I love growing my tea plant at home
Camelia sinensis
Origins & benefits
The origins of green tea
The origin of tea can be traced back to more than 4000 years ago in China. It is said that a Buddhist Monk introduced tea to Japan in the 6th Century and later in the 16th Century a Portuguese missionary introduced it to Europe.
Benefits of drinking tea
Much was written in ancient Chinese books about tea and its benefits for our health. In recent times, the medical properties of tea have been given serious scientific support. The reported health benefits include a.o. reducing the risk of some forms of cancer, reducing the risk of heart disease and lowering cholesterol.
make your own tea at home!
1. Pick the youngest & softest tips
(use only the tip & 1-2 upper leaves).
2. Place about 10 tips (approx 5g) in a saucer. Heat in the microwave for about 10-20 sec. on medium (depending on your microwave) until the leaves are very soft & moist – remember they will be hot!
3. Roll all of the leaves into a ball between the palms of your hand for 10-20 sec. this breaks up the cells in the leaves & releases the colour.
4. Place your tea-ball into a white cup (so you can see the colour) & add boiling water. Gently stir for about 1 minute until the water is a light lime green. If you brew for too long the tea will taste bitter. Strain out the tea leaves & enjoy your tea!
You can reuse the leaves for 2-3 cups of tea.
growing a tea plant...
wouldn't it be nice if you could grow your own tea leaves at home?
Growing your own green tea plant is not diffi cult, follow these growing tips:
· Tea plants grow best in well drained soil. Mulch well & water regularly until established. Once established tea plants are surprisingly drought tolerant.
· Feed well with complete fertilizer in spring, summer & autumn. Little & often is best!
· When clipped annually, tea plants can easily be maintained as attractive bushes of 1 m tall x 1 m wide and very dense and tidy foliage.
· Once your plant is established, you can start harvesting and processing your tea leaves.