Hi,
I was thinking about the possibility of buyin a pair of tea plants and making my own tea (white nad green).
Any one know if it's difficult/possible to do that?
regards
Jun 6th, '15, 12:53
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debunix
Re: home made tea
I've thought about doing this too, because it could be fun to see the changes in the flavor of tea with leaves at different stages of processing, and I might even get something drinkable out of it. But I've read enough about tea production, and the occasional experiment by someone reporting here or someone else on a backyard tea plant, that I'm would expect that I could make something I'd be proud to serve to guests. With a limited and probably unreliably identified varietal, non-optimal climate and soil conditions, no master tea processor to apprentice with for processing the leaves, drinkable seems like the best-case scenario for a hobbyist with one or two backyard plants.
If I ever go ahead with it, it would mostly be because the plant and it's flowers--not as fancy and the usual landscaping varieties, but still attractive--would be a nice addition to the garden even if nothing drinkable ever came of it.
If I ever go ahead with it, it would mostly be because the plant and it's flowers--not as fancy and the usual landscaping varieties, but still attractive--would be a nice addition to the garden even if nothing drinkable ever came of it.
Re: Home made tea
I've considered it, but didn't get far with finding suppliers near where I live (Bangkok). But I did find one in the US that ships, just not to here:
http://www.camforest.com/category_s/53.htm
The crux seems to be where you live, how far North, how cold it gets. I've heard of people trying to grow tea North of the Carolinas (where this tea plant source is from), but I've also heard of fluke storms wiping out plants as far South as the Carolinas. Of course there would be other factors related to that than the coldest temperature, like the specific types of plants, and possible ways to help protect them, I suppose possibly even micro-climate issues, but then what would I know.
Of course one could just grow a plant indoors; not too cold anywhere for that (typically). There was a "tea across America" program that might be familiar where they did just that. Of course if you have one plant as a house-plant shrub growing your annual tea production wouldn't be much; if you didn't have a green thumb maybe a few cups worth. Production is also described as not as simple as it might sound (or harvesting for that matter), but also not impossible to make something drinkable, you just probably wouldn't reproduce your favorite teas, ever.
All the same it would be cool to try, and they're just plants, so why not. I talked to them in that nursery about growing here, in Thailand, and they said heat might be an issue. The interesting part was they didn't think being too hot would kill the plants but that a lack of the normal cool cycle might stop them from thriving. Of course this is where differing cultivars come into play; surely some types would do better than others in the brutal Bangkok heat, and lack of cool.
http://www.camforest.com/category_s/53.htm
The crux seems to be where you live, how far North, how cold it gets. I've heard of people trying to grow tea North of the Carolinas (where this tea plant source is from), but I've also heard of fluke storms wiping out plants as far South as the Carolinas. Of course there would be other factors related to that than the coldest temperature, like the specific types of plants, and possible ways to help protect them, I suppose possibly even micro-climate issues, but then what would I know.
Of course one could just grow a plant indoors; not too cold anywhere for that (typically). There was a "tea across America" program that might be familiar where they did just that. Of course if you have one plant as a house-plant shrub growing your annual tea production wouldn't be much; if you didn't have a green thumb maybe a few cups worth. Production is also described as not as simple as it might sound (or harvesting for that matter), but also not impossible to make something drinkable, you just probably wouldn't reproduce your favorite teas, ever.
All the same it would be cool to try, and they're just plants, so why not. I talked to them in that nursery about growing here, in Thailand, and they said heat might be an issue. The interesting part was they didn't think being too hot would kill the plants but that a lack of the normal cool cycle might stop them from thriving. Of course this is where differing cultivars come into play; surely some types would do better than others in the brutal Bangkok heat, and lack of cool.
Re: Home made tea
LOL Actually I am ahead of you guys. In my back garden we have two beautiful young tea plants about 2 feet tall. We got them early spring where there were still tea buds. 
One has longer leaves than the other which has smaller but darker and thicker leaves.
During winter they will be going indoors while they are still small to save them from possible frost.
This does not answer the original question of what one needs to do to brew tea from their leaves in few years time. I suppose I can just roast them lightly to 'kill the green' and let them dry ahead of brewing tea with them.
One has longer leaves than the other which has smaller but darker and thicker leaves.
