Small-scale Tea Growing and Processing in Hawaii...

Originally published by CTAHR in 2003, this document (click here to download) is a guide to the University’s research efforts into growing camellia sinensis (tea plants) on the Big...

Who says tea cannot be grown in America?...

Robert Wemischner (www.robertwemischner.com), author of The Dessert Architect, Cooking with Tea and other books, recently published a short article on tching.com on the possibilities of “Tea Grown in the USA”. We have received permission from Robert to republish the article here. When we think of tea, our minds usually turn to exotic places, far from American soil. But that long-held geographical reference may be...

Tea Seed Germination...

Some of us are trying Darjeerling tea seeds. I would like to post this as a current reminder. Some of the germination procedures I’m familiar with are mainly from the “Small scale Tea Bulletin”: 1. Use freshly harvested seeds 2. Soak seeds in water for 24 hours. 3. Use sinkers as your primary batch sowing. 4. Separte the floaters, these may germinate but could become weaker plants. 5. Spread seeds over a...

Getting Started...

Whether your home is an apartment with room for a few pots of tea plants, a townhouse with a desk or small flowerbed, a suburban house with a yard, or a large acreage in the countryside, you can plan and enjoy a tea garden. All you need to get started are tea plants of your choice. You can get potted Tea plants from local nurseries, or you may propagate from cutting or seed. The USDA Pacific Basin Agriculture Research...

Planting the Tea...

Planting   The two most popular ways to plant tea: by seed and by propagated cuttings.   There are some pros and cons to plant tea by seed. The pros may be saving time and money at the beginning of planting.   The cons include that it may take very long time to grow. The germination of seed may take three to four months. Seed selection is very important for having a healthy tea plant. Seeds from the...

Caring for the Plants...

Watering Like all other plants, tea plants like to be watered often. There are two popular ways to water tea plants: (1) close to root watering, water directly applied on the base of the tea plant and (2) top dampening, water directly sprayed on the leaf of the tea plant. The best time to water tea plants is early in the morning and later afternoon. It is not a good idea to apply to much water on the plant. The rule of...