Growing and Harvesting Tea

Camellia Sinensis leaves



Tea grows best at about 5000 ft above sea level, but it will grow lower down or higher up to a certain limit. Typically, the highest quality of tea will be grown above the 5000 ft mark. Tea likes a lot of heat and rain, but it grows best in the shade, as too much direct sunlight can cause the leaves to mature at a slower rate or even to die. Tea also grows well in an acidic soil (one with a lower pH). This is why it likes mountainous Asia and East Africa.


Tea grows from a small seed into a bush, and subsequently into a tree. A tea plant is mostly harvested at the bush stage. If it is not regularly pruned and harvested it will grow into a tree which can reach about 16 metres in height. Constant harvesting of tea allows the plant to live for up to 60 years. A tea plant should produce about three thousand tea leaves a year, which in an average tea tree life is between one hundred and fifty and one hundred and eighty thousand leaves. But before you get any fantastic ideas about buying a tea bush and making a fortune you should know that three thousand leaves will only get you about a pound of fully processed tea.


Traditionally, a tea bush would be harvested by hand. Only the bud and the second and third leaves would be picked. This is because smaller leaves are more valuable than larger ones as they have a better, purer flavour. It also ensures the most tea possible is acquired froma harvest as new leaves continue to grow. Tea is harvested in the early morning. The fine white fluff that grows on a young bud is the sign that it is ready to be harvested. Thezse buds give a light, sweet tea. This is the 'orthodox' or 'fine' method of harvesting tea. It is time - consuming and not extremely profitable, but the tea is highly valued and sought - after by people very into the ins and outs of the flavours.
The more commonly used method of harvesting tea is 'coarse' harvesting. It is done extremely quickly, and removes not only the bud of the plant but normally more than two leaves and most of the twig. Due to the leaves being older and not as carefully selected, this method produces a stronger tasing tea, not as delicate as the finely - plucked teas.


There are two main harvests of tea in a year. These harvests are called 'flushes'. The first flush is in spring, around February or March, and the second flush is in the summer. The different teas will be ready for harvest at slightly different times, so you have to know your tea crop very well to get the best from it. Growing and harvesting tea is an art, and it takes a long time to master. You have to be friends with your tea if you want it to grow for you.