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Camellia sinensis drinkers , aficionados , connoisseurs , what if I told you there was a way to have a continual provision of fresh , unbelievably toothsome tea leaf , steps from your backdoor ? I ’m not talking about a magical self - refill tea fountain , although that would be awesome , I ’m talking aboutgrowing your very owntea tree , a camelia sinensis , from camellia seeds in your backyard !
Camellia sinensis plant are easy to spring up , absolutely beautiful , and useful , supplying you with four kinds of Camellia sinensis : oolong , unripened , black , and white . This guidebook will teach you everything you call for to know about harvesting and set tea leaf come , and grow camellia sinensis plants so you’re able to evaluate whether this project is your cupful of tea .
All About Camellia Sinensis
What is Camellia Sinensis?
Camellia sinensis plants are teatime tree . Their leaves ’ potential difference was discover thousands of years ago in 2737 BCE in China whenEmperor Shennongwas boiling water under a camelia sinensis tree . A leaf fall into his brew , and he unknowingly drank it . He marvel at the refreshing mouthful and medicinal benefits and want more .
Tea was born .
All “ true ” traditional caffeinated teas come from camelia sinensis plants . That ’s right , white , black , green , and oolong tea all come from the same flora . “ But they try dissimilar ! ” you may resist , “ And look dissimilar ! ”
Yes , they do . However , all of the differences between these tea leaf can be attributed to how they are harvested and oxidise . Which means if you grow camellia sinensis , you could have access to not just green tea , but all traditional caffeinated Camellia sinensis .
What is Camellia Sinensis Good For?
Camellia sinensis trees create tea farewell which you could glean and oxidize to make the tea of your choice . Need ignominious tea to help you awaken up in the morning ? White tea leaf to drink in on a lazy afternoon?Green teato help with your weighting loss?Oolong teato help oneself better your heart health ?
you could expend your camellia sinensis flora to reach all of these tea dreams and more !
Not only are these plants useful ; they also are elegant growing coloured green , showy leafage and delicate - looking white and yellow bloom .
Can You Make Tea From Any Camellia?
At this point , you may have realized that you , your neighbor , or family extremity has a camellia shrub . It might be camelia sinensis , or maybe it is camellia sasanqua or japonica . Either way , does it matter ? Can you expend any camelia specie to make teatime ? The answer is yes , you may . What is up for debate is whether you should .
Many camelia plants also contain caffeine in their leaf and various compound that could be used for their medicinal benefit . However , the tea you make with other camellia leave will not try out , look , or smack the same as camellia sinensis afternoon tea . I do n’t desire to say that the final product when you laugh at and reap other camellia leafage is “ worse , ” because to each their own . But in my lowly impression , yeah , it ’s bad .
However , if you are looking for a merriment experiment , and you have another camelia bush on hand , then go for it and resolve for yourself .
Is Camellia Sinensis the Same as Chamomile?
Although their names vocalize standardised , and both create “ afternoon tea ” , camelia sinensis and camomile are not the same thing . At all . Chamomile tea is made from the dried flower and leaves of a daisy - comparable plant call chamomile , which has tight to nothing in vulgar with camellia sinensis . While camellia sinensis leaves contain caffein and energize drinkers , chamomile relaxes drinkers , inducing sleep due to a flavonoid it contains called chrysin .
Also , technically to be “ tea ” a beverage has to curb camellia sinensis leaves , so chamomile is not a tea but rather a herbal brewage .
Camellia Sinensis Seeds
Can You Grow Camellia From Seed?
Yes , you’re able to dead develop camelia sinensis from seeds . The physical process of grow camellias is a dumb one , and growing from seeds instead of a works can add on a few months and a yoke of extra steps to that procedure , however , growing from seeds can be extremely rewarding .
What Do Camellia Seed Pods Look Like?
Camelia semen pods are small , pear - forge seedpod . They start up out green , but once they grow they turn dark brown and snap overt . The camellia sinensis seeds within are minuscule , light to dark brown balls that are about 1 inch in diameter .
How Do You Collect Camellia Seeds?
Camellia seeds ripen throughout the year , at times that depend on their location and mixed bag . However , most seeds will ripen in the surrender . When the seed pods mature they will wrick black brown and then crack open . permit a twain of come pods crack open and then choose one that is still closed from the shrub . Using a tongue , split it open .
If the seeds are dark chocolate-brown , then they are mature and you’re able to compile them . If they are white , then wait to reap the remain pods , checking again once a duad more crack open .
When they are mature , collect seedpods that have slightly crack open but still contain their seed . Open them with your finger and put the seeds in a bag . Then soak them for about 12 hour before engraft them . Do not let them dry out out before planting and plant them as soon as potential . They can keep for a few day in the fridge .
How Do You Start Your Seeds?
Starting a plant life from seeds can be time - consuming . you may help your plant mature faster and increase your growth - success rate by kick off the germination appendage .
How ? make full a trough with piss and place storage - buy seeds in it . Leave them there for 2 days . After 2 days , separate the seeds from the body of water and spread them out on a tray . Then , place the seminal fluid on a tray and leave them somewhere cheery , covering them with an inch of vermiculite . Mist them frequently with piss , always keep the seeds damp . In 6 to 8 weeks they will germinate .
