There are over 3,000 varieties of tea, each named for the region in which it is grown. The most highly prized tea has always come from India, Sri Lanka, Japan and China and is grown at high elevation. A bit of excellent tea is also grown in Kenya and Indonesia. These are the places where the best tea comes from.
HOW IS TEA GROWN?
Climate and Elevation are the things that matter most in the growing of tea. The best and most flavorful teas come from cooler climates and are grown at altitudes from 1,200 to 2,200 meters. This cooler climate slows the growth of the tea bush, which in turn, increases the flavor of the leaves. Tea bushes start producing harvestable leaves at about 4 years and can continue to be productive for 100 years or more.
HOW IS TEA HARVESTED?
During the harvest period, known as the “flush,” pluckers harvest the tender top two leaves and bud from each bush. New shoots are plucked every 7-10 days during the flush, which may last up to 45 days.
An accomplished plucker can harvest 60 pounds of leaves in a day.
The plucked tea leaves are actually quite precious. In fact each pound will result in approximately 200 cups of tea.
Did you know you can also grown your own tea?
Watch Video on How to Grow Tea
Everyone can grow tea plants. You can grow a tea plant easily in the ground, a greenhouse or on a porch where you can bring it in during the winter.
Camellia sinensis is an evergreen shrub grown in part shade to full shade. They love warm wet summers and moderately cold dry winters, but can prosper surprisingly well in a range of adverse climatic conditions, tolerating dry summers and wet winters. In winter, allow the plants to dry out and only water sparingly.Plants in pots should be brought indoors to a light dry place such as a porch. They need to be kept dry, more than protected from the cold. It is important that the plants should have a dry atmosphere around them, or they may develop mildew. Plants growing outdoors may benefit from a temporary shelter made out of clear plastic sheeting, like a tent, put up over them to prevent them getting too wet.
Tea plants can be grown at sea level, but the best teas are cultivated at altitudes between 3000 and 7000 feet. Wild tea bushes grow to 50 feet or more; commercially grown tea plants are pruned to about four or five feet high so that pickers can reach the top leaves.
Although you can grow the tea plant from the seed, it’s far easier to propagate the plant from cuttings or to buy a nursery tree.
Growing Tea plants in the ground.
Camellia sinensis likes well-drained and sandy soil that is on the acidic side or neutral, preferring a pH between 5 and 7. You can add sulfur to the ground to acidify the soil. Don’t add lime as it will make the soil too alkaline.
When planting, add a generous amount of humus such as compost, leaf mold, or coarse peat to the soil. Be careful not to plant too deeply; as with azaleas and rhododendrons, the base of the stem should be slightly higher than the surrounding soil.
A two- to four-inch layer of mulch is desired to help the soil retain moisture and to minimize alternate freezing and thawing in winter. During its first season, water a new plant thoroughly once a week unless there has been at least one inch of rain. If the winter is a dry one, watering may also be necessary during mild spells. Camellias are not heavy feeders, so fertilizer should be used sparingly. An acidic fertilizer may be applied in early spring and followed by a second light application in June. Plants may be pruned to remove weak or dead branches, to control size or leggy growth, or to renew the vigor of older plants. Heavy pruning is best done in spring, before the plants have begun to produce new growth.
Although it's grown commercially in full sun, many experts recommend giving it open, high shade, not the shade of deciduous trees with competitive root systems, but under tall pines.
Growing Tea plants in a pot.
The directions for growing the plants in a pot are the same as above, only use a fast draining soil mix of sand, peat, fine bark shavings and soil. Do not over water! Let the soil dry out a bit between waterings. Repot as the plant grows or thin back the roots if you plan to keep the tea plant in one pot..
Like fine wine, the quality, flavor, and aroma of tea is influenced by its surroundings. Soil, climate, temperature, rainfall, and altitude all contribute to the unique characteristics of each plant and leaf.
Processing you own Tea.
Once your tea plant is growing well, you'll need to harvest and process your tea leaves. From your plant, you can make black, green or oolong tea.
Green Tea:
Pluck the very youngest leaves and leaf buds.