During winter they will be going indoors while they are still small to save them from possible frost.
This does not answer the original question of what one needs to do to brew tea from their leaves in few years time. I suppose I can just roast them lightly to 'kill the green' and let them dry ahead of brewing tea with them.
Re: Home made tea
It depends on the weather where you live.stockman wrote:Hi,
I was thinking about the possibility of buyin a pair of tea plants and making my own tea (white nad green).
Any one know if it's difficult/possible to do that?
regards
We live in the south of UK and the tea trees seem to be quite happy here except during winter specially when they are very young when one can just take them indoors to avoid any possible frost.
They love humid countries (no lack of that here) but they do not like their 'feet' wet therefore one needs to make sure they do not get flooded in pots where we just get rid of accummulated water. Indoors one should spray a bit of water on their leaves every so often to mimic humidity besides watering them regularly.
Rain water seems to be their favourite rather than tap water.
Re: Home made tea
I guess it would be possible, but as my predecessors already wrote, the result would probably be far from a nice tasting tea.
I think the critical point is the environment, tea picks up all sorts of surrounding smell and flavours, so indoors or in a city backyard that would probably not be the most flattering taste…
Everytime I go hiking in the Taiwanes mountains, I immediately knwo why the tea is so amazing, the whole mountains forests smell not dissimilar to the teas coming from there, especially in the morning mist!
But I guess the hardest part is the skill of the tea makers. It often takes a lifetime of learning under a knowledgeable master, not something the layman is going to pick up easily.
A friend of mine just made his first tea, whilst going on a tea-learning trip to Alishan. The leaves where probably good enough – but the resulting tea is awful! Made me quite queasy that tea, to give it a chance, I tried to brew it a few times, but no improvement. Still requires a lot of experience and skill to make good tea out of good leaves…
Have been thinking of geting a teaplant myself, but more as a fitting decoration to the tea drinking atmosphere, due to lack of a personal tea room in the mountain plantations
I think the critical point is the environment, tea picks up all sorts of surrounding smell and flavours, so indoors or in a city backyard that would probably not be the most flattering taste…
Everytime I go hiking in the Taiwanes mountains, I immediately knwo why the tea is so amazing, the whole mountains forests smell not dissimilar to the teas coming from there, especially in the morning mist!
But I guess the hardest part is the skill of the tea makers. It often takes a lifetime of learning under a knowledgeable master, not something the layman is going to pick up easily.
A friend of mine just made his first tea, whilst going on a tea-learning trip to Alishan. The leaves where probably good enough – but the resulting tea is awful! Made me quite queasy that tea, to give it a chance, I tried to brew it a few times, but no improvement. Still requires a lot of experience and skill to make good tea out of good leaves…
Have been thinking of geting a teaplant myself, but more as a fitting decoration to the tea drinking atmosphere, due to lack of a personal tea room in the mountain plantations
Home made tea
From what I've read over the past year or so on here and elsewhere, you could definitely grow some tea plants and make some palatable tea as a casual hobby gardener/tea processor.
Perhaps if you take it much more seriously, carefully controlling soil contents, what water you use to water the plant etc... you could even produce tea that is nice (more than just palatable)
Perhaps if you take it much more seriously, carefully controlling soil contents, what water you use to water the plant etc... you could even produce tea that is nice (more than just palatable)
Re: Home made tea
If growing in a pot, you may want to move it to a sheltered location to protect the roots from freezing during severe winter temperatures. You can prune it to a height of three feet or so as commercial growers do for ease of harvesting, or you can let it grow naturally into a large shrub or small tree. The small white flowers that appear in the fall can be harvested and dried and added to the leaves to enhance the flavor of the tea. Different methods of growing, harvesting or processing are used to create the different teas from this species.
Jun 24th, '15, 13:20
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Re: Home made tea
Interesting. This exact quote comes up on various sites ...Maven_sh wrote:If growing in a pot, you may want to move it to a sheltered location to protect the roots from freezing during severe winter temperatures. You can prune it to a height of three feet or so as commercial growers do for ease of harvesting, or you can let it grow naturally into a large shrub or small tree. The small white flowers that appear in the fall can be harvested and dried and added to the leaves to enhance the flavor of the tea. Different methods of growing, harvesting or processing are used to create the different teas from this species.