Tea plants - Camellia sinensis - for sale in UK

FAQ's about buying and growing Camellia sinensis bushes - Tea plants:

Why grow tea from seed?

So what is the big deal about growing tea from seed and not cuttings? Tea grown from seed has a long tap root that mines down for water and draws up minerals from deep down in the ground. This reduces requirements for irrigation, protective fleeces and plastics as the tap root anchors the plant and most importantly there is not such a high risk of disease as the genetic make up from seeds is more robust than a cloned crop. The yield from seedlings is actually lower than that of cuttings / VP tea (vegetative propagation), but with good farming practice and consultancy advice this can be negated. he best benefit of growing from seed is that the bushes when grown from seed live longer – in parts of China and India it is more than 100 yeas and the best productivity is around 80 years. (With tea grown from cuttings they last around 45 years and best productivity is around 20 years).

Can I buy 1 tea plant or is there a minimum order?

Yes there is a minimum order for delivery of seedling tea plants is 1 pallet = 140 tea plants.

Why grow tea from cuttings?

Most commercial large scale tea plantations outside of UK grow their tea from cuttings and is known as VP tea (vegetative propagation). In the tea industry there is a bias towards this to ensure consistency of a favored cultivar (clone).

Why buy tea grown from seed in Scotland?

Tea is a Himalayan plant by virtue of the fact that the original stock sinensis came from China and was planted up in the Himalayas in the 1840's where it responded well to the soils and climate. In the foot hills of the Himalayas along the course of the Brahmaputra is the indigenous plant known as assamica (mostly drunk as a 'Breakfast tea'). Many tea plants around the world are a hybrid of the two – the sinensis for the smaller leaved robustness against the cold and the assamica for the larger leaf higher yield. We are working with two teas – one from the highlands of N E Nepal in Ilam District which is sinensis and the other from Georgia (ex-soviet) which is a Kolkida variatel bred specially for the snows of Georgia and hybridized with assamica. Armed with our cold tolerant variatels of tea seed we feel confident growing tea in Scotland. This year too we have had terrific germination from the polyclonal seed from Guranse Tea Estate in Nepal which is one of the highest gardens in the Himalayan region (7000ft) – We are selling seedlings now and taking orders ahead for fully hardened off plants for planting outside in 2021.

Can anyone grow tea in UK?

The majority of our group have walled gardens as they provide an ideal wind and rabbit free micro climate. (In fact this was what brought many of us together, wondering how to restore and patch up crumbling walls and lath and plaster potting sheds). Those without walled gardens in our group need to use windbreaks and this is particularly important in the early days when the seedlings are moved from the greenhouse to the walled garden or field. In 2016 growing seed tea had not yet been done here in Scotland, so we worked together and purchased seeds, compost, sand, sleeves etc and paid for consultancy advice – In other words on your own it is difficult due to upfront costs. Or you need another business to support it for at least the first 5 years. As the bushes establish the need for plant protection reduces. We sought assistance from the Community Food Fund who gave us a grant to get a Feasibility Study Produced and this explains the different business models that you might think of adopting. Scotland is the most northerly location that tea grows anywhere in the world and it will certainly be challenging in the early years.

What is so special about Tea grown in Scotland?

Like the sinensis tea that took so well to the Darjeeling soils of India, Scotland has very good acidic soils that tea loves. Much of Scotland’s arable farmland is actually limed to improve its neutrality for arable crops, but for tea it is best left as it is. Our day light levels are very reduced in winter, but come the Spring when finally the bushes flush, this daylight influence adds a complexity of flavor – so like a vine that is stressed and gives an interesting wine, leaf plucked from a tea bush too will have more interesting flavour in more varied conditions.

Where can we buy Tea grown and processed in Scotland?

Kinnettles Gold have produced a truly magnificent pure Scottish tea, which can be purchased from Pekoe Tea in Edinburgh. As Tea Gardens of Scotland Teas become available tea buying resource will direct you to suppliers.

How is the tea actually made in UK?

We would like to suggest that you attend workshops and classes if you are interested in learning about processing tea, the withering, hand rolling, oxidising and drying of tea. These four processes are part of black tea production and when people understand this process, you never look at a cup of tea in the same way again as you understand how much goes into it. Workshops are run by the Scottish Tea Factory. The key thing with making tea in Scotland is not to try and copy another countries processing techniques but design a method best suited to Scotland. Also in Scotland there is no need for blending of other flavours with Scottish grown tea, no smoking of the leaves and no additives of any sort are required. Scottish tea made properly is a stand alone incredible product due to the advantages we have of good soils and interesting climate.

Why is tea made in Scotland expensive?

There is a higher value in pure teas. This is important here in Scotland for us as the process of plucking and making tea is 50% at least of your labour cost. In Assam and Sri Lanka, underpaid workers living in poor conditions are a huge issue for the tea gardens as the price they get for their teas at auction are too low, and as a result the industry is in crisis. Machinery rolled tea is not going to be what gets the tea gardens throughout South Asia out of this mess. It is small tea gardens on a micro scale, trained to produce beautiful speciality teas with simple equipment. There will always be a market for big tea gardens and huge factories producing commodity tea, but as some far sighted processors are discovering it would serve them well to run a sideline in artisanal tea making. It is the small scale practices, putting aside volume for quality, that will increase the value of tea. This value in Scotland allows us to pay the wages to pluck, process and package our teas.

How long does it take to grow tea?

A Tea bush grown from seed or a cutting will take 4 to 5 years before it is mature enough to pluck. In the meantime it needs to be pruned to shape it properly to be able to yield leaf to process into tea to drink.

Can you grow tea at home?

Yes, you can grow tea either in the garden or as a house plant.

Can you grow your own tea in the UK?

Yes you can and there are now many people doing this. Yield is not as high, but the flavour of the teas produced are more complex.

Can you grow black tea at home?

Yes from your own tea bushes and a mature 5/6 year old bush will yield 10 grams of made tea a season.

What conditions do you need to grow tea?

The warmer and wetter the conditions the higher the yield, but non optimal conditions like drying winds, colder weather will produce a more interesting tea when it is processed even if the yield is less.

Where does tea grow best?

On the equator in the tropics tea is plucked year round so yields are higher there than anywhere else, though this does not necessarily produce a better tea to drink.

How do I grow my own garden tea?

Anyone can grow tea either from cuttings from another tea bush or from seed.

Is green tea good for plants?

Only as a compost after drinking, otherwise don’t waste it on the plants - there are plenty of more suitable organic manures that can be made to help plants.

What is the best climate to grow tea in?

Warm, damp, jungle conditions. Cultivation techniques enable it to also be grown in plantations in more arid, or colder climates.

Can you make tea from any plant?

No the tea bush belongs to the family of camellias and the two types used most widely are camellia sinensis sinensis and camellia sinensis var. assamica.

Can you grow tea from tea bags?

No, because tea is made from leaves plucked from the bush that have then been subjected to heat in the process of making the tea to go in the bag.

What happens if you plant a tea bag?

Nothing as the leaf has already been processed, so made tea, after drinking is good for compost, but not in a tea bag as these do not decompose well.

What does a growing tea plant look like?

Waxy green leaves, evergreen, if formatively pruned for plucking tea is waist high, but if grown from seed and not pruned it will grow into a tree up to 20ft high or more.