They should grow to be a few inch grandiloquent and sprout at least three leaves before you transfer them .
Growing Camellia Sinensis at Home
What Do You Need to Grow Camellia Sinensis?
Where is the Best Place to Plant a Camellia?
Camellia sinensis grows best in theUSDA grow zones 7 - 9 .
That does n’t have in mind you ca n’t produce a tea bush if you do n’t hold out in these zone , it just means that you are lead to have to be more resourceful , utilizing a greenhouse , grow lamps , andcontainersindoors to maturate your afternoon tea Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
You should heave your tee tree in soil that isslightly acidic with a pH between 6 - 6.5 .
Your tea flora should be in a sunny post . For best results , the spot should spend part of the day shaded and part of the day with full sunlight . Tea bush need a few hour of sun every day to thrive .
How Do You Care For Camellia Sinensis?
Do n’t just tot H2O to your leave after harvesting , they also involve a lot of water while growing . Tea plants love urine ! Water your Camellia sinensis Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree every few years , keeping in intellect that the dirt around it should always be dampish . Camellia sinensis plants are hardy , so they can brave some drought , but they grow fastest when ofttimes watered .
Their robustness also does not completely protect them from the cold . If you are grow your tea Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in a container , move it indoors when frosts come out pass . If your plant is outside , cover it to protect it from frosts . you’re able to keep your plant life respectable by using a balanced , constitutional fertilizeron it . This is peculiarly true for container plant since they have less entree to food .
Prune your tree in the nightfall once its flowers begin to disappear after it has surpassed two foot in height .
How Long Does Camellia Sinensis Take to Grow?
teatime drinker are notoriously patient multitude .
But there is no deny it , it ’s hard to hold back for your tea industrial plant to fully mature . Especially when you are dreaming about all of the scrumptious tea leave that it will supply you with .
It takes 3 year for camelia sinensis to mature and bring out enough foliage for harvest . Sometimes you’re able to do a small harvest time in the second year , but normally you should wait to glean until the 3rd twelvemonth of growth .
The skilful news ?
Once your teatime plant matures you will have a guarantee continual harvesting for many old age to come .
Some camellia sinensis plants live to be over 50 years sure-enough . The oldest living one if over 200 years old !
Using Camellia Sinensis
What is Camellia Sinensis Used for?
Camellia sinensis plant are used to make afternoon tea !
Oolong , green , disastrous , ashen , and every other traditional , caffeinated tea all come in from this incredible flora .
Are Camellias Toxic to Humans?
camelia do not put the “ tea ” in toxic , however , there is such matter as too much of a safe matter . If someone consumes too many camellia sinensis leaves that may endure from an elevated heart rate and other problem that are a result of taking in too much caffein . The thick leaves of the tree , if eaten raw , could stimulate choking since it is tough to effectively jaw them .
Also , if you treat your works with pesticides , then they could be poisonous . apply more natural pestis control like blast your industrial plant with hosiery water to deter pests if you are planning on using the foliage for afternoon tea .
Nope ! Camellia yield , blossom , and leaves are not poisonous . However , it is very uncommon for people to eat camelia fruit so it is unsealed what will find to you if you corrode it in large quantities .
How Do You Prepare Camellia Sinensis Leaves?
Below are the harvest home and oxidation instructions for 4 popular tea you could make with your camellia sinensis leaves .
To make shameful tea you have to fully oxidize the leaves . After harvesting the leaves , roll them between your hands , massage them , until their color becomes darker . Then , air - dry out the leaves , spreading them out in a coolheaded , dry piazza for a few sidereal day where they will not be disturbed by cuss . After they dry out , put them in the oven for 20 minutes at 250 F.
Green tea is not oxidise . After you glean the leaves , immediately hot up them for a couple of minutes and then run for cold water over them . Then , roll the leave and bake them in the oven at 230 F for 12 minute . twist the leaf every 5 minutes .
clean tea leaf goes through the smallest amount of processing . Harvest livid - ish unopened tea plant buds and immature tea leaves . Do n’t let them oxidize . Steam the leaves for 1 minute of arc and then dry them in the oven at 250 F for 20 minutes .
Oolong tea is partially oxidized . After you glean the leaves , forget them outdoors to droop in the sun for 1 hour in a dependable space . Then , dry out them out in a shady pip for 12 - 24 hour . Stir them from time to time to aerate . After they have dried out , pop out them in the oven for 20 minutes at 250 F.
Conclusion
Still call back that growing camelia sinensis from dark-green afternoon tea flora ejaculate is your loving cup of afternoon tea ? honorable ! This project is unadulterated for horticulture father to avid nurseryman who fuck afternoon tea . It does n’t take a lot of employment to plant , grow , and harvest tea but it does take a lot of time . But , as soon as your tea plant matures and starts producing incredibly refreshing tea leaf , it will all seem worth it .
I desire you relish this tea - torial ! If you did , be certain to share , and comment below with your view and question .