Blot the leaves dry, and let dry in the shade for a few hours.
Steam the leaves (like you would vegetables) on your stove for about a minute.
For a different flavor, try roasting them in a skillet for 2 minutes instead of steaming.
Spread the leaves on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 250F for 20 minutes.
Store the dried tea leaves in an air-tight container.
Here's another way to go about it -
For green tea, it’s important to harvest only the youngest tea leaves and buds. This usually involves plucking the terminal 3 leaves plus the terminal bud. After plucking, allow the leaves to dry away from direct contact with the sun for several hours.
Once the leaves are dry, it’s time to steam or pan heat your green tea leaves. To pan heat the leaves, heat the leaves in a pan to a temperature of around 500 degrees F for 15 minutes while keeping the pan in continuous motion to prevent burning. They can be dried by placing them in an oven at a temperature of no more than 250 degrees F for around 10 minutes. The dried leaves can then be stored until you’re ready to use them. Be sure to store them in a sealable container in a cool, dark place.
You can create different green tea flavors by adding herbs, dried fruits, or edible flowers to your green leaves before steeping them. This method will give you an endless supply of ways to enjoy green tea.
Oolong Tea:
Pluck the youngest leaves and leaf buds.
Spread them out on a towel under the sun and let them wilt for about 45 minutes.
Bring your leaves inside and let them sit at room temperature for a few hours.
Make sure to stir the leaves up every hour.
The edges of the leaves will start to turn red as they begin to dry.
Spread the leaves on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 250F for 20 minutes.
Store the dried tea leaves in an air-tight container.
Black Tea:
Pluck the youngest leaves and leaf buds.
Roll the leaves between your hands, and crush them until the leaves start to darken and turn red.
Spread them out on a tray, and leave them in a cool location for 2-3 days.
Dry them in the oven at 250F for about 20 minutes.
Store in an air-tight container.
Once you get the hang of it, try experimenting with different drying times to get different tastes. Mix your teas with jasmine or hibiscus flowers for a lovely summer tea right from your garden.
Processing of Tea
The best tea leaves are small and young, and plucked from the tip of the tea bush (this is known as "Orthodox" method).
Here are some categories of leaf size used as deciding factors for picking:
Flower Pekoe - Tiny shoots and unopened buds are picked.
Orange Pekoe - Youngest opened leaves are picked.
Souchong - Older, coarser leaves closer to the trunk of the shrub are picked.
GRADES OF TEA
The dried, fired tea is sorted by mechanical sifters with different sized screens into progressively smaller pieces:
OP – Orange Pekoe – whole leaves
BOP – Broken Orange Pekoe – broken leaves
BOPF – Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings – even smaller pieces of the broken leaves
Another factor in the picking of young leaves is called a "flush." This is when there is a sprouting of new buds and leaves on a plant. These fresh young leaves and buds are then picked. A tea plant may flush more than three times within a single growing season. There are parts in the tea-growing world in which there is no cold season. In these regions, the tea plants can continue to flush all year round!
Here is a general guideline of steps taken in processing tea leaves:
Withering:
Tea leaves are spread on racks or troughs to reduce their moisture content.
Rolling:
Tea leaves are rolled in order to break down their structure and release their natural juices and enzymes. This begins the fermentation process.
Fermentation:
Takes place when tea is spread on trays in a cool, humid atmosphere to oxidize the leaves. It changes the chemical structure of the leaf, and allows the tea's characteristic flavor to emerge. The longer a tea is allowed to ferment, the stronger flavor it will have and the darker it will become. Some teas are not fermented at all.
Firing:
The leaves are dried and the fermentation process is retarded. In this stage, the leaves move through hot air chambers to stabilize the leaves and lock in the flavor.
Grading:
This is the final stage before longer leaves, such as orange pekoes, are used for loose teas. The left-over fannings and dust leaves (see Tea Terminology) are used for tea bags.
Growing your own tea plant to make your own green tea drinks can be quite rewarding. Why not give it a try?
Sources: Ron Campbell, Gomestic and Mindburp
Read How to GROW GREEN TEA PLANT from EHow
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