I have grown tea and it is a long term project. Here are a few of the things I have discovered:
Firstly, tea plants are very, very expensive. I imported some tea seeds through an online auction site (they look more like little nuts than seeds). They worked out at around 50p each. Best way to germinate - put in a plastic bag with a little water and put them in the fridge for a month. Take them out and plant in pure vermiculite (no compost or soil) and keep them at around 20 degrees C. Germination rate around 10%. Keep indoors on sunny windowsill until they are around 6 to 8 inches tall then harden off/transplant to a sunny spot but sheltered from the wind.
The shelter is an important point as the plants hate any sort of wind. At Tregothnan they plant them in squares and expect to lose every plant around the outside edges.
Be patient! It takes three years from germination to your first harvest, i.e. when the plants are 3 to 4 feet high. In this country (and I live in mild Cornwall) you will get enough from each plant to make around two cups of tea from your first harvest. Only pick the new growth (called 'tips').
Finally, a word about processing ... use freshly picked to give Green Tea. To generate Black Tea you need to dry the leaves (loosely scattered on trays in a dark place - I use my garage). Then you need to roast very slowly in an oven on a very low heat. The flavour changes according to a) how long you dry them for and b) how long you roast them for. Experiment until you find the results you like. For me it is around two months drying and 2 hours roasting.
Is it worth all the effort I hear you ask? Only you can be the judge. I have done it but am not continuing ... a case of a novel idea but having been there and done that, I have now got it out of my system!
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Returning to tea for a minute ...
I have grown tea and it is a long term project. Here are a few of the things I have discovered:
Firstly, tea plants are very, very expensive. I imported some tea seeds through an online auction site (they look more like little nuts than seeds). They worked out at around 50p each. Best way to germinate - put in a plastic bag with a little water and put them in the fridge for a month. Take them out and plant in pure vermiculite (no compost or soil) and keep them at around 20 degrees C. Germination rate around 10%. Keep indoors on sunny windowsill until they are around 6 to 8 inches tall then harden off/transplant to a sunny spot but sheltered from the wind.
The shelter is an important point as the plants hate any sort of wind. At Tregothnan they plant them in squares and expect to lose every plant around the outside edges.
Be patient! It takes three years from germination to your first harvest, i.e. when the plants are 3 to 4 feet high. In this country (and I live in mild Cornwall) you will get enough from each plant to make around two cups of tea from your first harvest. Only pick the new growth (called 'tips').
Finally, a word about processing ... use freshly picked to give Green Tea. To generate Black Tea you need to dry the leaves (loosely scattered on trays in a dark place - I use my garage). Then you need to roast very slowly in an oven on a very low heat. The flavour changes according to a) how long you dry them for and b) how long you roast them for. Experiment until you find the results you like. For me it is around two months drying and 2 hours roasting.
Is it worth all the effort I hear you ask? Only you can be the judge. I have done it but am not continuing ... a case of a novel idea but having been there and done that, I have now got it out of my system!
Good luck
Thank you