Tea has been in the news recently and been touted not only as a good tasting drink, but also as a superfood. While the process of growing your own hyperlocal cup of tea may seem complicated, it really is not. It only takes some patience, time, land and/or a container.
To understand the process required to grow your own tea, one must understand some facts about the tea plant. Tea is actually a shrub called Camellia sinensis, which grows close to 30 feet if not maintained. Tea can grow outdoors in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 1-8. If grown outdoors, it likes to be in humid areas and in an acidic, sandy soil that is well drained. In the fall, the tea shrub blooms yellow-white flowers and produces the seeds for another crop of tea shrubs. The seeds are picked during this time and stored in sand for planting in the spring.
All tea types, except herbal, come from the same plant. This includes white tea, green tea, oolong, and black tea. The difference between all these teas is how old the leaves are and how they are processed.
In China, tea is harvested three times during the growing season. The harvesting starts when the plants are three years old. The first harvest is known as Shon-cheunor or “Early Spring.” This occurs from the middle of April through the beginning of May. Tea leaves picked during this time produce the finest quality of tea. The second picking, Er-chuen or “Second Spring”, occurs from May through the beginning of June when the branches of the tea shrub are full of leaves. This picking produces a tea called Tzu-cha or “filial tea” that is not as good as the first harvest, but is still a good quality tea. The third crop San-chuen produces a tea that is described as Wu-kua-cha or “tea without aroma.” This is the lowest quality of tea produced during the growing season.
Tea shrubs can be started by seed, cuttings or grafted. In the spring, sow seeds in large pots or flats. Plant six to eight seeds per pot 1-inch down and 4-feet apart. Cover with rice husks or all-purpose soil. Tea seeds do not have a high germination rate, so plant many seeds to get an adequate supply.
Once the seeds germinate and the seedlings reach 4- to 5-inches in height, move to the garden or into a container. If planting in the garden, place seedlings in an area that is shady or create a canopy to protect them. Plant the tea shrubs in an acidic, sandy soil with no manure added to the soil. It is believed that tea shrubs grown in soil without the addition of manure produces leaves that are the most fragrant and aromatic. Once the tea shrubs mature they mature in full sun.
Cuttings and/or grafted stock are planted directly into the garden or planted in a container. If the tea shrub is planted in a container, a substance will need to be added to the soil to help with water retention. Tea shrubs require a lot of water and substances like hydrogel or driwater will aid in this requirement.
If the tea shrub is planted in a container, it is easily moved to the indoor environment, but do not try to dig up a tea shrub to move indoors. Tea shrubs have deep taproots and do not move well when mature.
The leaves from your tea shrub can be used fresh or dried. If you plan to dry some, pick the leaves in the morning and wash off with cool water. Pat dry on paper towels and spread the leaves out on a screen. Place the screen in a room that is cool, but well ventilated.
To make the best cup or pot of tea, follow a few hints. Only heat the water once and heat it to the boiling point. Water that has been heated has the oxygen removed and reheating water without oxygen affects the taste of the tea. Preheat the cup and/or the teapot before putting the tea inside. This will help keep the water hot during the brewing process. If using loose-leaf tea, add 1-teaspoon per person to the teapot. When ready to serve, pour the loose leaf tea through a strainer. If fixing tea by the cup, place 1-teaspoon of loose-leaf tea in a tea infuser and place in cup. Pour water on top of the tea instead of placing the tea in the hot water. This will allow the tea to brew properly and do not move the infuser or teabag while it is brewing. Moving the infuser or teabag during the brewing process affects to quality of the cup of tea.
Growing your own hyperlocal tea is great start to living a healthy lifestyle. Once you taste your own brew you will never go back to the store variety, but instead will quinch your tea thirst by growing additional tea shrubs or Camellia sinensis.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mindy McIntosh-Shetter has been an Agricultural Science educator, and is a horticulture and/or environmental blogger who earned a degree from Purdue University in Agriculture Education with a minor in biology, and natural resources. Presently she is finishing up her Masters in Environmental Education and Urban Planning for the University of Louisville while working on her own agriculture/environmental blog.