A Cup of Tea Plant

By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist

A: I live in Ave Maria, Florida. I want to try my hand at growing my own tea. Which plant do I need?

A: Most people do not realize they are actually enjoying camellias when they sip their cup of tea. True tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, an evergreen shrub or small tree.
In the fall and winter, the plant will produce small white flowers with a lovely fragrance. The foliage is shiny and dark green with a very nice informal and open look. Camellia sinensis (or tea plant, as it is commonly known) prefers a temperature between 65 and 86 degrees, which makes Florida an ideal area to grow them. However, if you live in colder zones, you can certainly succeed growing your own tea plants using a greenhouse. Alternatively, you can use containers which can be brought inside when temperatures start falling. Tea plants will usually survive a very slight freeze, though the leaves may be damaged or killed. It will not tolerate a hard freeze. They prefer full sun or light shade in the garden.
Tea plants will become small trees or large bushes if not pruned. Hardcore tea growers trim back the shoots repeatedly to a height of around 4 feet to encourage new growth and to contain the size.
Make sure to pick an area of your landscape where it does not flood or remain wet during our rainy season. Camellia sinensis does not like wet feet at all. They prefer well-drained, sandy and slightly acidic soil. If grown in a container, add some sphagnum moss to the potting mix. They will benefit from frequent applications of small amounts of fertilizer.
You will need some patience, too. Your plant should be around 3 years old before you start harvesting leaves.

Recommended fertilizers:

Tropical Greenhouse Plus - Plant Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster

Harvesting recipes

Now that you know how to grow the Tea, you need to check this out: the Harvesting recipes how to harvest and make different kinds of real tea: Green Tea, Japanese Style Green Tea, Oolong Tea, Black Tea, Orthodox Indian Tea... Continue reading...

Persimmons - seedlings or grafted?

Q: Do all persimmons take roughly 6 years to fruit if grown from seed?

A: Persimmons, like most of the cultivated fruit trees, are recommended to be grafted to ensure a certain variety, although they may also come true to seed. And unfortunately, you are right - it will take a few years (depending on growing conditions) until the seedling will start fruiting. So your best bet to get a quality fruit right away is to obtain a grafted plant. You may check out persimmons (tropical and subtropical) that we carry in stock. If you are interested in any of the varieties that are currently sold out, just add your email to wishlist by clicking on link Notify me when available and you will be notified as soon as we have it back in stock.

Spring tips

Once temperatures stay above 65F, growing season starts for tropical plants.

1. Increase watering as soon as you see new buds opening and new leaves growing

2. Trim all dead or damaged wood 1-2 inches above new growth

3. Apply the following treats to make your plants happy:

- granulated balanced fertilizer

- SUNSHINE Superfood microelements as foliar spray for healthy growth, profuse flowering, and disease/bug resistance

- SUNSHINE-E to help plants come out of dormancy faster and increase metabolism. 100 ml bottles and 50 ml bottles available for large plant collections.

- SUNSHINE-Honey to fruit trees so you can enjoy sweeter and bigger fruit later this year

4. If nights are still chilly, take potted plants outside to enjoy the afternoon sun and bring them back indoors for the night.