Green Tea Seeds Camellia Sinensis Seed For Plant

Where Does It Grow?
Camellia sinensis is indigenous to China, Tibet, and northern India. The major tea growing regions today include India, China, Sri Lanka, Japan, Taiwan, Kenya, Turkey, Argentina, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwea . and more.

That said, you can grow it outdoors in Zone 8 or above. Or if youa re colder than that, you can grow it in a greenhouse or a pot that you bring indoors in the winter. Theya re a camellia, so if you grow camellias, chances are you can grow tea!

What Does It Look Like?
The fragrant flowers are white with yellow stamens inside (above). The leaves are shiny and dark green, with new growth being much lighter. The fruits are small and hard, looking similar to a hazelnut (below). The seeds are about 1/4a in diameter. The sinensis variety can reach a maximum height of 10 feet or so; the assamica variety (think Assam tea) are much larger: up to 65 feet tall. So, for a garden plant, youa re probably going to want to go for the sinensis.

How Do You Grow It?
Propagation
You can propagate tea from cuttings or from seeds. According to the flier I received with my seeds from Whatcom Seed Company: a Sow seeds 3/4a deep in standard soil mix with coarse sand added. Keep damp. Ideal night temperature of 55F, day 68F. High humidity and filtered sun. Fertilize often. Ideal pH 5-6.a

Cultivation
Plants should be placed approximately 3 feet apart in a sunny to semi-shaded area. Plant them so that a house, wall, tree, or something else will protect them from strong wind. They should be pruned back every four years to rejuvenate the bush and keep it at a convenient height.

Harvest
Tea plants have a growth phase and a dormant phase. The dormant phase is in the winter, so as soon as shoots (a flusha ) emerge in the spring, the new growth is plucked for tea. In hotter climates, there may be several flushes per year. The two uppermost leaves and the new buds are picked during each flush.

Herea s the tricky part for the home gardener: propagating a tea plant from seed is like propagating asparagus, rhubarb, or a number of other perennials from seed. It takes time. If you grow a tea plant from seed, it can take three years before your plant is ready to harvest. So until then, think of it as an investment, and experiment, or just a nice plant. If that sounds like too long for you, you can buy a plant or propagate from a cutting.