Green Tea Plants

If you enjoy a cup of freshly brewed green tea, you might want to consider growing your own green tea plants in your home garden.

The Camellia sinensis plant is hardy to zone 8, and can be grown in containers in colder zones, where it can be brought indoors to overwinter.

You don't need a big plot of land to grow the plants, as they don't take a lot of space. Even a few pots on the porch can yield a bountiful harvest.

With proper growing, harvesting and processing, you can grow healthy plants that provide fresh, pesticide-free tea.

Black, white and green teas all come from the same plant, camellia sinensis. They differ in the processing of the harvested leaves.

To make green tea leaves, the leaves are not allowed to oxidize, or ferment, a process that destroys the polyphenols which offer health benefits.

Growing Conditions

Growing green tea plants from seed can be fun, but the leaves cannot be harvested until the plant is three years old.

If you want to start from seed, they require a sandy, slightly acidic soil. A better option is to start with plants from the nursery or by propagating a cutting from a plant.

The plant needs moist soil, with a pH between 4.5 and 5, and part to full shade. Mulching retains moisture and keeps weeds down. Water regularly and fertilize with organic seaweed. Green tea plants prefer wet, humid summers and dry, cool winters.

In colder climates, they can be grown in pots and overwintered indoors. Add sphagnum moss to the pot.

The plant is usually maintained as a shrub, but in its natural state, if not pruned, it will grow into a tree.

Trim it often to encourage a bushy growth with multiple small branches at the top. This will provide many terminal leaves for harvesting.

Harvesting the Leaves

You can harvest fresh leaves and buds from your plant all-year round, picking only the terminal three leaves and some buds, or last three new leaves on the stem, along with some buds.

Gently pat them dry, being careful not to bruise them. Place them on a layer of cheesecloth, out of sunlight, for 8 hours to dry. Next you want to steam them.

Layer them on a rack over a pot of boiling water, cover and let steam for a few minutes. Remove them carefully and spread them on a cookie sheet.

Place them in a 200 degree oven for ten to twenty minutes to dry thoroughly.

Let them cool and store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. When you're ready for a cup of tea, simple brew the leaves in boiling water.

Green tea plants are beautiful plants to add to your garden beds or containers.

The added health benefits provided by the antioxidant properties of the tea make it that much more appealing to the home gardener and tea drinker.