real eye treasure.

Coffee trees need a warm, humid climate with high, but strongly diffused light and they don’t like wind. The light diffusion properties of Solexx™ greenhouses are perfect for this plant. Adding a misting system means you can reproduce the exact environment needed for the coffee plants to thrive!

Coffee seeds for planting or starter plants are available from many online sources. Search for info on Arabica coffee plants.

To grow: plant seeds in any good commercial, fast-draining potting soil. Neutral PH is best – too much acid or base will kill the plant. Keep it on the moist side, but never soggy. Temperatures should range between 66° and 77°F.

Even though Solexx™ greenhouses are easily heated in Winter, if you live in a really cold climate you could opt to bring the plants inside your home. They make beautiful houseplants.

In 6-8 weeks the bean will appear above the surface at the top of a sleek shoot. Leaves appear in about a month. After the 6th pair of leaves appear, it’s time to plant in a larger container for its permanent home.

Traditional shade coffee farms plant the coffee trees underneath other trees such as banana and/or orange trees. Aside from the shade, it adds subtle flavor. Try placing container plants of orange and coffee trees together. You’ll be greeted with wonderful fragrance every time you open your greenhouse door.

Although, if you are serious about home-grown brew, be prepared to be patient! It will take between two to four years to begin flowering. After your plant has reached age five, the coffee berries can be harvested and roasted in your very own oven. Now that’s a real feather in the cap of the self-sufficient gardener!