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Camellia Sinensis: Grow Your Own True Tea Plant and Process the Leaves

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Emma Gallagher is a Brit living in North Carolina. She grows organic gardens and... Read More

It might come as a surprise to some that there is a good chance that you can be growing your own true tea (Camellia sinensis) plant right in your backyard or in a pot on your balcony or porch.

Lots of gardens are filled with various plants for making herbal teas or tisanes, and there is certainly nothing to be sniffed at for having and doing so. However, though we might imagine true tea plants belonging to the hills and fields of China and Japan (Assam tea is native to India and is more of a tropical variety), as long as you live in a moderate climate, you can be growing your leaves for making green, black, and oolong tea.

Source: Mountain Gardens/YouTube

**How Can I Grow My Own Tea (Camellia Sinensis) Plant?**

You will need to check your growing zone to find out if you can grow a true tea plant in your area. These plants are usually hardy to zone 7. Unfortunately, if you live in an area with really harsh winters, your plants won’t survive. That said, you could grow this plant in a pot and bring it indoors during the winter.

Camellia Sinensis is an evergreen shrub with dark green, glossy leaves, and pretty, white, sweet-smelling flowers. There are, in fact, several ornamental varieties of tea due to their visual appeal. The flowers are late bloomers and add some prettiness to the plant in late summer/early autumn. The shrubs grow to between 3 and 7 feet high but can be pruned to remain on the smaller side, especially if you are looking to grow a plant in a container.

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These plants like moist but well-drained, acidic soil, and will appreciate being mulched with some pine needles. They also require dappled shade and need to be protected from the morning sun. They are frost resilient, but in a harsh frost, maybe try to protect them with some extra mulch or a blanket for the night.

During the first two years, keep the plants well-watered, especially during dry summers, and water with rainwater when possible. This helps to retain the optimal pH of the soil.

The easiest way to start growing tea plants is to find a local nursery that sells established plants. However, if you have friends with a plant, you can start your own plant from clippings. Or, if you can get hold of some seeds, they have a pretty good germination rate as long as you soak the seeds well before sowing.

With these simple steps, you can be well on your way to providing yourself with your own source of black or green tea. The only kicker is that you need to wait at least three years before harvesting the leaves. We can be patient, right?

How Do I Harvest and Process the Leaves?

Source: Tea Pursuit/YouTube

Once your tea plants are mature enough, you are ready to start harvesting. The ideal leaves to harvest are the very youngest ones. As the leaves mature, they become tough and less desirable for tea making. The youngest leaves make the finest tea! On each branch of the bush, locate the newest 2-3 leaves and break them off, stem included, just above what will become the terminal leaf of that particular stem. New stems will grow from that break-off point and produce more leaves to harvest.

So, you have a pile of beautiful tea leaves. What is next? Well, that all depends on the type of tea you want to make.

Green Tea– Once you have your tea leaves, you need to make sure that they are completely dry by dabbing them with a paper towel and leaving them in the shade for a few hours to make sure that there is no residual moisture on the surface. Next, you need to steam the fresh leaves on the stovetop just as you might florets of broccoli or cauliflower. After that, spread them out on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven at about 250 degrees F for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the leaves to make sure that they aren’t burning. Take them out of the oven, and once they have cooled, store them in an airtight container just as you might with any loose tea. You can leave the leaves whole until you are ready to use them to help them retain their aroma and vigor.
Black Tea– Again, once you harvest young tea leaves, you are ready to prepare them to make black tea. This method is a little different and requires a process of oxidation. To do this, first, crush the fresh leaves in your hand until they start to darken. Next, spread them out on a baking sheet and leave them in a cool place, exposed to the air for 2-3 days. After this, you can pop the leaves in the oven at 250 degrees F for 20 minutes or so. Store the cooled leaves in an airtight container.

With a few simple steps, a little space, and a bit of patience, you can grow yourself a true tea plant that keeps you well-stocked in green and black tea.

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